Freshman pitcher Morgan Reimer pitches during Washington's game against Cal Poly at Husky Softball Stadium on March 25, 2025 in Seattle, Wash.
The Washington softball team has been impressive so far this season, as it looks to improve on a 2024 campaign that ended in the NCAA Regionals.
“No matter who we are facing I think we have a chance to do some good things this year,” head coach Heather Tarr said.
As the Huskies (26-9, 4-2 Big Ten) dip their toes into conference play and reach the halfway point of the season, here is a midseason report card on their efforts so far:
Offense: A-
The Huskies this year boast an unusual number of underclassmen — particularly with their position players — and they have excelled offensively to this point.
Freshman first-baseman Alexis DeBoer leads UW with 12 home runs on the season, which is good for 20th in the nation as she has put on an absolute show in her inaugural campaign. Sophomore outfielder Ava Caroll has also been impressive, placing third on the club with a .348 batting average.
As a team, UW is hitting .293 to its opponents .214.
“This team is completely forming. There’s one point I looked out on defense and said ‘okay sophomore at third, sophomore at shortstop, freshman, freshman, freshman, sophomore,’” Tarr said.
Washington’s infusion of youth looks good so far, and as its players get more opportunities, it is only going to improve.
Sophomore catcher Jadyn Glab has also been one of the best performers offensively for the Huskies, sporting a 1.149 OPS with 10 home runs, both good for second on the team.
However, much of UW’s offensive production has come from beating down non-conference and non-Power Four opponents that were vastly outmatched. In nine non-conference games against Power Four teams, the Huskies are averaging 2.56 runs per game with a 3-6 record. Against non-Power Four teams, they average 7.61 runs a game with a 19-1 record.
So far in conference play, UW dropped two of three games to No. 8 Oregon, before beating up on a hapless Rutgers team. While a small sample, its batting average was just .186 with a .592 OPS compared to a .872 season OPS.
Yes, the Huskies have proven they can score against inferior teams, but there are still question marks about their ability to circle the bases against Power Four and non-conference opponents.
Pitching: A
On the mound, Washington has a bit more experience, as two of its three main pitchers are upperclassmen.
One of those pitchers is senior Stevie Hansen, who has dazzled in her first season at Washington after transferring from Oregon. Hansen has already had two performances for the record books, throwing a no-hitter and a perfect game this season, as well as being named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week on March 3.
Washington’s other two main pitchers are junior Sophia Ramuno and freshman Morgan Reimer. Ramuno leads the club in ERA at just 2.11 in 56.1 innings pitched this season.
Reimer has also been impressive, sitting at an ERA of 2.65 in her 66 innings. Ramuno and Hansen rank 106th and 119th in ERA, respectively.
As a team, the Huskies rank 25th with a 2.39 ERA. While they have been reliable starting the game, they have had some struggles in relief appearances.
“There’s a thin line between staying in a game and letting it get out of hand,” Tarr said.
In nine appearances — six of which were in relief — sophomore pitcher Rylee Rehbein has a 4.38 ERA. The Battle Ground, Wash. native transferred from Montana after going 6-5 with a 5.55 ERA as a freshman. The only other Husky to enter the game as a pitcher is junior Madi Balk, who hasn’t recorded an out yet in two appearances while surrendering two runs and three walks.
While the Huskies’ pitching looks strong, their depth will be tested as the season wears on. As a whole, Tarr is confident that her team will battle back in games, even if they have a harder time in relief appearances.
Clutch: B
Arguably Washington’s best clutch performance came in its March 16 contest against Oregon, taking it down 4-3 after a big hit from fifth-year utility player Charity Sevaaetasi drove home the winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning.
“Charity is very experienced and has not been probably herself the last couple of games,” Tarr said. “For her to be able to come in and do that should give her a lot of confidence.”
Sevaaetasi has not been in the lineup as much recently, but her experience on a young Huskies team proved important as she stayed calm and sent a ball down the left field line to score sophomore infielder Riley Peschek.
However, the Huskies would not have been in this position had they not surrendered three runs to the Ducks in the top of the sixth inning to give up their 3-0 lead. Reimer’s inning was one to forget, as she hit one batter then gave up three hits to allow UO to tie the game.
“We gotta learn through our experiences. There have been times where we have lost leads and we’ve crumbled,” Tarr said. “It’s tough when you lose a lead, it’s hard to recover, so we just see them as moments of resilience to be able to grow ourselves and continue to keep perspective.”
The Huskies ability to rally and retake the lead is a good sign, and it allowed them to salvage a game after dropping the first two of the series to the Ducks.
In UW’s other performances where the game was decided in the sixth inning or later, it has been a bit of a mixed bag. After holding an early lead in its Feb. 8 matchup with No. 11 Alabama, Ramuno relieved Hansen in the sixth, immediately surrendering a three-run bomb, and allowing three more runs in the seventh inning.
Washington went back-and-forth in the late innings with both Grand Canyon and California Feb. 14 and Feb. 21 respectively but fell in both matches. Against Fresno State Feb. 23, senior outfielder Alycia Flores’ two-run bomb broke the 4-4 tie in the seventh. Reimer closed out the game for the Huskies to secure the victory.
Down 2-0 in the sixth against Idaho State March 8, DeBoer broke the game open with a double to left center that scored Glab and freshman utility player Sophi Mazzola. Carroll drove home the winning run on a fielder’s choice later in the inning, bringing the Huskies ahead 3-2.
With these recent clutch performances and rallies, it’s no question that UW can compete with an incredibly young roster.
“We just gotta play a complete game,” Tarr said. “We are moderately talented, but we aren’t crazy talented so we gotta [do] things while we can and play as hard as we can every single game.”
If the Huskies can continue to come through when they need to, they have a chance to make some noise in conference play and return to the postseason.
Washington heads deeper into conference play with a two-game series against Illinois, starting on Friday, March 28 at 3 p.m. in Champagne, Illinois.
Reach contributing writer Sam Leslie at sports@dailyuw.com. X: @SamLeslie22
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