Few players have had quite the impact that Lilli Piper did in three years as a member of Ohio State’s softball program. Her imprint can be seen clearly in the record book, where she ranks among the all-time greats in nearly every major statistical category.
But beyond that, Piper was a winner. And the teams she played on were that too, as evidenced by the three NCAA Tournaments that she helped the Buckeyes qualify for from 2017-19. In her three seasons with the scarlet and gray, Piper helped Ohio State to a 106-52 (.670) overall record, 46-22 mark in Big Ten play and a berth in the 2017 Big Ten Tournament title game.
Along the way, Piper was one of the most feared hitters in the conference – and it was easy to see why. She had a .419 career batting average – second-best in program history – and never batted below .404 in a season. As a senior, she hit .574 in 23 Big Ten games and was the conference’s batting average champion. During her junior campaign in 2018, she became Ohio State’s single-season home run leader with 20, while also driving in 58 runs. Piper’s .876 slugging percentage in 2018 is the third-highest single-season mark in Big Ten Conference history.
Today, Piper ranks second in program history in batting average, sixth in runs batted in (144), third in home runs (48) and 10th in stolen bases (40) – all while playing just three seasons. She spent her freshman season at the University of Akron where she played basketball.
In 2019, Piper became just the second player in program history to be a three-time All-American. She plays professional softball for Athletes Unlimited and in 2022 was a finalist for GEICO Defensive Player of the Year award at shortstop.
Piper graduated in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in human ecology and education. She currently serves as an assistant coach at Ohio University.
