How Heather Tarr Rebuilt Washington Softball After Mass Exodus

After losing 16 players from the 2024 roster, including eight to the transfer portal, Heather Tarr retooled Washington softball and kept the Huskies in national contention.

The Washington softball team huddles in the outfield before a game. / UW Athletics

Heather Tarr was left with four of her 20 player once the dust settled after last season.

However, there is a familiarity in the newness for her as the Washington Huskies have turned heads this spring with a 29-9 record (7-2 Big Ten).

"I can think back maybe one or two times that I felt this new," Tarr said to Arielle Orsuto of KING 5 News. "One was my first season as a head coach - 2005. The team wasn't new, but I was new."

Rylee Holtorf left for Florida, Kinsey Fiedler went to Tennessee, Ruby Meylan to Oklahoma State, Olivia Johnson is at Texas A&M, and Sydney Stewart landed in Arizona, to name a few of the players who transferred out.

Despite losing the core of her team, Tarr kept the faith and made a phone call to former Husky Jenn Salling,

Two DINGERS for Alexis DeBoer in @UWSoftball's 17-5 win over Illinois 🙌

DeBoer leads the Huskies with 1️⃣4️⃣ home runs this season 😌#B1GSoftball pic.twitter.com/mPEPMQYTl2

— Big Ten Softball (@B1Gsoftball) March 29, 2025

The Canadian Olympian signed on to join Tarr as an assistant coach, and the staff immediately began rebuilding a program that had lost eight of its top stars to the portal and more to graduation.

In came pitchers Stevie Hansen, who transferred from Oregon, and Sophia Ramuno from Cal Poly, and outfielder Ava Carroll from Mt. Hood Community College. Freshmen Morgan Reimer, Alexis DeBoer, and Sophi Mazzola have made a huge impact on the offense. DeBoer, the daughter of Alabama football head coach Kalen DeBoer, is leading the team in several offensive categories, including hits (40), home runs (14), and RBIs (45).

This group and more have contributed to a season that some didn't think would be possible.

2-for-2 day for Jade!

B6 | 🔴 2 🐶 6
📺 B1G+
📲 https://t.co/sNt8oERxaI
📊 https://t.co/aEXLQBYQT7 pic.twitter.com/Fmun2a4ZuQ

— Washington Softball (@UWSoftball) April 6, 2025

"You've got to get the right people that really believe in this place and want to create legacies, because that's what the founders of this program did for us," Tarr said. "But I do think our team culture and our chemistry and how we play with passion and toughness is something that's intriguing for the right person."

The Huskies are currently sitting in fourth place in the Big Ten standings and have received votes in Softball America's Top 25 poll. A good showing against UCLA could give UW the boost it needs to reach another level.

Washington has not missed a regional since Tarr took over as head coach, and the Huskies don't plan on ending that streak anytime soon.

Up next is a three-game series against the Bruins in Los Angeles beginning Friday.

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