Bri Ellis, a senior first baseman for Arkansas Softball, has been named a finalist for the prestigious 2025 Honda Sport Award, as announced by the Collegiate Women Sports Award. With this recognition, Ellis joins Danielle Gibson as the only players from Arkansas to receive this honor in the history of the program.
The Honda Sport Award is an esteemed accolade that has been given annually for 49 years to the top female athletes across 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports. Award winners also become finalists for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the esteemed Honda Cup.
Ellis has had an impressive season, having previously been named the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year and D1 Softball Player of the Year, showcasing her dominance in the sport. This year, she also secured the title of SEC Player of the Year, and earned multiple accolades including First-Team All-SEC and First-Team NFCA All-Central Region.
Throughout the season, Ellis showcased extraordinary performance, achieving a .440 batting average, 26 home runs, and 72 RBIs. Her offensive statistics not only set single-season records for Arkansas but also tied the SEC record for home runs in a season. She ranked second in the nation for both home runs per game and walks per game, an impressive feat that highlights her exceptional skill and discipline at the plate.
In conference play, she maintained a strong batting average of .397, leading the league with 11 home runs and demonstrating remarkable defensive prowess with a perfect fielding percentage. With multiple multi-RBI and multi-hit games, Ellis consistently contributed to her team’s success and finished the season with an impressive reached base streak.
The finalists for the Honda Sport Award were selected by a panel of experts and coaches from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. The winner will be determined after voting by administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools and is set to be announced later this week.
Ellis’s remarkable achievements stand testament to her hard work and talent, marking an inspiring chapter for Arkansas Softball and serving as a source of motivation for aspiring athletes. Her journey reflects the limitless potential within collegiate sports.