NSD26: Ava Hodo
Ava Hodo | C/INF | R/R | 5-8 | Orange Beach High School | Birmingham Thunderbolts 18 Premier | Orange Beach, Ala.
Time Signed: 8:08 a.m.
Four-star recruit … Ranked as the No. 38 prospect and No. 5 catcher in the nation while being ranked as the No. 1 overall player in her state according to Softball America … Preps at Orange Beach High School in Orange Beach, Ala. where she has led the Makos to five-straight state championships and a MaxPreps National Championship in 2024 … Teammate of fellow Arkansas signee Katie King … Finished the 2025 season with a .571 batting average, 80 hits, 15 doubles, 15 home runs, 77 RBI and a stolen base … Helped lead Orange Beach to a 46-2 record and their fifth straight state title while earning Max Preps First-Team All-American and Prep Softball First-Team All-America honors in 2025… Named the Class 4A Player of the Year by the Alabama Sports Writers Association in 2025 … As a sophomore in 2024, Hodo hit .486 with 53 hits, 11 doubles, four triples and 12 round trippers while driving in 63 runs and scoring 22 … Led Orange Beach to a 46-1 record while capturing its fourth consecutive Class 4A state title and a MaxPreps National Championship … Earned MaxPreps First-Team Underclass All-America honors as a freshman in 2023 after batting .461 with 70 hits including 15 doubles, five triples, 21 home runs, 77 RBI and 37 runs scored … Started on varsity as a seventh and eighth grader at Orange Beach … Registered a .517 batting average with 60 hits, 16 doubles, a triple, nine home runs, 51 RBI and 30 runs scored as an eighth grader … Hit .521 with 63 hits, two doubles, four triples and nine round trippers as a seventh grader in 2020 … Played travel ball with the Birmingham Thunderbolts 18 Premier, leading them to three PGF National Championships … Also played varsity volleyball … Daughter of Jody and Alycia Hodo … Father Jody serves as an assistant softball coach at Orange Beach.
Coach Deifel on Hodo…
“We are thrilled to welcome Ava Hodo to our 2026 Signing Class. Ava is a three-time national champion and four-time state champ, which speaks volumes about her competitive fire and elite skill set. With her leadership behind the plate and offensive power, we believe Ava will make an immediate impact on and off the field, driving the standard for excellence in the program.”
Why Ava Chose Arkansas…
“I chose Arkansas because I felt the love that the coaches have for their players. As people and as athletes. It is also a place where I know that I can compete and become the best version of myself.
