When Kalen DeBoer left Washington for Alabama, there had been some family conversations regarding Alexis DeBoer’s college plans. But the softball hitter decided to remain at home in Seattle because “she’s having fun,” as her dad said. “She’s got some amazing friends there,” Kalen DeBoer once told ESPN. “And I can’t tell you how much I appreciate those friends, even their parents, and the way the Washington family has taken care of her.” And as she steals national headlines with her impressive freshman season, she’s making her feelings crystal clear. 

Alexis DeBoer isn’t shying away from what makes her heart throb with excitement. Washington is home. She found a second family with the Huskies softball program.

In her new Instagram post on June 15, she posted a carousel of her rocking the No. 16 purple and white uniform. It is a compilation of some of the best moments she’s had with her team—the laughs, the grind, the huddle. It’s all of it that made her pen down a wholesome caption which read, “Grateful for it all & no place I’d rather be💜.” And where there’s love, there’s success. 

It only took one season for Alexis DeBoer to match Kalen DeBoer’s popularity. This past season, she became the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, the first Husky to nail it in almost a decade. She smacked 21 home runs, drove in 55 RBIs, and clocked an impressive .352 batting average with a 1.247 OPS. That’s legendary. And she deserved every bit of the Freshman All-American honors highlighted by AP Fresno.

When Washington Softball dropped that “⭐FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICAN⭐” graphic, it was a statement. And even though Florida’s Taylor Shumaker snagged the NFCA National Freshman of the Year honors, Alexis stood proud in that elite top-10 company. But this story isn’t about one player racking up stats. It’s about a daughter choosing her own field while the headlines chase her dad.

“I’m right where I want to be, right where I’m supposed to be,” she told Kalen DeBoer. “I know how important this is for you, what a great job it is. We can both have our own paths.” And that’s what makes this special. While her dad took the SEC spotlight, Alexis DeBoer doubled down on her loyalty to Coach Heather Tarr and the family she’s built in Seattle. “I never want to leave this place,” she said. “There were no second thoughts because I trust Coach Tarr and this coaching staff and what we’re building here.” But as far as coaching goes, it all comes back to Kalen DeBoer. 

Kalen DeBoer receives a Father’s Day tribute from Alexis

To honor her dad on Father’s Day, Alexis DeBoer took her IG story viewers down the memory lane. She posted a throwback picture of her younger self grinning at the camera beside a beaming Kalen DeBoer. Little Lexi had sweat on her face, mud on her knees, and a medal around her neck. It’s pretty clear that she just won something big. Her caption is pure and simple with “🤍🤍🤍.” It was a nod to the man who taught her how to swing, who ran hard during road stops, and who never let moving 11 times derail her dream.

“I was so comfortable with him, and he always found the time,” Alexis said. “He never pushed it to where it wasn’t fun. He taught. He didn’t let the little things slide, but he knew what my dreams were and did everything he could to make those dreams come true. Most of all, he was a great dad.”

So when Alabama came calling, she didn’t flinch. “It was an opportunity he couldn’t turn down,” she admitted. “He loved it at Washington. We all did. But it was Alabama.” Still, Alexis stayed. Because sometimes home isn’t where your dad coaches; it’s where your heart plays.