Delivering the number 13 recruiting class in the nation, the Washington Husky softball team will look to make a statement in the fall of 2024 as it prepares for its first season in Big 10 conference with six recruits joining the pack.
Jade Bubke, Addie Craig, Alexis DeBoer, Sophi Mazzola, Morgan Reimer, and Gabi Toney will be major pieces of the future for Washington starting in 2024. The addition of four infielders, an outfielder, and a pitcher will bring fresh faces to an already young core that will look to do damage in 2024.
After finishing 5th in the Women’s College World Series last season, head coach Heather Tarr and the Huskies will look to follow up with even more success as they look forward to the new season in the Spring.
2024 Husky Softball Roster
With seven new faces to the roster, including four freshmen, the young Husky core has a bright future ahead after the departure of superstar fifth-years, including Baylee Klingler, Madison Huskey, and Sami Reynolds.
With a talented and experienced staff such as former players Reynolds, Sis Bates, Courtney Gana, and Tarr, the potential is there for Washington to accomplish achievements it has yet to reach since its 2009 National Championship.
Catchers look to take next step in 2024
With freshman Sydney Stewart and sophomore Olivia Johnson carrying the load behind the plate in 2023, the additions of junior Haley Winckler and freshman Jadyn Glab only bolster what was already a very talented group.
Stewart was great in 2023, posting a .996 fielding percentage while batting .267 with two home runs and 11 RBIs in her freshman campaign. Johnson regressed from a power standpoint last season but will look forward to regaining her freshman-year momentum where she hit 11 bombs this season.
Winckler is a transfer student from Bellevue College who provides fielding experience after winning the NWAC Rawlings Gold Glove award last season with a perfect fielding percentage, and held a .389 batting average with two home runs and 32 RBIs. Glab was the ninth-ranked recruit in the nation and will deliver a massive power boost to the Husky roster.
Experienced infield provides a high standard defensively for the Huskies
The returns of juniors Rylee Holtorf and Kinsey Fiedler to the middle infield will make a huge impact on the defensive end while providing consistent offense. Holtorf was arguably the best offensive batter throughout the Women’s College World Series for the Huskies and Fiedler has displayed power and consistency since her freshman campaign.
Fiedler batted .277 with five home runs and 18 RBIs in 2023, improving in batting average and looking to bring her home run totals back up to when she hit 11 as a freshman. Holtorf had a spectacular sophomore season defensively while improving on offense, batting .278 with five home runs and 22 RBIs.
Jillian Celis is a graduate transfer from San Diego State who consistently found her way on base, batting .348 in 2023 with 27 runs scored and 30 RBI. Giselle Alvarez is a freshman who brings lefty power and great leadership presence to a very talented infield.
The speedy outfield looks to fill the void of departed seniors
Husky fans have plenty to be excited about regarding their speedy outfield which retains sophomore Brooklyn Carter and senior Avery Hobson, and also acquires the sensational contact hitting of graduate transfer Alyssa Popelka from Texas.
Carter was borderline unstoppable on the basepaths and defensively last season, cruising her way to 28 stolen bases while batting .286 and sporting a perfect fielding percentage including a crucial throw to home from center field to get the out against Stanford and save a run. Carter will be a centerpiece for this team in 2024.
Hobson will see a major role increase after batting .308 with 10 stolen bases in 2023, while also delivering a perfect season defensively. Hobson scored 25 runs in just 52 at-bats last season and will be a constant danger on the basepaths for opposing pitchers.
Popelka transfers to Washington after four spectacular seasons at Texas, sporting a career batting average of .361 and 44 career stolen bases. She will see more play time as a Husky and has an opportunity to lead the squad in hits while providing excellent defense.
Utility players look to bring the boom when needed for the Huskies
With the return of sophomore Alana Johnson and the arrival of freshman Jing Gardner, Washington has a pair of players that provide a massive spark to the lineup whenever called upon.
Johnson was a power bat for the Huskies last season, hitting seven home runs while also securing four stolen bases. Johnson primarily played as the designated player in the lineup and will look to expand her role heading into her sophomore season.
Gardner played both baseball and softball in high school at Cheif Sealth in Seattle and will be a contact hitter for the Huskies that will deliver for this program in big moments. She possesses the ability to play any position both outfield and infield, and earned All-League MVP honors after the 2022 season. Washington has a star in the making in Gardner.
The star-studded Husky pitching rotation is locked and loaded for 2024
Last season, a major concern for the Huskies’ rotation heading into the season was finding a way to replace the great Gabbie Plain. They proceeded to find a superstar in sophomore Ruby Meylan, who made First Team All-Pac-12 and was an NFCA Third Team All-American.
Senior Lindsay Lopez was an integral piece of the puzzle down the stretch for the Huskies, and the return of graduate student Brooke Nelson along with the emergence of freshman Sidne Peters makes this a very deadly pitching staff for 2024.
Meylan was unstoppable to start the season, sporting a 0.79 ERA through 16 appearances while driving up the numbers in the strikeout column. Meylan finished the 2023 season 18-7 with a 2.19 ERA, striking out 199 batters in 176 innings. She will look to be a top pitcher in the nation heading into next season.
Contrary to Meylan, Lopez struggled out of the gate before becoming the most reliable arm in the rotation. She finished the season 13-4 with a 3.12 ERA in 2023 but was unstoppable at the end of the season. In her final 18 appearances, Lopez only gave up 14 runs and brought her ERA down from 5.43.
Nelson is a combination of a first baseman and pitcher and will deliver plenty of innings for the Huskies’ pitching staff. Nelson went 3-2 with a 2.46 ERA in 13 appearances last year while batting .286 at the plate.
Peters was the 10th-ranked recruit and was spectacular on both ends in her 2022 season, pitching to a 23-5 record with a 0.80 ERA and 290 strikeouts while also batting .406 with 43 RBIs and 10 home runs. Peters is a two-time 22-5A District MVP and adds another lethal arm to an already spectacular Washington rotation.
