Copyright Chicago Tribune
As Ally Compton’s recruitment unfolded, she didn’t want to make a fast decision at the expense of the right decision. But everything lined up for the Munster junior. Compton committed to Indiana earlier this week after visiting the Bloomington campus for homecoming weekend, which included the football team’s victory against Michigan State on Saturday. “I wanted to do it sometime my junior year, but I knew I was going to know right away,” she said. “So whether that took a year or two months or one week, it just ended up being the middle of October for me. “I just knew that once I would find my home, I would know right away, and that’s what happened here. I wasn’t going into it wanting to commit by September or October. I was just going with the flow of how I felt.” That flow carried Compton to the Hoosiers. “I was definitely super excited, smiling ear to ear,” she said. “It just felt like a relief to have all of that weight lifted off your shoulders, all of that stress, by saying I accept the offer. I’m so proud of myself and so happy that I accomplished this goal that I’ve had since I was little. It was definitely an emotional night for me and my family. “From the moment I stepped on campus, I kind of knew that it felt like home. The campus was super. I loved the coaches. Our personalities just matched, and they were very motherly and very welcoming to me. The environment on campus was super good. I just love what Indiana softball stands for. I just knew right when I stepped on campus that was going to be my future home.” Munster coach Jill Perez expressed her happiness that Compton opted to stay relatively close to home for college. “I was so excited to hear about Ally’s decision to verbal to IU,” Perez said. “We’ve loved asking her about her experiences visiting schools for camps in the past, hearing what she likes about the campuses, locations, etc. I’m also selfishly excited that she’ll be in mini-bus distance for us to bring the team to catch a game.” In Compton’s two seasons, she has already made a massive mark for the Mustangs, who have won back-to-back Northwest Crossroads Conference titles. Munster (26-6, 12-0) ended the 2025 regular season ranked No. 6 in the Class 4A state coaches poll and lost to top-ranked Lake Central in the sectional semifinals. Compton was an all-state first-team selection and the NCC’s offensive player of the year as a sophomore. She hit .464 with a team-record 19 homers — eclipsing her record from her freshman season — and 52 RBIs. She also went 15-5 with a 2.40 ERA and 160 strikeouts in 122 1/3 innings. “That season definitely helped me go into the summer pretty confident about my game,” Compton said. “I felt pretty confident going into the summer and a big recruiting year for me. It was a boost, and it benefited me in the long run performance-wise in the summer.” Compton, who is already Munster’s career leader in homers with 34, hit .435 with 15 homers and 36 RBIs during her impressive freshman season. She also recorded a 2.39 ERA with 78 strikeouts in 58 2/3 innings. “Absolutely incredible,” Perez said of Compton’s performance to date. “We met Ally when she was in seventh grade on our middle school softball team. We knew she was going to be good but had no idea just how good. “She came in with a strong freshman class who have made a huge impact for us. She’s always pushing herself to be better than she was the day before. She works extremely hard to reach her goals, so it’s not shocking when she does. But I’m always in awe of her discipline. With that said, 34 home runs is shocking and not something you see often and definitely not something I ever get used to.” Compton, who intends to study chemistry at Indiana, should be able to show her range of abilities there. “That was definitely one of the selling factors also,” she said. “They are allowing me to play the field, pitch and also hit, which is what my goal is to do in college. So I was really happy about that. They told me I have a really good chance to do all three, which is all I could ask for.” Compton just completed volleyball season with the Mustangs. After competing in wrestling as a freshman and sophomore, she anticipates taking off the upcoming season — intending to return as a senior — to focus on her challenging academic schedule, her softball training, and the pitching and hitting lessons she gives. Then comes her junior season on the softball field. Among her teammates is classmate Caroline Wendlinger, an Iowa commit. “I’m super excited,” Compton said. “I’m excited to become an upperclassman because I know how important it is as an underclassman to have the upperclassmen to look up to, having a leader to look up to. So I’m super excited to take on that role. “We had such a great season last year, and I can’t wait because most of the girls are coming back. We’re missing a few seniors like CeCe Mason, which is going to be hard to replace. But I’m excited.” Perez also is looking forward to seeing what Compton does next. “Ally has already accomplished so much as a Mustang,” Perez said. “She’s broken numerous offensive records and will surely be at the top of the charts for a while. Ally likely has already new goals in mind for the upcoming season. “I’m most looking forward to watching how she leads our underclassmen this season. We’ll have quite a few new members to our team this season. Ally has had great connections with some of our recent graduates who took her in when she started out. I’m eager to see how her and the rest of our upperclassmen lead our team and help us continue the success we’ve been having.”
