Bri Ellis’ Journey Through College Softball
- Samantha Lewis
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
From the start, Bri Ellis made it clear she wasn’t just another college softball player. She had a lot of power at the plate and a confident presence that helped her make a name for herself. Every year of her college career has showcased her talent and consistent impact, which has earned her a reputation as one of the top hitters in the game.
Ellis started her collegiate career with Auburn University and instantly proved to be a valuable player. In her freshman year in 2022, she played in 56 games, starting 55 at first base. She had a .302 batting average with 20 home runs, which set an Auburn freshman single-season record. She also had 49 RBIs, which is the second-highest total by a freshman in school history. This earned her the SEC Freshman of the Year award and a spot on the All-SEC Second Team. Ellis was also a Top 10 Finalist for the NFCA Freshman of the Year award.
In her sophomore season in 2023, Bri Ellis remained a major force in Auburn’s lineup. She started in all 62 games, one of only two Tigers to do so. She had a .275 batting average with a .601 slugging percentage and a .415 on-base percentage. She led the Tigers in home runs, RBIs, total bases (92), slugging, sacrifice flies, and hit-by-pitches (7). Ellis had a great stretch in late February that earned her both SEC Player of the Week and Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week honors.
After her sophomore season, Ellis made the choice to transfer from Auburn to the University of Arkansas. She officially joined the Razorbacks on June 19, 2023. This decision wasn’t just about the game, but about finding a more compatible coaching staff for who she is as a person and a player. Ellis discussed wanting to play for Arkansas head coach Courtney Deifel, explaining that Deifel would better embrace her fiery personality and competitive edge. “I'm not really scared to say what's on my mind,” Ellis told MLB.com. She described herself as a hyper-competitive straight shooter who thrives on being expressive and bringing energy to the game. During her junior season in 2024, she appeared in 55 games, batting .322 with 48 hits, seven doubles, 14 home runs, and 47 RBIs. Ellis led Arkansas in both slugging percentage (.651) and on-base percentage (.444). Defensively she recorded 359 putouts and 12 assists with a .989 fielding percentage. Her standout performance earned her spots on the All-SEC First Team and the SEC All-Defensive Team, demonstrating how having the right support can help you thrive and grow even more.
In her senior year at Arkansas, Ellis delivered one of the most dominant seasons in NCAA softball history. She batted .440 with 26 home runs, 72 RBIs, 69 walks, and 68 runs scored over 58 games—all while posting a 1.090 slugging percentage, .639 on-base percentage, and a staggering 1.729 OPS. She broke multiple single-season Arkansas records, including home runs, RBIs, runs scored, slugging, and OBP, as well as tying the SEC single-season home run record with 26. She became the sixth player in NCAA history to hit over .480 and have 20+ homers in the same season. Her 1.729 OPS ranked third-highest nationally, since tracking began in 2016, and her 229 consecutive career starts led the nation.
Ellis earned nearly every major award in 2025: USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, D1 Softball Player of the Year, Softball America Player of the Year, and unanimously the First-Team All-American. She was also named SEC Player of the Year, First-Team All-SEC, SEC All-Defensive Team, and First-Team NFCA All-Central Region. Drafted No. 2 overall by the AUSL’s Talons, Ellis capped off a legendary year with numerous weekly honors, including multiple SEC Player of the Week and National Player of the Week selections.
She had several standout performances, including a walk-off grand slam to break the Arkansas single-season home run, RBI records, back-to-back multi-homer games, and dominant weekends where she hit over .600. Ellis finished her career as the NCAA’s active home run leader (74), fourth in RBIs (215), and seventh in total bases (449). Not only her talent, but her hard work and discipline made her the face of Arkansas softball as well as the face of college softball in 2025. Bri Ellis is taking her talent to the professional level with the AUSL’s Talons, where she will keep turning heads in the pro game just like she did in college.
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