Student Spotlight: Gabby Fowler

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Gabby Fowler of Noblesville started playing softball at 5 years old.

She joined a rec league and then eventually travel ball, always playing in a slightly older age group.

At Noblesville High School she played shortstop and third base. She holds the high school’s career home run record with 44 (the state record is currently 50), and single-season home run record with 15 home runs under Coach Deke Bullard.

“Softball is just something I fell in love with,” she said. “I’ve made so many friends, people I now call family because I’ve played with them for so long. I’ve learned so many life lessons, and I just always looked forward to going to a workout or practice after school and those kinds of things.”

Those life lessons include her mental approach to the game, extra training, and leading teams to sectional championships in 2021 and 2022. It wasn’t always easy, but working together and always trying her best proved successful.

In fact, learning with fellow teammates and other athletes in high school sports is how she found her home as an upperclassman, getting involved with the weights program and other athletic opportunities.

Softball has always been year-round for the athlete.

Travel ball starts in the fall with an off-season in the winter. High School ball begins in March through early June, and the rest of the summer is back to travel.

Fowler has been able to see the United States with her family – both biological and team families.

“We just came back from the final travel ball game for nationals in Myrtle Beach,” she said. “My parents, sister and grandparents were there. My mom’s family are from Hawaii and several of them were able to come too. It was a full house but super fun. It’s been a fun experience to spend all summer traveling to these different places with my teammates. I don’t know if I would have ever visited those spots if not for softball.”

This fall Fowler heads to East Carolina University (ECU) in North Carolina to play softball and pursue her academic studies.

She said she knew she wanted to head toward warmer weather, and the ECU culture around sports along with the beautiful campus made it an easy decision.

Fowler is planning to major in business marketing and management, with her sights set on learning more about the business side of sports.

“Hopefully I will find myself in a business sports setting,” she said. “I know I want to be involved in sports after college and deal with those types of interactions.”

She doesn’t necessarily plan to play. Though softball opportunities after college mean pro leagues or team U.S.A., Fowler thinks she may focus on career and family at that point.

“I don’t want to put my equipment down, but I think I might do some smaller things outside of playing full time,” Fowler said.

Either way, the record-holding Noblesville High School graduate has four more years to make her mark as a college athlete and doesn’t plan to hold anything back.