The University of Arkansas softball team continues to reload through the transfer portal.
Taylor Ellsworth, a catcher/utility player, hit .372 and made 44 starts last season for Texas, which lost in the Super Regionals last season. Ellsworth becomes the fourth transfer added to the Razorbacks roster this offseason. She also hit seven home runs, added nine doubles, a career-best 31 RBIs and will have one year of eligibility remaining.
She saw action behind the plate in the outfield and as a designated player last season. Ellsworth totaled 144 hits, 25 doubles, 16 home runs and 89 RBIs in her career with the Longhorns with a .320 batting average in 171 games.
The Georgetown, Texas product earned All-Central Region honors for the second time in her career as selected by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association this season. Ellsworth put up impressive career offensive numbers in high school, batting .550 with 21 HRs and 107 RBIs despite choosing to skip her senior season and enroll early at Texas.
Ellsworth joins pitchers Chenise Delce (Tulsa) and Callie Turner (Tennessee) and outfielder Kendall Beth Sides (Alabama) to transfer to Arkansas. This comes on the heels of the Razorbacks’ best season in school history. They claimed their first Southeastern Conference regular-season title and hosted their second NCAA Regional and second Super Regional.
Ellsworth redshirted her junior season, suffering an injury after playing just three games. She burst on the scene as a freshman led the team and ranked fifth in the Big 12 hitting .394 (52-for-132), and was named All-Big 12 first team, Big 12 All-Freshman Team and All-Region first team. She also led the Longhorns collecting 52 hits, 24 RBIs, 67 total bases, a .508 slugging percentage and .419 on-base percentage in 44 games.