Coach Heather Tarr and the Washington Huskies earned a commitment from outfielder Ava Carroll on Tuesday, who has one of the nation’s best stat lines from the 2024 season.
At Mt. Hood Community College, she posted a .529 batting average, 1.507 OPS, 14 home runs, 58 runs batted in, 78 runs scored, 14 stolen bases, and struck out just 7 times while taking 18 walks. Those numbers unsurprisingly won her the Northwest Athletic Conference’s South Region’s Most Valuable Player Award and earned her a spot on the NWAC South Region’s First Team.
Now as Carroll makes her transition to the Big Ten, she might not be able to produce at such an absurd pace against a higher level of competition, but she could become a reliable contributor in the middle of the order. Her ability to hit for both contact and power with such a low strikeout rate is something Washington’s lineup sorely needs after losing most of the roster to the transfer portal.
If new hitting coach Jenn Salling can help her adjust to the competition level quickly, Carroll, who has three years of eligibility remaining, could be a stellar pickup for the Huskies.