Notre Dame softball commit Ava Zachary named Miss Softball Indiana
A Notre Dame softball signee has been named Indiana's Miss Softball.
Ava Zachary hit .543 with 60 RBI in 32 games for Penn High School in Mishawaka, Ind.
She's the first player from Penn to win the state's highest award for a softball player.
Mishawaka, of course, is in the South Bend area, so Zachary will be staying close to home when she heads to Notre Dame's campus.
The left-handed hitting Zachary plays third base and she helped lead Penn to a 2023 state championship. She's been a four-time First-Team All-Northern Indiana Conference selection.
'It means everything,' Zachary told her school paper, The Pennant. 'It's such a surreal moment. I'm super grateful for this opportunity and the opportunity that Penn softball has given me the past four years. It was an amazing moment to stand up there with all the other amazing talent in Indiana and to hear my name be read. This is so much more than an individual award. It's an award for all the girls at Penn who have ever played Softball, and all the girls who played next to me the last four years and worked so hard and gave such a great effort every day.'
'This award just means I have to get back to work, Zachary said. "I have to work 10 times harder now and work to get better day-in and day-out.'
Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.
Follow Tim on X: @tehealey
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Lincoln Riley's Cryptic Six-Word Reaction to Future of USC, Notre Dame Rivalry Debate
Lincoln Riley's Cryptic Six-Word Reaction to Future of USC, Notre Dame Rivalry Debate originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The long-standing rivalry between college football powerhouses USC and Notre Dame is tenuously hanging on for dear life in recent weeks. Both schools have expressed varying interest in continuing the rivalry which dates back to 1926, nearly 100 years; however, there's been little forward progress on solidifying an upcoming schedule. Advertisement The Trojans and Fighting Irish will compete for the Jeweled Shillelagh, the trophy given to the winner every year, on Oct. 18. However, there is nothing on tap between the two schools in 2026 and beyond. USC head coach Lincoln Riley was asked for comment about the rivalry by On3's Pete Nakos and the 41-year-old coach's empty response only adds to the mystery. "We will at the appropriate time," said Riley when pushed for a statement. USC associate athletic director Cody Worsham pushed the narrative that the Trojans want the rivalry to continue in an article from college football insider Pat Forde. Advertisement 'We want the USC–Notre Dame rivalry to continue, which is why we offered an extension of our agreement,' said Worsham. 'It's a special game to our fans and our institution. We will continue to work with Notre Dame on scheduling future games.' USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley and Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman© Matt Cashore-Imagn Images It appears the impasse stems from Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua wanting a long-term deal to secure several games into the future; however, USC wants to go year-by-year. A week ago, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman was more plainspoken in responding for comment about the rivalry. 'It's a great rivalry for all of college football,' Freeman said. 'If it was up to me, we would play them every single year for the rest of college football time.' Advertisement Notre Dame leads the all-time series 50-37-5. The Irish have won six of the last seven matchups against USC. Related: Historic College Football Rivalry Could End After 2025 Season This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
2026 WR chooses Alabama Crimson Tide over Penn State, Notre Dame
The post 2026 WR chooses Alabama Crimson Tide over Penn State, Notre Dame appeared first on ClutchPoints. Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Crimson Tide landed a talented player to add to their 2026 recruiting class, getting the pledge of wide receiver Brian Williams Jr. Advertisement Williams announced his commitment to the Crimson Tide on Tuesday, per On3 insider Hayes Fawcett. He chose the SEC powerhouse over the likes of Penn State, Florida and Notre Dame. The young receiver stands out as a solid prospect from the Sunshine State. He boasts a three-star ranking with an 86 score on 247Sports. He is the 106th-best player in the state of Florida and the 162nd-best wide receiver in the 2026 class. 'Traits-heavy outside wide receiver with the length and athleticism to bake into a difference-maker, but one where the on-field production has yet to really materialize. Looks the part with a lanky frame that stretches close to 6-foot-4 and pairs the outstanding size with green speed and explosion scores,' 247Sports' scouting director Andrew Ivins said. 'Displays good initial burst off the line and will sink his hips to snap in and out of his breaks. Not the most physical player at this stage, but finds ways to beat man coverage with his quick feet and sharp releases.' Advertisement What's next for Alabama after landing Brian Williams Jr. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images It's a solid pickup for Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Crimson Tide to get. With Brian Williams Jr. arriving in 2026, the team's receiving corps looks to boast a lot of potential. DeBoer is preparing for his second year as the Crimson Tide's head coach. He navigated the program through the start of a new era after Nick Saban retired from coaching college football. His ability to lead teams to remarkable success made him a strong fit for the job as Saban's successor. His first campaign with Alabama was a strong success. He led the Crimson Tide to a 9-4 record, a promising start to his time with the program. However, he ended the season with a loss to the Michigan Wolverines in the 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl. Related: North Carolina football way-too-early bold predictions for 2025 season Related: Oregon football way-too-early bold predictions for 2025 season
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Notre Dame 2025 Season Preview With Crain and Company
Notre Dame 2025 Season Preview With Crain and Company originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Notre Dame had an outstanding season in year three of the Marcus Freeman era, and the Irish will look to build on that in 2025. A season ago the Fighting Irish advanced to the national title game, and now in season four Notre Dame will look to take that final jump and try to a title. Advertisement I joined Crain and Company to preview the Notre Dame season: Here are some of the topics that we discussed: *** We discuss expectations for Notre Dame in 2025, and what the floor is for the team and what the ceiling is. I argue that at least getting back to the semi-finals is the floor of what we should expect from the Irish this season. *** We discuss the type of athlete that Notre Dame has landed since Freeman was hired as head coach. There is still a misconception about how good Notre Dame is athletically and we discuss that during the show. Notre Dame's depth of talent across the depth chart is very impressive. Advertisement *** Of course we spent time talking about the quarterback position, beginning with a look at redshirt freshman CJ Carr and how the Irish will build around their young quarterback. Carr is battling Kenny Minchey for the starting job and we discuss how the team can use the talent around them to thrive while the quarterbacks get experience. *** We talk the game that gives the most concern heading into the season, and that focus is on Texas A&M. *** We will discuss how the third-down and short yardage offense will look without Riley Leonard. We'll also spend time talking about what the offensive line looks like in 2025. *** We talk about what the floor and ceiling are for Notre Dame in 2025. Advertisement Be sure to check out the Irish Breakdown message board, the Champions Lounge Irish Breakdown Content 2025 Scholarship Chart 2025 Football Schedule Notre Dame 2026 Commits Notre Dame 2026 Scholarship Offers 2025 Commit Rankings - Offense 2025 Commit Rankings - Defense 2024 Recruiting Class 2023 Recruiting Class 2022 Recruiting Class ——————— Become a premium Irish Breakdown member, which grants you access to all of our premium content and our premium message board! Click on the link below for more. BECOME A MEMBER Be sure to stay locked into Irish Breakdown all the time! Join the Irish Breakdown community! Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown YouTube channel Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown podcast on iTunes Follow me on Twitter: @CoachD178 Like and follow Irish Breakdown on Facebook Sign up for the FREE Irish Breakdown daily newsletter This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
