Ava Bates Named Gatorade National Softball Player Of The Year

The Gatorade National Softball Player Of The Year award is one of the most prestigious honors for high school players around the country. This is the 38th year that the honor has been given out. Gatorade selects the winners based on their athletic accomplishments, their academics and the difference they make in their communities. Brown joins select company as a winner of the National Softball Player Of The Year and the 5th from the state of Texas joining Cat Osterman (2001), Kirsten Shortridge (2006), Paige McDuffee (2011 and Jayda Coleman (2020). There have been 5 national champions and 17 Olympic Gold Medalists that have walked away with this honor.

Ava Brown was a deserving winner of this honor in all 3 capacities of the award. She's an elite right handed pitcher and a star at first base. Brown guided her Lake City High School squad to a 44-1 record on the season. They also won the 5A state championship for the 2nd straight year. Brown finished the season with a 0.53 ERA in 172 innings pitched on her way to a 27-0 record on the mound. She finished her high school career in Ava Brown fashion with a 15 strikeout no hitter in the title game. That completed an undefeated record through her high school pitching career.

Brown wasn't just a pitcher. She was just as potent with her bat. She had a .462 batting averages with 9 home runs and over 60 RBI's. Brown's slugging percentage was just shy of .900. Her stellar play and All-American status will be headed to the University of Florida next year. This will be the 3rd Gatorade National Player of The Year to sign with the Gators joining Kasey Fagan in 2010 and Keagan Rothrock in 2022. The Gators will be welcoming a star athlete, a regular volunteer in her community as well as an excellent student.