The Love of Competition Drives Ohio Softball Star Ava Rush

Competition has always been the fuel behind Ava Rush's success.

For Portsmouth-Notre Dame junior softball, who is a reigning state champ and All-State selection in Ohio, it’s the golden ticket to success and achievement.

“Something that keeps me coming back to the sport is that it's competitive,” said Rush, who fanned 239 batters this season.

Rush didn’t immediately recognize competition as a primary driver.

“I think at 18 years old, I still can't figure it out. What keeps bringing me back to this sport?”

She talked through it a bit longer, and then it became clear that competition is what reeled her in these past 12 years.

“There's always somebody that wants to beat you,” Rush said. “And I just love that. I think I love the competition, I love the drive. I love the want to be the best person on the field. I love the want to be the best person in the dugout. And I have the want to be on the best team. There's just something that seriously keeps me coming back to it, and I think it's competitiveness and wanting to be the best.”

Competition Became the Motivation

She admits the going gets tough in softball, but it’s paired with the reward of valuable lessons. Through the lines, it’s about overcoming the grind and realizing the growth afforded to you.

“I think the lessons that you learn throughout the game are huge,” the Ohio Division VII All-State First Team pitcher said. “They ultimately build your character outside of the sport. I can't tell you how many losses I had to take until finally I was like, ‘I’m done losing.’ It's just a switch mentally, and also a switch physically, because you've got to buy into this. And if you don't, it makes for a long season…a long, a long season.”

Rush has spent nearly 12 years on the diamond, frequently playing with and against girls several years older. She welcomed the situation. Embraced it. It seemed her mental methodology was beginning to take shape.

“Feeling the stress, feeling the passion, feeling the fans — it was a privilege. You’re put in a situation where you can feel alive. Not a lot of people get that type of adrenaline, that type of fear, that type of pressure. And how I handled it was just to take it in. Don’t be afraid of feeling feelings.”

Rush gives credit to Notre Dame coach Shad Ford for his help in fostering and refining her mental approach to the game.

“I think relying on knowing that I have the God-given gift and I have the driven mindset, and the only way to get through it is to go through it…I’ve had coaches since I was seven, eight, nine years old who have just installed that in me,” Rush explained. “I would have to truly give credit to Coach Ford for that, ever since I was seven, playing up on his daughter's 10U team. It started there.”

Learning Through Adversity

Rush’s 2026 campaign comprised 169 innings over 28 games and a 22-4 record from the circle. She amassed 239 strikeouts — against 51 walks and posted a 1.571 ERA. The .418 hitter concluded her campaign with a victory against Courtland Maplewood in the Division VII state championship game, where she threw seven shutout innings and struck out nine.

Her formidable pitching arsenal is simple and straightforward, but highly effective.

“I keep it old school,” Rush revealed. “Ever since I started, I’ve just been taught, ‘Throw hard. I don't care where that ball goes, you better be giving it 150 percent.’ I would hate to see my stats whenever I was young because I was just trying to kill the catcher's mitt. I was just attacking.”

The Pitching Formula

She has sharpened her style and is now one of Ohio's top pitchers, relying primarily on two signature pitches. “Keeping it old school, I like the three-seam fastball, and I like the two-seam changeup.”

Her repertoire helped Notre Dame achieve their state-champion status as the team focused on winning its second consecutive state title in 2026.

Ohio high school softball Portsmouth Notre Dame — Rush has her sights set on Ohio University for college softball. | Courtesy Ava Rush

Back to the Promised Land

The state softball championships are held in Akron each year. In Lady Titan speak, the Goodyear Tire City is referred to as the Promised Land.

Notre Dame prepared for the season by playing against top teams in Ohio and Kentucky and following the lead of its seniors. A solid strategy for entry into hallowed Ohio softball territory.

“I felt like we were in Kentucky every other week playing teams over there. Just getting better and preparing for the tournament run,” Rush said. “We had great motivation from one another. Our seniors led by example. I seriously cannot give them enough props…these past three years, for me, they set the standard for Notre Dame softball.”

The strategy worked.

“It's funny, we call it the Promised Land. It's Akron. Everybody wants to get there. Everybody wants to go there. So just buying into the standard that we built there at Notre Dame was huge…and now we're back-to-back state champs.”

Faith Above Everything

It’s just not a fierce competitive spirit that drives Rush. All of her purposeful actions are underwritten by her Christian faith.

Seasons can be kind and cruel, putting one through a daunting emotional workout. Her faith is like the post-workout recovery shake.

“You know, you've got rough months, and you've got great months,” Rush said. “You've got rough games, and you've got great games. Ultimately, Lord willing, He will put you where He wants you.”

Aside from the effects of the game-practice-game pattern, Rush also employs her faith attentively in life situations.

“I think wanting to just do good for others is the same way God goes in and out of other people's lives to will the good of the other…If I can do that for a teammate, then that's the biggest blessing,” she said.

Rush doesn’t take her experiences in softball lightly, her appreciation seeping through all of her comments.

“I’ve played in two state championships when there are girls out there trying to just have a good high school season,” she commented. “I take none of that for granted. It’s all a blessing. Just staying grateful and staying thankful because without Jesus Christ, I would not be here for any of that. So I'm just blessed to be able to do it not once, but twice.”

After High School?

The senior Lady Titan hopes to play in college, with Ohio University in the sightline. Rush said college softball has been the aim since she was 11. She is traveling each weekend this summer to showcase her abilities and hopefully attract the attention of Division I or II programs.

No matter the outcome, Rush understands the plan is subject to change, and she is completely prepared for that.

“I’m just looking forward to getting recruited from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio,” she said. “I’m working really hard. It would be nice to maybe hear feedback from them. I’ll get out there. I'll get to some camps, and hopefully it'll go in my favor. And if it doesn't, it's Lord willing. Just trusting in that plan because ultimately it's way better than mine. Hard to say out loud. It's a hard truth for many to believe that the Lord's plan is willing and it is better. So I think trusting in that, and hopefully just getting recruited somewhere to go play ball.”

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