Born in Bellevue, Washington and raised in nearby Sammamish, Pohlman attended The Bear Creek School in Redmond, Washington from second to eleventh grades. Although the school did not have a softball team, Pohlman played basketball, soccer, and track and field there and played on the Washington Ladyhawks softball team.[2][3] In 2007, Pohlman transferred to Eastlake High School in Sammamish for her senior year and played on the softball team.[2][3]
Attending the University of Washington, Pohlman played on the Washington Huskies softball team from 2009 to 2012 at outfielder.[2] On the 2009 Women's College World Series championship team as a freshman, Pohlman had the second-best batting average on the team at .360 in 62 games with 56 starts, mostly at left field and was a second-team All-Pac-10 honoree.[4][5] Batting .350 with 10 runs, one double, one RBI, and three stolen bases in the postseason, Pohlman made the Women's College World Series All-Tournament team.[2] On June 2, 2009, in the 3–2 win over no. 1 Florida in the series-deciding third game of the World Series, Pohlman scored two runs, including one on an error that ultimately became the game winner.[6]
As a sophomore in 2010, Pohlman batted .347 with 69 hits and 47 runs in 59 games (58 starts), earning first-team All-Pac-10 honors.[2] Still starting at left field, Pohlman added right fielder to her outfield duties in 2010.[7][8]
Earning her second straight first-team All-Pac-10 honors in 2011, Pohlman played 53 games including 52 starts in her junior season, batting .432 with 79 hits, 57 runs, 28 RBI, and three homers.[2] In her senior year of 2012, when the Pac-10 became the Pac-12, Pohlman was a first-team all-conference honoree for the third straight time in 52 started games with a .366 batting average and a team-leading 64 hits.[2] Pohlman played at center fielder more often beginning in 2011.[9][10] Pohlman graduated from Washington in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in communications.[11]