Career Highlights
First-Team NFCA All-American (2026)
First-Team NFCA All-Region (2026)
Third-Team NFCA All-American (2025)
Second-Team All-SEC (2025, 2026)
SEC All-Defensive Team (2026)
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)
First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll (2025)
2026 | Sophomore
Started all 60 games at third base … First-Team NFCA All-America … Second-Team All-SEC … SEC All-Defensive Team … First-Team NFCA Central All-Region … Slashed .337/.432/.575 with 61 hits, 10 doubles, 11 home runs, 56 RBI, 28 walks and 65 runs scored … 65 runs scored ranked third by a Razorback in a single season in program history … Defensively she registered a .974 fielding percentage with 46 putouts and 102 assists in 152 chances … Registered 17 multi-hit games and 13 multi-RBI games … Was an integral part of a program record 37 double plays … Opened the season with a 2-4 performance that included a home run, a double, two RBI and a pair of runs scored in a win over Virginia (Feb. 6) … Went 1-2 with a pair of walks during a win over Akron (Feb. 6) … Collected a hit and drove in a run during a loss to Virginia (Feb. 7) … Logged a pair of hits, an RBI and a run scored during a win at Coastal Carolina (Feb. 7) … Scored a run and walked in a win over Akron (Feb. 8) … Went 3-3 with a game-high four RBI and a three-run home run in a 12-0 win over Clemson (Feb. 13) … Went 2-3 with two RBI, two runs scored and a walk during a win over BYU (Feb. 14) … Blasted a three-run homer in the third inning of a win at Texas State (Feb. 15) … Went 2-3 with a double, RBI and run scored in a 7-0 win over Northwestern (Feb. 21) … Had a 2-3 day that included a two-run homer, a walk two runs scored during a win over Northwestern (Feb. 22) … Registered a pair of RBI and a run scored in a win over Boise State (Feb. 27) … Collected a hit and an RBI in a win vs. Charlotte (May 28) … Went 1-2 with a walk and a run scored during a run-rule win over Kansas (March 1) … Had a 3-3 performance at the plate with a two-run home run and a walk during a loss to Georgia (March 6) … Went 2-3 with a double, a walk, an RBI and a run scored in a win over Georgia (March 7) … Became the first player in program history to hit grand slams in consecutive games by accomplishing the feat against Georgia (March 8) and Missouri State (March 9) … Went 3-3 with a grand slam, double and 6 RBI in a win at Missouri State (March 9). She became the first Arkansas sophomore to drive in 6+ runs in a single game since Danielle Gibson’s 10 during her home run cycle in a win over SIU-Edwardsville on Feb. 23, 2019. Her six RBI also marked a career high. She is just the third sophomore to drive in 6+ runs in a single game in program history, alongside Gibson and Cortney Mitchell, who accomplished the feat on March 11, 2002 during a win over Coastal Carolina … Had a 1-2 showing with an RBI, two runs scored, and a walk during a win at Alabama (March 14) … Went 3-3 with a solo home run in the series finale at Alabama (March 15) … Had a 1-2 day with a walk, an RBI and two runs scored during a win over Central Arkansas (March 17) … Scored three runs while going 2-3 with an RBI, a double and a walk in a series-opening win over UConn (March 20) … Recorded her first career multi-HR game by blasting solo shots in the third and sixth innings of 11-2 win at UCA (March 24) … Walked twice and scored a pair of runs in a win vs. Auburn (April 4) … Went 2-3 in a series-clinching win over Auburn (April 5) … Had a 3-4 night at the plate with two RBI, a home run and three runs scored during a series-opening loss at No. 1 Oklahoma (April 17) … Went 2-4 with a RBI and a double during the series finale against Missouri (April 26) … Went 1-3 with an RBI and a run scored during a regional win over South Florida (May 16) … Had a 1-2 day with a double, a run scored, an RBI and two walks in a win over South Florida (May 17) … Walked three times and scored a career-high four runs in a Super Regional win over Duke (May 22) … Went 2-3 with a pair of RBI and runs scored in addition to a walk while catching a pop up in foul territory for the final out of a 10-2 win over Duke that sent Arkansas to its first Women’s College World Series (May 23) … Drove in a run with a single and had two assists and five putouts during a loss to Nebraska in the WCWS opener (May 28).
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.”
