Who is Haley Ahr? Marist star leads country in hitting ahead of NCAA softball tournament
The Southeastern Conference has been the conference to beat this season in college softball, highlighted by the fact all but one of its 15 teams made the NCAA softball tournament (including nine teams that received a top 16 seed).
Despite its many accolades this season, the SEC doesn't boast the nation's leading hitter. Instead, that honor belongs to the MAAC and Marist, thanks to Red Foxes junior Haley Ahr.
The Union Beach, New Jersey native enters the postseason not only as one of the hottest hitters in the country — with a scorching-hot .524 batting average — but also as one of the toughest outs in the country: She has only struck out five times in 169 at-bats this season.
The Red Foxes this year are making their fifth appearance in the NCAA softball tournament, which gets underway on Friday, May 16, against Liberty in the College Station Regional at 1 p.m. ET.
Here's what you need to know about Ahr:
Who is Haley Ahr?
Ahr is a standout junior infielder on the Marist softball team, and a three-time first-team all-MAAC selection.
She is also the nation's leader in batting average at a video-game-like .524 average. Ahead of the 2025 season, Ahr was named to D1Softball's top 10 list for a utility/designated players.
But Ahr's individual success this season is nothing new for the New Jersey product. In 55 games last season for Marist, 49 of which she started, Ahr posted a .422 batting average that ranked 22nd in the country while driving in 51 RBIs. She also finished with 30 runs scored, 14 doubles and nine home runs.
During her freshman season in 2023, Ahr earned the MAAC's Rookie of the Year award after finishing with a .379 batting average with 49 RBIs, 24 runs scored and 18 doubles. Her 18 doubles that season ranked second in the MAAC as well.
Haley Ahr stats
Here's a year-by-year breakdown of Ahr's career stats at Marist:
- Career: .441 batting average/.668 slugging percentage/.497 on-base percentage, 226 career hits, 159 career RBIs, 106 career runs scored, 44 career doubles and 24 career home runs
- 2022: Injured
- 2023: .379 batting average/.531 slugging percentage/.449 on-base percentage, 67 hits, 49 RBIs, 24 runs scored, 18 doubles and three home runs
- 2024: .422 batting average/.669 slugging percentage/.471 on-base percentage, 70 hits, 51 RBIs, 30 runs scored, 14 doubles and nine home runs
- 2025: .527 batting average/.811 slugging percentage/.574 on-base percentage, 89 hits, 59 RBIs, 52 runs scored, 12 doubles and 12 home runs