To say that Ellie Goddard, the standout 2027 infielder/outfielder from the Hoosier State, grew up around softball would be the biggest understatement of the year.

The future Penn Quaker watched as her older sister, Sarah Goddard, graduated from high school in 2020 and went on to a successful career at Duke from 2021 to 2024 where the outfielder played in 145 games highlighted by batting .370 her sophomore year and helping lead the Blue Devils to the 2024 Women’s College World Series.

Ellie also benefited from working with her father, Jeff Goddard, who was a successful club coach from the time the young athlete was a pre-kindergartner to today, mostly with the Indiana Magic Gold club organization.

Together, father and daughter reached high levels of national success including winning the Triple Crown Nationals title in 2023, also capturing the Patriot Games Wildcard trophy last year and taking second at the Alliance Nationals three years ago.

Individually, Ellie has also captured impressive individual honors ranging from being named to the All-Tournament last November at the Clearwater Fall Classic—where she compiled a .462 on-base percentage and played a flawless second base—to being honored as a Top 30-ranked player in the Line Drive 2027 HOT 100 released last year.

Another elite club coach who has had a front-row seat to Ellie’s rise and development as a top player has been Coach Roger Bennett, the current co-head coach on the Magic 18U team along with Jeff Goddard.

He tells Line Drive’s Brentt Eads that it’s been one heck of an amazing ride together.

“I first met little Ellie Goddard in the Spring of 2016 at a tryout for the Carmel Dads Club Rec All Star team,” he recalls. “To stand here today and look at the young lady that just committed to one of the best universities in the world to continue playing this game is surreal.”

“As someone who has been along for the whole production — casting call, rehearsals, and all the takes it took to get here — is pretty special. Ellie is such an amazing person, an incredible athlete who works incredibly hard, and is a high IQ softball player that is good at every single thing and carries herself with a quiet humility that’s rare in a player this good.”

Coach Bennett adds that Ellie is “truly the OG of this team, along with her good friend and my daughter Chelsea Bennett (who ‘retired’ due to injuries last summer), and followed closely by Makayla Watson (2026, NC State) who joined the year after.”

Along her softball journey, Ellie has compiled some impressive totals over her tenure, starting with the CDC All Stars, Carmel Pups, two seasons with the Indiana Mustangs and the last seven years with Magic Gold.

In all, it’s been 678 games played with 466 hits, 71 doubles, 23 triples and six home runs for 100 total extra-base hits. Additionally, the 2027 grad has a lifetime OBP of .480, has scored over 400 runs and has 150 SBs.

Bennett adds:

“Over the last few seasons, in addition to her smooth swing, Ellie has developed an otherworldly eye and discipline at the plate, leading her to be the only player on the squad whose opinion of the strike zone I trust better than the folks in blue!”

His prolific scouting report continues… both on the field and off.

“Penn is getting a player that will be ready for the moment,” the Magic co-head coach continues. “Ellie has competed with and against the best of the best over the past few years. She’s a silky-smooth middle infielder or can play a sneaky good outfield when called upon.”

“Hitting from the left side, Ellie is a gap-to-gap power hitter with incredible discipline – she had an OBP of .478 with a 2.5 BB/K ratio last summer.”

And then, coaching hat removed, Bennett reveals he’s a fan of the young student-athlete and expects to still be rooting for her many years from now.

“Along with Ellie being fast, athletic, having a high game IQ, and being a great teammate,” he continues, “as her coach of many, many years I cannot wait to see her flourish in the Ivy League, while getting a life-changing education.”

“I am so proud of Ellie, and it has been a privilege to play a part in her journey. She has a ton of potential that I fully expect will be reached by the time she is finished at Penn — and that is just on the softball field.”

“She will be one to watch off the field also well beyond her playing years.”

Here’s our recent exclusive Q&A with Ellie as she recaps her past, present and future aspirations as an Ivy League student-athlete…

*****

NAME: Ellie Goddard
Position(s): MIF/UTL
High School (City/ST): Carmel (Ind.) High
Club Team: Indiana Magic Gold 18U Bennett/Goddard
Grad Year: 2027
Committed To: University of Pennsylvania (UPENN)
Date Committed: February 12th, 2026

Talk about how you first got into the sport of softball… were you very young, like three or four years old or were you older, like nine or 10-years-old?
I first was introduced to softball because of my older sister who played competitively. I have been around the game ever since I was three to four-years-old, going to all of her tournaments and being immersed in the sport ever since.

What was it that kept you interested in not only playing but getting better and advancing in softball?
What kept me interested in softball and improving was the environment I was exposed to at such a young age, and the people around me that built my love for the game.

I have been around the best of the best, from my sister and her teammates all playing the best collegiately (and now pro), to my own teammates and competition pushing me to be the best.

I always was around people who were better than me: bigger, older, and stronger. That really opened my eyes to what it would take to get to the next level and led me to continue pushing my game.

Were there any times or moments when you thought of hanging up the cleats? Any significant obstacles you hit that challenged your love of the game? And your future in it?
I’ve never wanted to hang up my cleats. However, with that being said, I have definitely had to sacrifice some of the ‘normal’ teen activities that my friends are able to do so have felt a little bit of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out).

The commitment and dedication to playing a sport at a high level requires sacrifices like these and, while I couldn’t imagine my life any other way, there are definitely things I’ve had to miss that I wish I was able to do on top of softball.

