Career Highlights
Third-Team NFCA All-American (2025)
Second-Team All-SEC (2025)
Softball America Freshman All-American (2025)
D1 Softball First-Team Freshman All-American (2025)
Second-Team NFCA All-Central Region (2025)
NFCA Top-25 Freshman of the Year Finalist (2025)
SEC Freshman of the Week (April 1, 8, 30, 2025)
D1 Softball National Freshman of the Week (April 8, 2025)
2025 | Freshman
Started all 58 games, making 57 starts at third base and one start at shortstop … Third-Team NFCA All-America … Softball America Freshman All-America … D1 Softball Freshman All-America … Second-Team All-SEC … NFCA Top-25 Freshman of the Year Finalist … Second-Team NFCA All-Central Region … SEC Freshman of the Week (Week 8, 9, 12) … Batted .352 with 63 hits, 10 doubles, a triple, seven home runs, 54 RBI and 21 walks to go along with a .425 on-base percentage and a .961 OPS … Among the team leaders in hits (2nd, 63), assists (2nd, 79) and home runs (T-3rd, 7) … Registered 18 multi-hit games and 14 multi-RBI games while posting a 16-game reached base streak and a seven-game hitting streak … Started the season on a 29-game errorless streak and posted a .969 fielding percentage with 79 assists and 44 putouts in 127 chances … 352 batting average and .425 on-base percentage were the third-highest by a freshman in program history (min. 100 AB) … Batted .366 with 30 hits, three doubles, a triple and three homers while driving in 25 runs and walking eight times in SEC play … Collected a career-high four hits with a 4-5 effort that included four RBI, a three-run home run in a walk during a 10-7 (9 inn.) loss at No. 2 Florida (April 5) … Went 2-4 with two runs scored, a double and a career-high five RBI in a series opening win over No. 10 South Carolina (April 11) … Batted .455 during a series win at No. 1/2 Texas A&M with five hits, three runs scored, a home run and three RBI in 11 at-bats while posting a .455 on-base percentage and a .727 slugging percentage (April 25-27) .. Went 3-4 with three RBI courtesy of a three-run home run in the top of the fifth inning that accounted for the game-winning runs in a 7-5 victory at No. 1/2 Texas A&M to clinch the Hogs’ first series win in program history over a No. 1 opponent (NFCA Poll) … Named D1 Softball National Freshman of the Week after batting .706 with 12 hits, three doubles, a home run, eight RBI and four runs scored while posting a 1.059 slugging percentage and a .722 on-base percentage while registering multiple hits in all four games during the Razorbacks’ 3-1 week that featured a series win at No. 2 Florida (April 8) … Went 2-3 with a solo home run in a 3-1 win at Texas State (Feb. 6) becoming the first Arkansas freshman to homer on Opening Day since Rylin Hedgecock did so on Feb. 7, 2020 … Went 2-3 with a triple, four RBI and a run scored during a 20-3 series finale win at Ole Miss (March 9) … Drew two walks in wins over Lipscomb (Feb. 7) and Colorado State (April 18) … Went 2-3 with a game-winning solo home run during the sixth inning of a series finale win over Kentucky to complete a sweep of the Wildcats (March 30) … Became the first Freshman in program history to earn consecutive SEC Freshman of the Week honors (April 1-8) … Joined Hannah Camenzind (2023) and Mary Haff (2018) as the only freshman in program history to earn SEC Freshman of the Week honors three times in a season.
High School: Ranked the No. 3 overall player and No. 1 infielder in the class of 2024 by Extra Inning Softball … Member of the United States 18-U National Team … Named the Most Outstanding Player of the WSBC U-18 World Cup Group C Stage after posting an impressive .733 batting average and .750 on-base percentage with 11 hits, two doubles, two home runs, eight RBI, and a walk while leading the Unites States to a first-place finish … Prepped at Foster High School in Richmond, Texas, where she was the Texas 20-5A District MVP all four years of her high school career … Earned first-team all-district and All-Greater Houston honors every year of her prep career … Batted .704 with a .789 on-base percentage, 1.544 slugging percentage, 22 home runs, 71 runs, 58 RBI and 31 stolen bases as a senior in 2024 … Was named VYPE Houston Softball Player of the Year and All-Greater Houston Hitter of the Year in 2024 … Made the Line Drive Media All-Summer Team after batting .609 with a 1.679 OPS, 15 HR, 60 RBI and 30 SB during the 2024 summer ball circuit … As a junior, McDowell slashed .678/.744/1.413 with a 2.158 OPS, 59 hits, 12 home runs, 12 doubles, eight triples and 59 RBI to guide Foster High School to a 2023 Area Championship while finishing the season on a 32-game hitting streak … Hit .452 with 12 home runs, 42 RBI and 52 hits in travel ball in 2023 … Was named All-Greater Houston Newcomer of the Year following an outstanding freshman season in 2021.
Why Ella chose Arkansas: “Arkansas has always felt like home to me. The coaches and players make you feel like you are a part of a family, and we have some of the best fans in the country. I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”
