Long Beach State University Athletics
Beach Reads: Coming Home
4/20/2026 3:48:00 PM | Softball
Junior Avery Weisbrook is making the most of her second chance.
LONG BEACH, Calif. – She finally decided that she'd had enough.
Enough of the doubt. Enough of the homesickness.
It was time to come back to Torrance, and open a new chapter of her life without softball. But that ended up being just what she needed to find joy in the sport again.
The youngest sister in a family of four from Torrance, Avery Weisbrook got started in softball early, as her older sister Amber had already gotten involved in the game.
"I was following my sister to tournaments, and I'd just be pitching on the sidelines with my dad and eventually he and my coaches decided it'd be easier to just get her in there," said Weisbrook. "I was pretty much the only player who could throw and catch in T-Ball, so I played everywhere and that stuck. I pitched and played all over throughout my club career," she added.
Immediately taking to the sport, Avery was the family star early on, sticking with softball even as her sister, Amber, moved to playing volleyball and focusing on her academics. "Our family joke was always that she's the brains and I'm the brawn," she laughs, downplaying her own achievements.
But it was no joke how quickly she gained notoriety, not just in Southern California, but nationwide as her talent for the game grew. She gained notice from both the former and current coaches of Long Beach State at that time, in Kim Sowder and Kendall Fearn.
Starring at Torrance South High School, Weisbrook played with future Beach pitcher Sophia Fernandez and alongside future Florida All-American Reagan Walsh but earned her own attention from many of the top teams in the country.
"Avery was one of the top high school prospects in the country. She was a really flashy, talented middle infielder who was clutch at the plate," reflected Kendall Fearn. "She was the player that stood out on any field with her swagger and how hard she played."
Hitting .397 with eight home runs, Weisbrook was a Top 40 recruit nationally and named as a Future All-American by PGF Softball, setting the stage for her college career.
"I got it in my head really young that I wanted to go Division I, and I wanted to play at a power conference school," said Weisbrook. So even though my recruiting process was long, it also felt kind of short because I had a really firm vision of playing for a power conference school out of state.
"My Dad was huge in the whole thing, and a had a really good support system around me and while it was stressful, I committed to Florida State the first second that I could as a junior. So it wasn't like a huge shocking decision, but it was still fun talking to all of the other coaches and schools."
At that moment, even though she still had great success in high school, the expectations for the 16-year-old changed with a commitment to a program consistently in the Top 10 and competing for Women's College World Series appearances. "All of a sudden, I was the girl that was going to Florida State, rather than even just a really good softball player. That totally changed the pressure that I felt with all of that hype around me," said Weisbrook. "It was hard mentally, and I felt like I just had to overcome it, and I'm not sure that I every truly did, certainly not in the way that I thought I had to at the time. I struggled, and that didn't stop when I arrived as a freshman at Florida State.
"I'd dreamed of playing for a program like that for so long, and I was so young when I was making that decision that I didn't really understand what I actually wanted. I wouldn't change that decision, because I what I experienced definitely changed me and I'm grateful for the program. But it was hard.
In the 2023 season, Florida State would go 58-11 and reach the championship series against Oklahoma at the Women's College World Series. Weisbrook played in 25 games, but primarily as a pinch runner and defensive replacement, ultimately having just one hit as a freshman.
"I was so far away from home, and the reality of the situation hit where as a freshman I didn't understand how I would make an impact on that kind of team, just with who was coming back, who was coming in," noted Weisbrook. "So I admit that towards the end, I just settled. I could have been working harder. But even still that's why I'm grateful for that experience. I got to go to Oklahoma City with all of these amazing players, and I saw first-hand what it would take to be successful at this level."
Moving across the country and away from home isn't necessarily only a challenge for student-athletes as a freshman and one that is relatable for many. Combine that with disappointment at not performing at the level that both yourself and others around you have come to expect and Avery decided that the source of the problem wasn't necessarily Florida State, but softball itself.
Taking a break and moving back home, Avery was able to collect herself, reestablish her goals and what she wanted to do, and circled back to take a second chance.
"To be totally honest, it started out just being going back to college that got me back into the game. It was so hard to get into California universities as a transfer, so I knew that I was going to need to rely on a softball scholarship, but also I knew I wasn't prepared to go through the same experience again. I had to make sure I made the right decision for me this time."
