Two Washington softball alumni to compete for Women’s Softball World Cup

The Washington Huskies will have two players and one coach competing for the Women’s Softball World Cup.

The Women’s Softball World Cup finals are set to begin on Monday in Italy as the field is down to eight teams, two of which hold Washington Huskies alumni. Team USA is led by shortstop Sis Bates and is coached by Heather Tarr, while pitcher Taran Alvelo anchors Team Puerto Rico’s pitching staff.

During her time at Washington, Alvelo was dominant. She finished her career with a 102-27 record and a 2.53 ERA over 798 innings with 895 strikeouts (No. 2 in school history) and a .213 batting average against.

Alvelo was named an All-American during both her junior and senior seasons and became the No. 8 pick in the 2019 National Professional Softball draft by the Aussie Peppers.

Bates was similarly dominant during her career and was honored on the NFCA’s First Team All-America as a sophomore and junior, and to the second team as a graduate student in 2021. She was also named the Pac-12’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2018, 2019, and 2021, and finished her career with 320 hits, the most in school history.

While also playing with Athletes Unlimited, Bates returned to Montlake in June 2023 to serve on Tarr’s staff as the director of player development.