Boilermakers Country

Purdue Softball's Bella Douglas Earns Big Ten Honor After Debut Weekend

Purdue freshman Bella Douglas had a big debut weekend for the Boilermakers, resulting in weekly honors from the Big Ten Conference.
Dustin Schutte|
Bella Douglas rounds the bases after hitting a grand slam for the Purdue Boilermakers.
Bella Douglas rounds the bases after hitting a grand slam for the Purdue Boilermakers. | Purdue Boilermakers Softball on X (@PurdueSoftball)

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Purdue freshman Bella Douglas has received recognition from the Big Ten after making her collegiate debut over the weekend. The utility player was named the conference's Freshman of the Week after helping the Boilermakers to a 4-1 record in the UNLV Leadoff Classic.

Douglas had a big weekend in Purdue's five games, going 7-of-15 at the plate, which included a home run, a grand slam and 11 RBI. She also scored eight runs across the weekend.

On Saturday against Cal Baptist, Douglas's first hit came in the form of a home run, providing a nice spark for the Boilermakers that day. She finished that game with three hits in four at-bats, and accounted for two RBI in a 9-3 victory.

Later that same day, the freshman got two hits in three plate appearances in a 9-1 victory over UIC. She again had two RBI in the win.

Purdue dropped its only game of the weekend on Sunday, a 5-4 loss to UIC. Douglas did not record a hit in that game, but did reach base twice on a pair of walks.

Douglas really shined in Purdue's last game of the UNLV Leadoff Classic, hitting her first career grand slam at the collegiate level. She accounted for two hits, a walk and seven RBI, helping the Boilers to a 15-1 win over UNLV to end the event.

Douglas became the first Boilermaker to receive the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award since Ashlynn Campbell in March 2024.

Bella Douglas highlights

Purdue shared videos of Bella Douglas's big weekend in Las Vegas via social media. Here are some of the highlights of the freshman's debut.

Purdue's upcoming schedule

The Boilermakers will play another five games this coming weekend, participating in the Easton Bama Bash, which runs from Feb. 13 through Feb. 15. Purdue will have an opportunity to notch some impressive wins during their time in the event.

Here's a quick look at the schedule ahead for the Boilermakers, who are currently 4-1 on the season:

Easton Bama Bash schedule

  • Friday, Feb. 13 — vs. Georgia Southern (noon ET)
  • Friday Feb. 13 — vs. Alabama (5 p.m. ET)
  • Saturday, Feb. 14 — vs. Alabama (2:30 p.m. ET)
  • Saturday, Feb. 14 — vs. Georgia Southern (7:30 p.m. ET)
  • Sunday, Feb. 15 — vs. Liberty (11 a.m. ET)

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Dustin Schutte
DUSTIN SCHUTTE

Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.

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