Rachael Puthoff served as a model of consistency for the Otterbein softball program over her four-year career from 2011-14. She played 132 career games in a Cardinal uniform, appearing in the starting lineup 123 times and showing the ability to play anywhere on the field.

Puthoff made her mark primarily at shortstop, making challenging plays seem routine en route to three-straight All-Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) awards, including a first-team selection as a sophomore. She tallied 121 career hits and drove in 41 runs over her last two seasons, ranking top-10 in the league for RBI and batting average as a senior. Puthoff committed just 13 errors over 175 defensive chances that spring.

As good as she was on the diamond, Puthoff was even better in the classroom as an athletic training student. She maneuvered through a rigorous  major unscathed, graduating in May of 2014 with a perfect 4.00 grade-point average and multiple academic honors.

Also a three-time Academic All-OAC pick, Puthoff earned first team Academic All-District her senior year before ultimately capping off her career with a nod to the Capital One Academic All-America third team. At the time, she was one of just three Otterbein softball players to earn the national recognition for academics.