Weisbrook had grown up going to Long Beach State games, knew her teammate Sophia Fernandez had found success over four seasons at the Beach, and the program had a tradition of winning. She wouldn't have to sacrifice her ambition of top-level softball for the ability to build roots closer to home.
"We'd seen Avery a lot since we had also been recruiting Sophia Fernandez, who had a great career with us," said Kim Sowder. "We'd heard through Sophia that she wasn't playing any more, but we knew that if Avery did come back to softball, we'd be very interested.
"I think she felt comfortable with our staff since she already knew us and Sophia, and that was important as she got back into softball and got busy on finding her love for the game again."
"It was a perfect fit. I didn't have a second thought," said Weisbrook on joining Long Beach State as she returned to softball.
Starting 30 games across a multitude of positions, the sophomore improved throughout the season and ultimately hit .261 in Big West play, helping lead Long Beach State to the inaugural Big West Championship. But more was yet to come despite the retirement of Kim Sowder.
"In my very first conversation with her, I could tell she was all in on Long Beach State. I came away so impressed with her maturity and how she was approaching her second round of college softball.," said Fearn. "I felt then, and still do, that her best days of softball were ahead of her."
Weisbrook attributes her success this season to continuity, despite the staff changes, as much as anything else. "This was my first time coming back to the same place for a second year, and I was so much more comfortable. Coming back to my teammates and the same situation was great, and having Coach Fearn come into the staff was huge. We already had a long history, and we clicked right away. That relationship really helped my confidence, she knows how to talk with me and get me to that next level. The whole staff, really, you couldn't ask for anyone better.
"Knowing what I needed to do, how I was going to improve, how hard I was going to have to work, all of my experiences helped get me to this point. It might seem to make things more difficult, but for me it opened everything up. The pressure is off, now I can just go out there and be myself. My true self."
This season, Weisbrook has started every game at shortstop, is leading the nation in assists as a busy infielder, and is hitting .379 with a team-high on base percentage of .450.
"Avery has big goals, big dreams, and she has proven to be an impactful catalyst for our program," raved Fearn. "She has a really high softball IQ, and the ability to pull a defense together and locked in as a leader. She's just someone that you love to have on your team."
"The success is great, but I just want to go out there, compete, and not take anything for granted anymore," said Weisbrook. "I just want to continue to grow, appreciate what's around me and not let the moments get too big."
It's finally time to play free.
Enough of the doubt. Enough of the homesickness.
It was time to come back to Torrance, and open a new chapter of her life without softball. But that ended up being just what she needed to find joy in the sport again.
The youngest sister in a family of four from Torrance, Avery Weisbrook got started in softball early, as her older sister Amber had already gotten involved in the game.
"I was following my sister to tournaments, and I'd just be pitching on the sidelines with my dad and eventually he and my coaches decided it'd be easier to just get her in there," said Weisbrook. "I was pretty much the only player who could throw and catch in T-Ball, so I played everywhere and that stuck. I pitched and played all over throughout my club career," she added.
Immediately taking to the sport, Avery was the family star early on, sticking with softball even as her sister, Amber, moved to playing volleyball and focusing on her academics. "Our family joke was always that she's the brains and I'm the brawn," she laughs, downplaying her own achievements.
But it was no joke how quickly she gained notoriety, not just in Southern California, but nationwide as her talent for the game grew. She gained notice from both the former and current coaches of Long Beach State at that time, in Kim Sowder and Kendall Fearn.
Starring at Torrance South High School, Weisbrook played with future Beach pitcher Sophia Fernandez and alongside future Florida All-American Reagan Walsh but earned her own attention from many of the top teams in the country.
"Avery was one of the top high school prospects in the country. She was a really flashy, talented middle infielder who was clutch at the plate," reflected Kendall Fearn. "She was the player that stood out on any field with her swagger and how hard she played."
Hitting .397 with eight home runs, Weisbrook was a Top 40 recruit nationally and named as a Future All-American by PGF Softball, setting the stage for her college career.
"I got it in my head really young that I wanted to go Division I, and I wanted to play at a power conference school," said Weisbrook. So even though my recruiting process was long, it also felt kind of short because I had a really firm vision of playing for a power conference school out of state.
"My Dad was huge in the whole thing, and a had a really good support system around me and while it was stressful, I committed to Florida State the first second that I could as a junior. So it wasn't like a huge shocking decision, but it was still fun talking to all of the other coaches and schools."