Do you remember being young and saying to yourself something to this effect: “I’m going to grow up and be like so-and-so and do this-and-that in softball!”
I will remember the work I’ve had to put in as my whole childhood basically. I have spent the past five years working out and practicing almost every day— before school, after school, and especially when I haven’t wanted to.

I think I just found/built a community around myself where I could fall in love with the game, and it almost felt effortless.

I grew up going to everything my older sister went to and then softball just became a part of my routine because of her. I continued to surround myself with other hardworking players and coaches when I knew that it would take so much to get to the next level.

I have made so many sacrifices over the years that normal high-schoolers and my friends will never understand.

Have you played other sports along with softball?
I’ve played other sports my whole life, but not currently. I am still playing basketball, but I’ve leveled it down from competitive high school to rec ball.

Throughout my life, I’ve always been involved in a large variety of sports including basketball, swimming, gymnastics, track, cross country, tennis, lacrosse, and soccer, but have definitely toned down the amount of time that I have committed to other sports because of the dedication playing softball at this level requires.

What’s been the top three or four softball experiences in your career for you?
There have been so many but my top experiences have been our second 14U AFCS run where we beat multiple of the best teams in the nation, put our name out there, and got runners up against Batbusters – Stith.

I will forever remember the final three-game series and the pressure but also excitement felt during the games.

Another memory is that next summer (16U, 2024 I think) when we won Triple Crown Nationals in Georgia. We played VA Unity – Johnson maybe three different times that tournament and it was so competitive but also so fun.

I think another highlight, less specifically, is high school season with all of my friends both my Freshman and Sophomore years. All of the bus rides, late nights, and laughs with my high school friends—whether we won or lost—are memories I will cherish forever.

Talk about how you approached the recruiting process initially… was it scary? Exciting? Did you worry about it or just think “I’ll deal with it when the time is right?”
It was definitely scary!

It’s an extremely competitive process and you know that there are so many more girls that want to play at the highest level than there are spots on their rosters.

Most schools are only looking for four-to-six girls per class, so the process is extremely competitive, and the school must be the right fit for the player and the program.

Whenever I was doubting myself, I would talk to some of the girls on my team that have already gone through the process and adopted the mindset that everything happens for a reason and that it is all going to work out. and it did!

I could not be happier going to Penn and it definitely felt like the perfect fit!

Do you remember your first college letter? Or first indication that somebody was watching you? How’d that make you feel?
I got a lot of letters from colleges that I dreamed of going to which was a surreal experience. To even be on the lists for some of these schools was something that I never could have imagined and feel grateful for the ability to play this game.

Who seriously tracked and pursued you in the recruiting process?
I have always had high exposure simply because of the travel team I was on and with my teammates being so high-caliber.

I would say a lot of schools followed my team and me, but I didn’t know for sure who was serious until after September 1st. I was pursued by mostly high academic and mid major schools in general.

What did you do to “put your name and accomplishments” out there? Like events, campus visits, etc.
I went to a lot of camps during my whole playing experience.

I sent emails through sports recruits to my list of schools for multiple years and eventually after September 1st worked to reach out to the schools directly.

I wasn’t a huge Twitter/X person, but I did more behind the scenes and showed my interest at camps and with emails.

How did Penn first find you to start the recruiting process?
Coach Novie (Head Coach Christie Novatin) first saw me in Clearwater, Fla. this fall during our tournament.

When did they offer you a scholarship and how did they do it?
I went to a camp in January followed by an unofficial visit with my sister and then followed up with Coach Novie. She and the other staff scheduled a Zoom meeting with my parents after they had discussed me internally.

It ended up being a fit for myself and for the Penn softball program and I am extremely grateful to Coach Novie and the rest of the coaching staff for making Penn feel like home.

What was it about Penn that made you decide it was the place for you in addition to the great Ivy League academics?
What made me decide was the coaching staff and players feelings about the program.

When I went on my unofficial, the players were so welcoming and had nothing but good things to say about Penn. The biggest thing for me was the way I connected with the current players and coaches on my unofficial visit in January.

What did the Quakers coaches they say they liked about your game enough to offer you?
They expressed a lot of interest in my versatility, which is a part of my game I am proud of. I am a very athletic person in general and am prepared to help out at any position needed.

A big thing Coach Novie preached is about the redevelopment of the team, and their belief in my ability to help build that foundation means a lot.

Who helped you in your softball decision? I’d assume Coach Roger was key and your family for sure…
There were a lot of people that helped me with my recruiting including Coach Roger, Coach Adam, my other trainers, but mostly my sister and teammates.

I confided in my senior teammates that have gone through this process before for their advice.

Do you know yet what you will study in college? What you’d like to do for a career after school/softball is over?
I plan to study either business or some type of engineering.

What top tournaments/events will you and your team be playing this summer?
Colorado Sparkler, TC Nationals and AFCS.

What do you love most about softball?
I love so much about softball, but I most love the competitive aspect about the game. It is so fulfilling to see all of the hard work pay off in a game.

Mostly, softball is a game to failure, and anyone who has been around this sport knows how hard that can be.

With that, learning how to fail on and off the field has taught me so much about life and myself, and how to deal with failure while also celebrating the wins. It is truly an outlet that I have confided in the past 12 years of my life, and I don’t know who I would be without this sport.

I love the friendships I have made for life, the lessons I have learned, and everything else that I have gotten out of softball.

In one word, describe yourself on the field: Composed.
And off the field: Resilient.

— Brentt Eads/Line Drive Media