November 11, 2026 | Softball
SEATTLE – Washington softball head coach Heather Tarr will welcome four new Huskies for the 2028 season. The quad will feature Kahiau Aina, Abby Ford, Lily McLeod and Charli Moreno.
The class consists of two infielders in Kahiau Aina and Charli Moreno and two pitchers in Abby Ford and Lila McLeod.
"We're really proud of this class,” Tarr said. “It brings us pitching depth, infield versatility with the ability to move around the diamond and skilled left-handed bats. These four have the tools, but what we love just as much is their makeup: they compete, they're coachable, and they want to be part of something bigger than themselves. This class will help carry our standard for UW Softball for the next five years, and it's about to get greater."
This class of 2027 grads is ranked No. 20 by D1Softball and is the ranked the third best signing class in the Big Ten.
KAHIAU AINA
Pearl City, Hawaii | Mililani HS | LK Black | INF
Four-star infielder Kahiau Aina comes to Seattle from Pearl City, Hawaii (Oahu) where she has competed for Mililani High School and club team LK Black.
Aina, a 5-foot-5 middle infielder and lefty hitter, was named the Position Player of the Year in June 2026 after a standout season for Mililani. She powered the Trojans to their third straight state title earlier this year, hitting safely in every regular season and postseason game during her junior stint.
As a junior, Aina batted an impressive .654 with 38 runs and 29 RBI, notching eight doubles, a triple and 10 home runs as well. She earned All-OIA West First Team honors and is a two-time All-Hawaii selection.
COACH TARR ON KAHIAU
"Kahiau is an athletic middle infielder with power, speed and a left-handed bat that plays at the top of a lineup. She's a passionate competitor who's driven to succeed, and she's made big jumps every time we've evaluated her over the last few years. The arrow is pointing straight up, and we believe her best softball is ahead of her. She'll bring the aloha spirit and a whole lot of energy to our team."
ABBY FORD
San Juan Capistrano, Calif. | JSerra Catholic HS | Orange County Batbusters | RHP
Abby Ford, a 5-foot-9 five-star pitcher from San Juan Capistrano, Calif., is set to join the Husky pitching staff in 2028 after competing at JSerra Catholic High School and for the Orange County Batbusters.
As a junior, Ford helped her JSerra Catholic team to a 25-8 record in 2026 and its first CIF-SS championship in school history.
Ford holds a career 2.61 ERA through three high school seasons, most recently recording a 6-3 record in 11 appearances as a junior, according to MaxPreps. The righty pitcher has recorded 298 career strikeouts with a .208 opponent batting average in 220 innings pitched.
COACH TARR ON ABBY
"Abby is a right-handed power arm with tremendous upside, the kind of projectable pitcher you build a staff around. She just helped win a national championship this summer, and she holds herself to the standard of competing at the highest level every time she takes the circle. That championship mindset is exactly what we want in our program. She adds real depth to our pitching staff and will help us compete for a national championship every year. Abby is also an accomplished student who will take full advantage of everything Washington has to offer."
LILA McLEOD
Danville, Calif. | San Ramon Valley HS | West Bay Warriors | RHP
Lila McLeod, a four-star pitcher from Danville, Calif., also joins the Husky pitching staff alongside Ford.
The 5-foot-10 righty pitcher has recorded a 1.79 career ERA through three seasons at San Ramon Valley High School. McLeod had herself a dominant junior season as she went 17-0 in the circle with a 1.60 ERA in 2025-26. In her junior season, McLeod struck out 156 batters in a career-high 161.2 innings pitched. She also batted a career-best .318 as a junior.
McLeod brings many high school accolades to Montlake, as the pitcher was named the Defensive Player of the Year for the East Bay Athletic League, a PGF All-American Regional finalist and the San Ramon Valley High Most Valuable Player in 2025. She also helped her West Bay Warriors club squad to a national championship in 2025.
COACH TARR ON LILA
"Lila brings power to the circle and an elite drop ball, a pitch that misses barrels and makes hitters uncomfortable. She knows what it takes to win on the biggest stage after winning a national championship with Coach Ray McDonald and the West Bay Warriors, and that experience will add to our pursuit of the last game played in Oklahoma City. She's an excellent student, and we can't wait to watch her thrive in the circle, with her teammates and in the classroom."
CHARLI MORENO
West Covina, Calif. | South Hills HS | BSC Bengals | INF
Three-star infielder Charli Moreno rounds out the incoming class of Huskies, coming from West Covina, Calif.
Moreno, a 5-foot-7 infielder, played for South Hills High School as well as the BSC Bengals.
At South Hills, Moreno holds a career .434 batting average, including 59 hits, 36 RBI, 12 doubles, three triples and nine homers. The lefty hitter hit a staggering .506 as a sophomore with a career-high 44 hits and 32 RBI and followed it up with another impressive season hitting .419 in 2025-26.
COACH TARR ON CHARLI
"Charli brings elite softball skills on both sides of the ball: a left-handed bat with feel for the barrel and the glove and arm to handle the corners. She's an incredibly hard worker with a real passion for being a Husky, and she already shows what it looks like to live our standard. We're excited for her growth and everything she'll contribute to our team."
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