At that moment, even though she still had great success in high school, the expectations for the 16-year-old changed with a commitment to a program consistently in the Top 10 and competing for Women's College World Series appearances. "All of a sudden, I was the girl that was going to Florida State, rather than even just a really good softball player. That totally changed the pressure that I felt with all of that hype around me," said Weisbrook. "It was hard mentally, and I felt like I just had to overcome it, and I'm not sure that I every truly did, certainly not in the way that I thought I had to at the time. I struggled, and that didn't stop when I arrived as a freshman at Florida State.
"I'd dreamed of playing for a program like that for so long, and I was so young when I was making that decision that I didn't really understand what I actually wanted. I wouldn't change that decision, because I what I experienced definitely changed me and I'm grateful for the program. But it was hard.
In the 2023 season, Florida State would go 58-11 and reach the championship series against Oklahoma at the Women's College World Series. Weisbrook played in 25 games, but primarily as a pinch runner and defensive replacement, ultimately having just one hit as a freshman.
"I was so far away from home, and the reality of the situation hit where as a freshman I didn't understand how I would make an impact on that kind of team, just with who was coming back, who was coming in," noted Weisbrook. "So I admit that towards the end, I just settled. I could have been working harder. But even still that's why I'm grateful for that experience. I got to go to Oklahoma City with all of these amazing players, and I saw first-hand what it would take to be successful at this level."
Moving across the country and away from home isn't necessarily only a challenge for student-athletes as a freshman and one that is relatable for many. Combine that with disappointment at not performing at the level that both yourself and others around you have come to expect and Avery decided that the source of the problem wasn't necessarily Florida State, but softball itself.
Taking a break and moving back home, Avery was able to collect herself, reestablish her goals and what she wanted to do, and circled back to take a second chance.
"To be totally honest, it started out just being going back to college that got me back into the game. It was so hard to get into California universities as a transfer, so I knew that I was going to need to rely on a softball scholarship, but also I knew I wasn't prepared to go through the same experience again. I had to make sure I made the right decision for me this time."
Weisbrook had grown up going to Long Beach State games, knew her teammate Sophia Fernandez had found success over four seasons at the Beach, and the program had a tradition of winning. She wouldn't have to sacrifice her ambition of top-level softball for the ability to build roots closer to home.
"We'd seen Avery a lot since we had also been recruiting Sophia Fernandez, who had a great career with us," said Kim Sowder. "We'd heard through Sophia that she wasn't playing any more, but we knew that if Avery did come back to softball, we'd be very interested.
"I think she felt comfortable with our staff since she already knew us and Sophia, and that was important as she got back into softball and got busy on finding her love for the game again."
"It was a perfect fit. I didn't have a second thought," said Weisbrook on joining Long Beach State as she returned to softball.
Starting 30 games across a multitude of positions, the sophomore improved throughout the season and ultimately hit .261 in Big West play, helping lead Long Beach State to the inaugural Big West Championship. But more was yet to come despite the retirement of Kim Sowder.
"In my very first conversation with her, I could tell she was all in on Long Beach State. I came away so impressed with her maturity and how she was approaching her second round of college softball.," said Fearn. "I felt then, and still do, that her best days of softball were ahead of her."
Weisbrook attributes her success this season to continuity, despite the staff changes, as much as anything else. "This was my first time coming back to the same place for a second year, and I was so much more comfortable. Coming back to my teammates and the same situation was great, and having Coach Fearn come into the staff was huge. We already had a long history, and we clicked right away. That relationship really helped my confidence, she knows how to talk with me and get me to that next level. The whole staff, really, you couldn't ask for anyone better.
"Knowing what I needed to do, how I was going to improve, how hard I was going to have to work, all of my experiences helped get me to this point. It might seem to make things more difficult, but for me it opened everything up. The pressure is off, now I can just go out there and be myself. My true self."
This season, Weisbrook has started every game at shortstop, is leading the nation in assists as a busy infielder, and is hitting .379 with a team-high on base percentage of .450.
"Avery has big goals, big dreams, and she has proven to be an impactful catalyst for our program," raved Fearn. "She has a really high softball IQ, and the ability to pull a defense together and locked in as a leader. She's just someone that you love to have on your team."
"The success is great, but I just want to go out there, compete, and not take anything for granted anymore," said Weisbrook. "I just want to continue to grow, appreciate what's around me and not let the moments get too big."
It's finally time to play free.
Players Mentioned
INF
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