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Get on board with Extra Inning Softball’s regular feature, The Last Inning!
We are scouring the Internet and Social Media and keeping our ears to the street for the latest going on in the softball community.
To contribute information, insights, thoughts or content ideas, email us at [email protected] and also [email protected].
Here’s our TLI for Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022:
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EXTRA ELITE SPOTLIGHT: AVA HODO
C/3B/1B Ava Hodo, #2 in the 2026 Extra Elite 100, helped Birmingham Thunderbolts Premier 2025-Kemp win a PGF 14U Premier national championship and recently talked to Extra Inning Softball about her club team, energy, hitting better, PGF Nationals, Finesse-Langlois, college softball, Bethany Hamilton, Drake and volleyball.
EXTRA ELITE SPOTLIGHT Q&A
Name: Ava Hodo
Hometown: Orange Beach, AL
High School: Orange Beach High
Club Team: Birmingham Thunderbolts Premier 2025-Kemp (Birmingham Thunderbolts 18U Premier in the fall)
Graduation Year: 2026
Height: 5-foot-7
Position: C/3B/1B
Nickname: Avie
Twitter: @2026Ava
Honors: #2 in the 2026 ExtraElite 100; 1st Team All-State (2022); AL.com Coastal Alabama Player of the Year (2022); and All-County (2022).
Travel Ball Highlights/Summer Stats: PGF 14U Premier national champion (2022); PGF 14U Platinum national champion (2021); PGF Nationals Stats — .552 AVG, .606 OBP; Summer Stats — .467 AVG, .545 OBP, 1.252 OPS, 11 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HRs, 32 RBIs and 12 BBs.
High School Stats: Alabama 2A state champions 2021 & 2022; .517 AVG, .594 OBP, 1.500 OPS, 16 doubles, 1 triple, 9 HRs, 51 RBIs and 21 BBs.
Tell us about your travel team/organization and how you became involved with them? I have been with the Birmingham Thunderbolts Premier 2025-Kemp since I was 11 (years old).
My Dad coached a local team in South Alabama when I was little. We had a great group of players, but a few of us were younger. When the team aged up, we had the opportunity to join the Bolts and play 12U with them and we took it.
I love being a Bolt! My team has always been like a family to me. Most of us have been playing together for years. I love the training that I get from the coaches at Coach Rocky (Thompson’s) camps. We work really hard on fundamentals and softball IQ. Being able to practice with the older teams is a game changer. It’s great to be able to compete with and get feedback from other girls who are playing at a higher level.
After PGF, I was given the opportunity to join Coach Rocky’s 18U Premier team. It’s an absolutely amazing opportunity and I am looking forward to the challenge!
What do you bring to the team? ENERGY! I try to stay positive and be there for my teammates. I love my pitchers and nothing fires me up like a strikeout!
What areas were you focusing on/trying to improve this summer? I really focused on my hitting … not getting beat on the inside pitch, being able to hit the ball to all parts of the field.
Can you tell us about your experience at PGF Nationals this summer? I LOVE PGF NATIONALS! It’s my favorite tournament of the year. California is beautiful and you get to play against the best! We really came together as a team at PGF. It definitely took every girl to make it happen again this year! We were constantly picking each other up. I got to catch KG Favors and Bry Kemp through the bracket. Bry stepped up big time when we needed her, she did a great job! KG was amazing for so many games and was so clutch for us! Madilyn Byrd threw a beautiful championship game! Our defense played great! Hitters where on fire! We played with a ton of energy! It was a great experience.
Which player/team was your toughest opponent and why? At PGF, I would say Beverly Bandits and Finesse-Langlois. We have had a lot of great battles with a lot of great teams, but I think my favorite games in the past year have been against Tampa Mustangs-Seymour and Texas Riptide.
What are your goals for the future? I want to play college softball and become a Physical Therapist. My PT in Orange Beach, Sara-Kathryn Cranford, has had a huge impact on me. I want to help people recover from injuries the way she has helped me.
Who is your sports hero and why? (Soul Surfer) Bethany Hamilton for sure. She is so brave and such a fierce competitor! She overcame the biggest obstacle there could be in her sport and still came out on top.
What’s the best hype song and why? “Big Rings” by Drake.
Do you have a secret talent/skill? I also play varsity volleyball for Orange Beach High School! It’s my second love!
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