CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois softball head coach Tyra Perry and her staff have announced the addition of Yazzy Avila (El Paso, Texas) to the Illini program. A utility player that completed her freshman campaign at New Mexico State, Avila heads to UofI with four years of eligibility remaining.

Prior to a season-ending injury, Avila had racked up 19 hits and 14 runs scored across 15 starts for a .404 batting average. She added a .315 on-base percentage along with a .426 slugging rate and swiped six bases.

Yazzy Avila // El Paso, Texas // Pebble Hills High School // Utility // L/R // 5'5"

Notes:
2022 (Freshman, New Mexico State)

• Started first 15 games of season before season-ending injury
• Slashed .404/.315/.426 (avg./OB/SLG)
• Six multi-hit games, one multi-RBI outing
• Season-best eight-game reached base streak
• Went 6-for-7 in stolen bases, including 3-for-3 against UTEP
• Four games scoring multiple runs, two three-run performances
• Fielding percentage of .958 with 21 putouts and two assists
• Daughter of Omar and Ivette Avila and has two brothers

Prior to New Mexico State

First female student-athlete to sign an NLI to attend an NCAA Division I school in the history of Pebble Hills High School...Wrapped up her high school career with a .664 batting average...Piled up 63 stolen bases, 44 walks and scored 118 total runs in that same span...Named the Newcomer of the Year for District 1-6A, earned a TGCA All-State Honorable Mention as well as a Second Team All-State laurel by TSWA as a freshman...Also named Second Team All-City, the PHHS Female Athlete of the Year and earned All-Academic awards from both the district and state during her freshman year...Captured Second Team All-State honors from the TSWA while serving as the Spartans' shortstop as a sophomore...District 1-6A Offensive Player of the Year honor, a First Team All-City citation and All-Academic awards by the district and state during his sophomore year...At the time of the Spartans' unexpected season finale due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, was leading the state of Texas and ranked fourth among all prep players in the nation in batting average....Posted a .684 batting average as a senior and stole 27 bases that same season to help PHHS move on to the 6A state playoffs...Earned TGCA All-State acclaim as a senior in 2021, too.

Why Illinois?

"I'm so excited and can't wait to spend the next four years of my life with my new famILLy! The culture the coaches have set is incomparable. I am looking forward to making a huge splash with my famILLy and competing for a Big Ten title and making some big noise in the post season!"

Coach Perry on Avila

"We are very excited to welcome Yazzy to the ILLini softball famILLy. Yazzy's endless enthusiasm as well as her fearless approach to the game immediately caught our attention. Yazzy is a highly skilled, true utility player. She has the ability to accomplish great things on the Big Ten stage."