Ali Newland

Personal: Newland is currently serving as a graduate manager for the NC State softball team. She is the daughter of Scott and Brandi Newland. Her father played baseball at Young Harris College from 1999 to 2001 before transferring to the University of Georgia, where he played for the Bulldogs from 2001 to 2003. Her mother played softball at Young Harris College from 2000 to 2001. Ali has one younger brother and a dog named Jake. She credits her father as a person who has made a significant difference in her life. One moment she recalls as truly starstruck was meeting softball legend Kelly Kretschman at a camp. Growing up, Ali also competed in gymnastics, basketball, and tennis. Among her proudest accomplishments are being named the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the SEC Volunteer of the Year. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching action movies, and traveling with her family. She also likes to play pickleball

Other Professional Experience: Newland competed for the Florida Vibe during the 2024 Association of Fastpitch Professionals season.

College Experience: Newland was a four-year letterwinner at LSU, where she played in 200 career games for the Tigers from 2021 to 2024. She compiled a .298 career batting average with 166 hits, including 33 doubles, two triples, and 25 home runs. On the base paths, Newland was successful in 20 of 23 stolen base attempts. A two-time First-Team NFCA All-South Region selection, Newland also earned First-Team All-Southeastern Conference honors as both a junior and senior. In 2024, she was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team and received the Brad Davis Community Service Award. That same year, she was honored as the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, becoming just the second player in LSU softball history to earn the prestigious award. An exceptional student-athlete, she was also recognized as a Third-Team Academic All-America® selection by the College Sports Communicators as a senior. During her senior season in 2024, Newland started all 61 games in left field. She batted .304 with 56 hits, 20 of which went for extra bases. She drove in 41 runs, scored 35 times, and hit nine home runs, including two grand slams. Defensively, she was flawless, posting a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with 93 putouts and two assists. As a junior, Newland started 57 of 59 games and split time between catcher and left field. She posted a .329 batting average with 54 hits, nine doubles, six home runs, and 38 RBIs. She also went a perfect 8-for-8 in stolen base attempts. In 2022, she started all 55 games and recorded a .284 batting average. That season, she tallied 48 hits, including 12 doubles, one triple, and seven home runs, while producing 11 multi-hit games—including two three-hit performances. Newland began her LSU career in 2021 by starting 14 of the 25 games she played. As a freshman, she recorded eight hits, including a double, a triple, and three home runs, while driving in eight runs and scoring six times.