Ella Whitney

Ella Whitney vs. Akron in MAC Softball Championship

Photo by: Owen Main - Owen Main Photography

Photo by: Owen Main - Owen Main Photography

Position:
Infield / Right-Handed Pitcher
Height:
5-11
Class:
Junior
High School:
Martinsville
Hometown:
Martinsville, Ind.

Prior To Ball State: Played the 2023 and 2024 seasons at FIU.

FIU (Sophomore - 2024): Played in 41 games, earning 36 starts … finished the season with a .228 average, collecting four doubles and a home run … credited with 12 RBI and 12 runs scored … turned in three hits and three RBI in the 5-0 victory over UIC (March 1), starting with a RBI single to drive in what proved to be the game-winning run, and closing the scoring with a two-run double … credited with a pair of RBI in three games … closed the season with a solo home run in the sixth inning to drive in what proved to be the game-winning run in a 3-2 victory at Louisiana Tech (May 4) … appeared in 14 games in the circle, including 10 starts, producing a 5.25 ERA over 38.2 innings of work … struck out 10 batters on the season … earned her first victory of the season at Middle Tennessee (March 29), scattering 10 hits and three runs, only two of which were earned, over the first 6.0 innings of the 6-3 win … picked up her second victory of the season by allowing just six hits and one earned run over 4.2 innings of work in the 11-9 win over UTEP (April 5) … credited with a save after throwing the final 2.0 innings and allowing one run in the 6-4 win over Sam Houston (April 27).

FIU (Freshman - 2023): Played in 46 games, earning 40 starts … led the Panthers with a .349 batting average, which ranked 10th among Conference USA players … earned Second Team All-CUSA honors and was named to the CUSA All-Freshman Team … of her 37 hits on the year, six were doubles and four were home runs … set an FIU record with hits in eight consecutive at bats, with four hits in games at Charlott (March 11) and at Louisiana Tech (March 17) … her first collegiate hit game versus Pittsburgh (Feb. 17) … her first RBI came on her first collegiate home run in the 6-1 win over Valparaiso (Feb. 24) … drove in a pair of RBI versus Notre Dame (Feb. 26) … smashed a three-run double versus Stonehill (March 3) for her first of a trifecta of three RBI games on the year … along with her four hits she collected three RBI in the 5-3 win at Charlotte … her second home run of the season came versus Middle Tennessee State (April 22), while she tallied home runs in back-to-back wins at UTEP (March 6 and March 7), the second of which was a three-run blast … made 22 appearances in the circle, including nine starts, producing a 6.32 ERA over 68.1 innings of work … struck out 24 batter on the year, with at least one in 14 appearances … earned her first career win with a versus Stetson (Feb. 15), allowing just four hits and one run over 7.0 innings of work in the 6-3 win … earned a complete game victory at Butler (Feb. 19), limiting the Bulldogs to just four hits and two runs in the 3-2 victory … picked up her first collegiate save after pitching the final 3.0 innings and allowing just two hits and no runs in the 9-2 victory over Kansas City (Feb. 11).

High School: Earned four letters at Martinsville High School … team captain as a junior and senior … third team all-state as a senior and a 2022 Indiana All State … finished her career with a .440 batting average, a .887 slugging percentage, 28 home runs, 95 RBIs and 58 runs scored … her .887 slugging percentage and 28 home runs were Martinsville career records … also set the program's single season records for slugging percentage (1.160), on base percentage (.569), RBIs (44), and home runs (15) as a senior … two-time Mid-State All-Conference honoree … in the circle, she boasted a 3.25 career ERA, 245 strikeouts, and 19 career wins over 62 appearances … struck out 113 batters as a senior, while producing a 2.66 ERA and 11 wins … credited with 89 strikeouts and five wins as a junior and 43 strikeouts and three wins as a freshman … was the No. 50 ranked player and the No. 19 ranked pitcher/duo in the 2022 class according to Extra Innings Softball.

Why Ball State: I chose Ball State because it's closer to home and my family can watch me play. It's a great school academically, the softball program is very competitive, and I connected with the coaches.