“She’s paved her own way. I think maybe people at one point, especially when she first committed to Washington, were thinking it was more about me, but she’s proven this was completely about her,” a proud Kalen DeBoer said of his daughter. While he may be gearing up for a turnaround in Tuscaloosa in Year 2, it’s Alexis DeBoer who’s constantly stealing headlines lately. And the Washington Huskies’ freshman phenom just added another trophy to her growing case. 

Alexis DeBoer has become unstoppable, and her latest achievement carries national weight. On May 29, she shared a post by apfresno on her Instagram story, which had the caption, “Congratulation to AP Family member @alexisdeboer for being named a Freshman All-American.” The post featured her picture with the words “Freshman All-American, Softball America, and D1 softball, Alexis DeBoer” plastered on it. She acknowledged the hype with a grateful attitude by posting “💜💜💜.” This is another high point in what’s been an absolutely electric debut season in Seattle. 

If you don’t already know, this isn’t just any rookie year. Alexis DeBoer was already named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, the first Husky to win it in nine years. She also earned a spot on the All-Big Ten First Team while leading her team with a .352 batting average, 21 homers, 55 RBIs, and a jaw-dropping 1.247 OPS. That puts her in rare air as the only second freshman in the program’s softball history to mash 20+ season homers, joining only the legendary Baylee Klingler in that elite company. And even among vets, she’s the 7th player to hit that mark! 

When Washington Softball posted the “⭐FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICAN⭐” graphic across their X, there was no mistaking it. The Huskies know exactly what kind of star they’ve got on their hands. Alexis DeBoer may have fallen out of the race for the NFCA National Freshman of the Year, which went to Florida’s Taylor Shumaker, but she was among the final 10, which is a mark of elite company.

Alexis DeBoer made waves three weeks ago by landing a major Adidas deal, a success that’s also featured on her feed. Her Instagram post, with new light blue sneakers, quickly went viral. She captioned it: “The cutest spring collection 🩵 @adidas.” Sure, this partnership is a cool flex, but it also shows she’s a rising softball star now part of Adidas’s long-standing tradition of performance, style, and legacy. And while she’s busy building her future in Seattle, Kalen DeBoer was quietly turning heads even before calling any plays this season. 

Kalen DeBoer’s offseason earns respect

Kalen DeBoer received high praise at SEC spring meetings in Destin from Alabama AD Greg Byrne, who was refreshingly direct and didn’t resort to smoke and mirrors. “Ours have been really good,” he said of Alabama spring football. “I’ve been really impressed with the buy-in from the young men in our program. I think having Coach (Ryan) Grubb there has been a real positive for the program. Kalen’s leadership through this historical tradition has been really good across the board.”

Coming off a turbulent 2024 that saw the Tide dip below 10 wins for the first time since 2007 and drop the ReliaQuest Bowl to Michigan, Alabama needed a culture shift. What they got was zero scholarship losses in the spring transfer window. “Guys are pouring everything into it right now,” Kalen DeBoer said. “They are almost over the top with the work they want to put in because of the desire they have to, you want to be great and have an amazing season. Coming off of last year, they want to prove some people right and prove some people wrong.” 

Keep a tab on August 30. That’s when Alabama opens at Florida State. Because if Alexis DeBoer has already shown us what’s possible in Year 1, you’d be smart not to bet against Kalen DeBoer doing the same in Year 2.