Ava Burkett never really needs to see the ball leave the park.
When she connects, she simply knows.
“From the moment the ball hits the bat, I can tell it’s going out,” said Burkett. “It feels like butter, so smooth. Every time I’m just like, ‘that’s another one.’”
It’s a feeling she knows very, very well.
Burkett leaves a legacy behind at Destrehan and a school record book all but rewritten. Her 45 career home runs now stands as the all-time best mark among St. Charles Parish sluggers, toppling the mark of 36 set by Hahnville’s Kat Smith. Just under half of Burkett’s total came during a spectacular senior year that saw her slam 22 home runs, 13 doubles and a triple while batting a whopping .589. She drove in 68 RBIs.
The slugger and Ladycats’ third baseman helped lead Destrehan to the first outright district championship in the history of the softball program in 2025 and its first victory over Hahnville in nearly a decade. DHS went 21-13 and reached round two of the playoffs.
“When I first got to Destrehan, I had a lot of goals that I wanted to achieve, and I made sure that I achieved all of them before I left,” Burkett said. “I think a big part of that was having my friends, my family and my coaches be there to push me all the time to make sure I reached them. It’s just an amazing feeling knowing that it worked out.”
She posted an on-base percentage of .660 – while striking out just six times all season long. Burkett attributes that to having a plan whenever she’s up at the plate, be it in practice, on game day or working on her own with her father.
“I go up looking for the pitch I want, the one I’m hungriest for that game,” said Burkett. “I know I can hit any pitch that comes my way. It just depends on what I’m in the mood for … that comes from spending numerous hours on that field every single day and playing the game for so long.”
Which is about as long as she can remember. Burkett paused when asked how long ago she began playing – she estimates it was around the age of 5. She played multiple sports but ultimately decided to focus her attention primarily on softball.
“(Softball) was something I really bonded with my dad over,” said Burkett. “It made it extremely special. No matter what I could ask him to come with me and we were on that softball field no matter the age, no matter the time.”
When it comes to her favorite memory of her time with the Ladycats, there’s no hesitation in her answer – the team’s victory over Hahnville this year.
Destrehan had last won against the Tigers in 2016, and Burkett’s Wildcats were 0-3 against their rival – and outscored by 42 runs over those games. Both teams entered the 2025 chapter of the rivalry with strong records, but Hahnville was off to its most dominant start in several seasons, riding in on a 12-3 mark with most of those wins by multiple runs.
But if Hahnville was the favorite, Destrehan flipped those expectations quickly. The Wildcats charged out with four runs in the first inning – that blossomed into a 10-0 lead and ultimately that score was the 10-run rule final.
Burkett remembers being in the dugout with her teammates, including her fellow senior Alayna Vicknair, and the emotions washing over.
“Before the game even started, (Burkett and Vicknair) had a talk with the girls and said no matter what happens, we’re all still going to be here,” Burkett said. “I know the girls went out and did it for the two of us. I remember being teary-eyed in the dugout, just being like, ‘this is finally happening. It’s our senior year, and we get to finally beat Hahnville.’”
Burkett went 2-for-2 with a walk, home run, double, three runs scored and three RBIs in the win.
That moment may have been the highlight of the season, but the entire journey was as notable. Destrehan went 8-22 in 2023 with a very young group. That experience paid major dividends with the program posting back-to-back 20-plus win seasons the past two years.
“It’s a great feeling to know we were a big part of that,” said Burkett, who said the rapport between the players and coaches was a strong driving force as well.
Another source of support for Burkett came from her brother Brady, who she calls her biggest supporter.
“I don’t think he missed a game,” Burkett said. “He’d text me throughout the season telling me how proud he was. He’s my best friend – even when times were hard, he was the one I looked at and made me want to push more and finish strong.”
Though her Destrehan career is over, Burkett is not done with softball. She’s headed to Nicholls State on scholarship and will bring her big bat to the Colonels lineup.
As she sets out to make her mark at the next level, you can be sure of one thing: she’ll be looking for her pitch, and history says she’ll find it.
