Wisconsin Badgers

Awards and Honors: 2017, 2018 & 2019 Academic All-Big Ten

2019: Played in 56 games, starting 50 primarily in the outfield but moved permanently to second base at the end of the season … recorded 28 hits, five doubles, three home runs and 27 RBI … stole six bases on nine attempts … recorded two home runs including first career grand slam and career-high five RBI against Purdue (4/27) … recorded six multi-hit and multi-RBI games … led team in sacrifice bunts (14)

2018: Played in all 52 games, starting 47 mainly in center field … hit her first-career home run in UW’s 6-3 win over South Dakota (3/10) … registered two multiple hit games … reached base in all three plate appearances against Missouri (2/24) … stole 11 bases in 12 attempts … scored 27 runs off 22 hits with 11 RBI and was second on the team with 12 sacrifice hits

2017: Started all 52 games in center field … scored a career-high three runs at Colorado State (3/12) … collected a career-high three hits against Rutgers (2/26) going 3-for-3 at the plate, and against Northern Illinois (5/2) … walked a season-high two times by Purdue (4/14) … robbed Michigan of a home run with an incredible diving catch at the wall, helping the Badgers to a 1-0 victory (4/21) … had another stellar defensive play in the NCAA Tournament which landed her the No. 5 spot on SportsCenter’s Top-10 Plays, snagging a ball over the center field wall to keep Missouri from scoring a home run (5/19), she was also named the Capital One Player of the Game … scored 25 runs and logged 31 hits … had two triples and four sacrifice hits on the season … went 8-for-8 on stolen bases during the year

2016: One of five players to play in all 53 games and one of four to start in all 53 games … only freshman to start every single game … finished second on the  team with seven sacrifice bunts, which tied for ninth in UW freshmen records … knocked in a team-high two sacrifice hits at Iowa (4/15), which was the single-game record for sacrifice hits in a single game at UW … ranked sixth in program freshmen records for walks (19) and sacrifice flies (1) … recorded three multiple RBI games and four multiple hit games … carried a five-game reached base streak and a three-game hitting streak ... ranked fifth on the team for runs (20), seventh for doubles (2), fourth for walks (19), second for sacrifice bunts (7) and fifth for stolen bases (5)

High School: Four-year starter and letterwinner at St. Joseph's High School … the four-time semi-state participant helped lead St. Joseph's to a sectional championship win and regional championship win … named the team's most valuable player on offense three times and once on defense … as a senior, was tabbed a first-team Northern Indiana Conference selection and was named second-team all-state (Indiana) … set school record for most stolen bases and extra base hits … first-team All-Northern Indiana Conference and third-team all-state as a junior … honorable mention for the Northern Indiana Conference in her sophomore season as well as being named to the Fort Wayne/South Bend All-Diocese Team … represented the North in the Indiana Crossroads Classic as a freshman

Personal: Parents are Jim and Joann Welsh … has one sister, Megan (17) … plans to major in pre-business … cousins Harry and Michael Shipp played soccer at the University of Notre Dame and were on the National Championship team in 2013 … Harry currently plays professionally for the Seattle Sounders

Coach Healy on Welsh
"We're thrilled to welcome one of the best all-around student-athletes from the state of Indiana, Kelly Welsh to the Badger Softball family.  Kelly's leadership and maturity are off the charts.  She's a smart, outgoing, well-rounded athlete who can play shortstop and centerfield at the highest level.  Her speed, leadership and work-ethic separate her from most recruits in the country.  She's facing the best competition in the country this year, playing short stop for Bill Conroy's Beverly Bandits organization."