Diamond Sparkles Episode 9 ~ Aubrey Portie ~ Sam Houston Lady Broncos
The word around the softball travel circuit in Louisiana this summer is that one player has improved her stock as much as anyone.
That would be Aubrey Portie (pronounced Por-shay but answers to both), a 2026 shortstop from Sam Houston High School who has thrived against elite competition while playing for United Fastpitch Albert, a 16-and-under squad coached by Chris Albert.
Portie is averaging a home run every five at-bats against some of the country’s best pitchers. She hit two bombs and drove in all her team’s runs in a 3-1 win over the Oklahoma Athletics and pitcher Keegan Baker, an Oklahoma Sooners commit ranked as the No. 18 player in the nation.
Watch Aubrey launch a Home Run while in Plano, TX this Summer: GONE!
“Aubrey struck out in her first at-bat and ended up 3-for-4,” Albert said. “After the strikeout, she came into the dugout and said, ‘That’s a real change-up.’ The next at-bat, she gets the same change-up and hits an opposite field home run.”
Portie is batting .465 with an on-base percentage of .557, 33 hits, two doubles, a triple, 14 home runs, 15 walks and 37 RBIs.
“She’s one of the best hitters to ever play for us,” said Albert, whose squad has a 22-6 record. “Her approach at the plate is unmatched, the way she understands pitch location and how to hit.”
Passing the Eye Test
Some players, like Portie, simply look the part as elite athletes. The 5-foot-10 dual-sport standout is also a college volleyball prospect as an outside hitter for Sam Houston, which reached the state tournament this past season.
“Either her freshman or sophomore year, I was watching Sam Houston play Kaplan,” Albert recalled. “I’m watching (former United player) Caroline Eidson, and Aubrey steps on deck. She hadn’t even swung the bat yet. I asked a parent, who said, ‘Forget it. She’s strictly volleyball.'”
Portie delivered a home run in the ensuing at-bat and went on to accept Albert’s invitation to join his team, which also includes all-state pitchers Kiette Cooper (Jena) and Lexi Greene (Kaplan), in addition to Portie’s high school teammate Mazlin Authement.
“Since she re-opened her recruitment, it’s been a whirlwind,” Albert said. “Pretty incredible.”
Initially a verbal commitment for volleyball and softball to McNeese State – where her parents played softball and baseball – Portie has piqued the interest of numerous college softball programs. She’s not done this summer, either. United Albert is a team to watch at the upcoming national tournament in Indiana, a week-long event comprised of over 100 teams.
“I’ve really enjoyed this summer,” Portie said. “I’ve seen a lot of arms at different tournaments that will help me grow. My first at-bat against the Oklahoma commit was very eye-opening with the different spins.”
A State Champion
This spring, Sam Houston went 30-2 and won the Division I Non-Select state title as the No. 1 seed. Portie batted .519 with eight doubles two triples, 14 home runs, 12 stolen bases, 48 RBIs, 55 runs and struck out only four times in 81 at-bats, according to Rodrick Anderson of The American Press, which named Portie its Female Athlete of the Year.
“Man, she’s just an all-around stud,” Sam Houston coach Beth Domingue said. “I feel like her competitiveness is on another level.”
In March, Live Oak scored nine runs in the first inning against the Broncos, who staged a furious comeback to win 13-10 on Chloe Peshoff’s homer. Eidson and Portie began the rally with home runs in the third inning.
“After Live Oak’s big inning, I told them in the dugout, ‘Let’s see what you’re made of,” Domingue said. “We’re averaging 12-13 runs a game. Let’s see if we can come back.
“Aubrey hit a bomb that I’m almost positive went all the way onto the baseball field. When the ball came off her bat, I’m like, ‘Holy cow!'”
Portie also tripled and scored three runs in that game. When Sam Houston faced Live Oak again in the quarterfinals, Portie finished with three hits, including a double, to go along with two RBIs and two runs scored in a 12-1 win.
Sam Houston, which placed No. 17 in MaxPreps’ final national rankings, graduates only three seniors.
“It was an awesome experience,” Portie said of her junior year. “We had so much team chemistry. It was great that softball and baseball both won state championships. With the boys being a No. 11 seed, it showed everybody that you can win, no matter what seed.”
Baseball as a building block
Porte’s early years were spent playing baseball, not softball. She took up baseball in the tee-ball league and stuck with it for years, playing alongside and against local stars such as Lawton Littleton and Jordin Griffin of Barbe High.
“I definitely think it helped me be as good as I can be,” she said. “Baseball is so much more competitive than softball at the younger ages.”
Pulling the trigger on SEC offer
Two weeks ago, Portie participated in a camp at Ole Miss. She impressed the coaches so much that the Rebels put a full scholarship offer on the table during a phone conversation a week later.
On Thursday, July 10, Portie verbally committed to the Rebels during a visit to the campus.
“I liked everything about it,” she said, relieved that the recruiting process is over. “It’s definitely been stressful.”
Ole Miss is on the rise as a national power, reaching its first Women’s College World Series in 2024 and finishing this past season as the No. 7-ranked program, according to Softball America.
“The vibe was really good,” said Sarah Portie, Aubrey’s mom. “Oxford has a small town feel to it.
“Aubrey has always wanted to play at the highest level. The hitting coach (Ehren Earleywine) likes home runs. A lot of his philosophy aligns with what Aubrey is doing.”
Editor’s Note– Aubrey also spends her time showing Cows during the school year.
Diamond Sparkles is a year-round column that tells the stories behind the stories of the Pelican State’s softball players. If you have someone that would make a great story, send us an email to info@446sports.com
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