Beth Zachary once compared her second-oldest daughter, Ava, to Rocky.
“Ava does extra work that is intentional and purposeful. She does the basic things over and over,” the Penn softball coach told the South Bend Tribune in April. “It’s not pretty, but she has goals and knows what she wants. She’s like Rocky Balboa. That’s what makes her elite, special.”
That work ethic is a point of pride for Ava Zachary. The Penn senior third baseman is never satisfied. She’s constantly looking to get better, to unlock a better version of herself as she plays for those around her.
“That’s always in my mind when I’m going to practice or going to work out,” Zachary said Sunday morning. “I’m doing it for my teammates. I’m doing it for my team, for my coaches, for everybody that supports me. Not myself.”
That relentless dedication and selfless mindset are defining characteristics and have elevated Zachary among the state’s elite.
Now officially a freshman at Notre Dame, Zachary posted awe-inspiring statistics in her four high school seasons: a .482 batting average, 196 hits, 169 runs, 174 RBIs, 41 doubles and 20 home runs, 79 stolen bases and a .926 fielding percentage.
She helped the Kingsmen to a 103-26-1 record, extended their regional championship streak to a state-record 11 straight and led them to the 2023 Class 4A state title as a sophomore, delivering the game-tying triple and scoring the eventual winning run in the ninth inning vs. Roncalli.
Zachary is a three-time all-state honoree and on Saturday, she received one final accolade as a high schooler with the Indiana Softball Coaches Association voting her Indiana Miss Softball for 2025.
Zachary is the Penn Kingsmen to win the award. She finished ahead of fellow finalists Ava Geyer (New Prairie), Katelyn Marx (Tecumseh), Izzy Neal (Brownsburg) and Addison Stieneker (Shelbyville).
“It was really such a surreal moment,” Zachary said of winning the award. “I had no expectations going into it at all. It was just such an amazing opportunity to be up there alongside all those girls and all the amazing talent throughout Indiana. I’m so grateful.”
Being the first from Penn to win the award exemplifies the support system within their community, Zachary said. “Everybody there really supports you and pushes you to be your best,” she later added. “(And) when you have all those people behind you, it makes everything a lot more fun and makes it easier to work hard and be present in the moment.”
At the foundation of Ava’s support system are her mom, head coach Beth Zachary; dad, assistant coach David Zachary; older sister, 2023 grad Aubrey; and younger sister, current Penn freshman Addyson.
“It’s been such a grateful journey and I’m so thankful for every moment I got to share with them on the field,” Ava said.
In softball terms, Zachary will go down as one of — if not the — best players in Penn softball history, a status she further cemented with an explosive senior campaign.
Zachary batted a career-best .543 for the state semifinalists with 10 doubles, four triples and eight homers, career-highs in both RBIs (62) and runs (46), and 50 hits, which marked her third consecutive season with at least that many. She also stole 22 bases and maintained her status as one of the state’s best defenders, committing just one error on 54 chances at the hot corner with 18 putouts, 35 assists and a double play.
“Ava’s dynamic. She’s a great kid and plays hard,” a Central Indiana coach said of her before the season. “She’s ready to take control of the game at any time.”
Zachary’s statistics, both this season and for her career, command attention.
But that’s not how she wants her legacy to be defined.
“I’d rather be remembered as a good person, a good leader, someone who people could go to on and off the field,” Zachary said. “People remember how you treat them, how you make them feel more than your stats or how you were as a player.”
That attitude was critical to Penn’s success this spring. Though typically one to lead more by example, Zachary sought to become a more consistent vocal presence as one of the team’s 11 seniors, doing her part to help foster the development of the incoming freshmen and underclassmen.
The third baseman was intentional within her role, she said, constantly talking up her pitchers in the circle. “When you’re able to talk to them on the field and have their backs, then they know you’re there for them and playing for them,” she said.
As for what’s ahead, Zachary is already enrolled and taking summer classes at Notre Dame, knocking out a few credit hours to help lighten her class load next spring. She’s doing all this while still playing softball, of course, flying out on Thursday to join her travel team for that weekend’s event.
“It’s definitely nice being able to play alongside all my teammates and friends from across the country,” she said, “but I’m just making sure I’m seeing live pitching, live at-bats and getting reps; staying in the game and not taking the summer off.”
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Notre Dame commit Ava Zachary voted Indiana Miss Softball. ‘Such a surreal moment’
Reporting by Brian Haenchen, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
