Naperville Central pitcher Avery Miller already was a strong player.
But she was determined to get physically and fundamentally stronger as she prepared for her junior season.
“I hit the gym more,” Miller said. “I did last year, but I decided to do it more this year.”
How much more?
“I tried to go to the gym at least four times a week and then my other lessons one time a week,” Miller said. “And then if I had some extra time, if I want to get some reps in, I’ll go into my garage and throw into a net.”
But Miller’s preparations didn’t stop there.
“I started hitting lessons again and then pitching lessons,” Miller said. “I just put in a bunch of work, and I think it’s really refreshing to see it pay off and for it to be successful.”
That work paid off in a big way for Miller, the 2026 Naperville Sun Softball Player of the Year. She excelled as a pitcher and a hitter.
Miller finished her third varsity season with a 19-6 record with three saves and a 1.82 ERA. She recorded 213 strikeouts in 161 2/3 innings and threw seven shutouts.
More Top Picks Qled Vs Oled Vs Led
Miller was named the DuPage Valley Conference pitcher of the year after going 13-0 in league play. She hasn’t lost a conference game in two years, and the Redhawks (25-10, 15-0) won their second consecutive DVC title.
Naperville Central also benefited from Miller’s increased power at the plate. An all-state second-team pick, she batted .392 with seven doubles, a team-high nine home runs and 34 RBIs, which tied sophomore Lacie Williams for the team lead.
“She had some pretty good stats as a sophomore, but she came back as a much better player,” Naperville Central coach Andy Nussbaum said. “We’re pretty happy with that.
“She showed the capability of hitting the ball last year, but her numbers this year were better. We saw more extra-base hits, more home runs, especially in key situations.”
One of Miller’s home runs was a walk-off two-run shot that beat St. Charles East 10-9 on May 8. She credited her increased muscle for the added power.
“I did better my freshman year than I did last year,” she said. “Last year, I had a little bit of a slump, so it’s definitely refreshing this year to get back into hitting the ball and seeing the ball.”
Nussbaum saw several areas of improvement in Miller’s pitching. She had fewer walks and more strikeouts, and the Redhawks played better defense behind her.
“The thing that I noticed the most was she pitched pretty tough with runners on base,” Nussbaum said. “There were games where she would give up one run and the other team left eight or nine runners on base.
“It’s a credit to her mental toughness to get past those kinds of things.”
The Redhawks won five more games than they did in 2025 as well as their first regional title since 2015, the last time they had at least 25 victories.
Miller didn’t see that coming.
“I think me personally, just at first, I was a bit doubtful, not because everyone is bad or anything, but literally just because we lost seniors and we had to kind of rebuild our team,” she said. “That was kind of a concern. But overall, I’m really proud of all of us for the season.”
Senior shortstop Natalie Lau, a Penn commit, said Miller’s performance was a major reason for the team’s success.
“She’s definitely a leader in our energy and our team chemistry because we can all really rally behind her,” Lau said. “She’s very reliable, so it’s really great to see her succeed, especially for the last three years, just being able to be her teammate.
“She truly is one of the best teammates someone can ask for. So it was really cool to have one last season with her.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.