When catcher Avery Parker arrived in Bloomington before the 2023 season, Indiana softball had not made the NCAA Tournament in 12 years. The Hoosiers last made an appearance in the NCAA Regionals in 2011 after going 17-3 in Big Ten play.
But Parker’s arrival changed this.
Parker joined the Hoosiers after playing at Westfield High School in Westfield, Indiana. There, Parker owns multiple program records, including most career home runs, RBIs and hits. During her high school career, Parker was a two-time First Team All-State selection and earned Hamilton County Player of the Year honors.
After cementing herself in the Westfield history books, Parker looked to help an Indiana softball program hunting for its first NCAA Tournament appearance in over a decade.
As a Westfield, Indiana, native, Parker understands what it means to represent her home state. She comes from a family where her grandfather’s loyalty to the Hoosiers helped shape this pride.
“I mean, I take such pride in representing this university,” Parker said during an open practice Feb. 2.
In her first year with the program, Parker hit .304 at the plate with 10 home runs across 59 appearances. She was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team and helped Indiana achieve a 44-18 overall record — the Hoosiers first season with more than 40 wins since 1994 — and the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011.
Now in her final collegiate season, Parker has helped lead Indiana to three consecutive NCAA Tournaments — the longest streak in program history. Throughout the last three seasons, Parker played alongside two of the most productive hitters in Indiana program history — Brianna Copeland and Taylor Minnick.
Playing alongside Copeland and Minnick has given Parker mentors and valuable teaching moments.
“I always wanted to embody what they did,” Parker said.
Watching Minnick boosted Parker’s confidence and gave her a sense of the hard work it takes to be successful at the collegiate level.
“She was the biggest worker off the field that you would ever see,” Parker said about Minnick. “And for me, watching her put in the work and seeing how it translated to the field is, like, ‘That's what I can do.’”
Meanwhile, Copeland helped take some pressure off Parker by keeping the mood light on the field.
“With Bri, she just makes softball fun and remembers that the game is fun,” Parker said.
In 2025, Parker finished third on the team — behind Copeland and Minnick — with 11 home runs at season's end. But with the pair of former Hoosiers now graduated, Parker has taken on an expanded role in 2026 on the field and in the clubhouse for a young Indiana team with seven freshmen on its roster.
With Parker being one of only three seniors on the team, much of the leadership and mentorship responsibilities fall onto her as a senior captain –– a role she is ready to embrace.
“And when you have kids coming in, and that's all they know, and that's the expectation, it elevates your play, and elevates your commitment, and elevates your expectation,” Indiana head coach Shonda Stanton said during open practice Feb. 2. “So, we're excited about Avery being a big part of that.”
Last season, Parker hit a career-high .392 batting average, while driving in 60 runs. Her performance earned her All-Big Ten Second Team honors for the second time as a Hoosier.
Through the first 15 games of her final collegiate season, Parker has been efficient from the batter’s box, hitting .486 at the plate. She leads Indiana with seven home runs and 19 RBIs, while guiding the defense from behind the plate.
From a 12-year NCAA Tournament drought, to competing in it for three consecutive years, Parker has been central to Indiana softball’s turnaround and raising the standard for the program.
When Parker first arrived in Bloomington, Indiana was chasing relevance. Now, the Cream and Crimson’s eyes are set on a larger goal –– an NCAA Women’s College World Series appearance for just the third time in program history.
“Yeah, I mean, when I came into Indiana, we hadn't been to a postseason, I think, like, 12 years,” Parker said. “So, knowing that is what we're going for, and knowing that our standard is now super regional, and then, ultimately, the World Series.”
Follow reporters Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and Joe Elms (@JoeElms1 and @jpelms@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana softball season.
