Softball | General | 4/19/2022

TLU Softball Proves Talent is Everywhere

Jerry Miller

Photo: Kelly Jurden (Perfect Game)

SEGUIN, Texas -- As winter, thankfully, gives way to spring and warmer weather, fastpitch softball in the many high school and college programs across the country moves towards the conclusion of conference and league play. Teams, regardless of their level of competition, are testing their skill against equally determined opponents, as each battle towards the excitement of the postseason. One would not have to venture very far from home to find a well-played, highly entertaining game.

There are 296 NCAA D-I softball programs and 6,168 players participating at that level this spring across the country. Some 360,000 high schoolers play softball as well. On average, Division-I programs offer three to five (usually partial) scholarship opportunities a year to incoming freshmen. Travel squads from 20-25, vary from conference to conference, so the reality of actually getting the opportunity to play D-I softball for the vast majority of high school players, is marginal at best. Understanding the aforementioned math, high schoolers need to grasp the very real fact that there is a very small chance for a NCAA D-I roster spot. Hope and opportunity to compete, and compete at a high level, does however exist beyond high school.

There are over 1,400 colleges and universities playing softball that are not NCAA Division-I schools. Most of those schools play at the NCAA Division-III (400+) and junior/community college (500+) levels. Many of those schools are top institutions of higher learning that field highly competitive athletic programs in general, and top-flight softball teams, in particular. There are many D-III schools that could not only compete athletically at the D-I level but could win and/or at least give the “big” schools all they could handle. Look no further than Texas Lutheran University and their tradition rich, highly successful fastpitch program.

Nestled among the many crooked live oaks and old growth pecan trees that are prevalent in the south central town of Seguin (sih-GEEN), sits the immaculately pristine Texas Lutheran University campus. Seguin is a short 30 minute drive east of San Antonio and sits right off Interstate 10. The Guadalupe River that runs through the city is a welcomed haven for many vacationers. TLU is a source of pride for this town of 25,000 and the community rallies around all things Texas Lutheran.

Texas Lutheran University is not unlike the many private institutions of higher learning that dot the United States landscape. With an undergraduate enrollment of around 1,400, TLU, founded in 1891, is associated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. It is acclaimed throughout the region, offering 27 majors, 37 minors, and 64 specializations. TLU is ranked in the top five best West Regional Universities in 2022 by U.S. News & World Report. There are many schools just like Texas Lutheran scattered all across the nation that offer quality education and an opportunity to play ball, however, few play at the level of TLU.

TLU is an established and respected institution. It has an endowment of $80 million. The University boasts numerous alumni that have made their mark following graduation. Most notable among their former students is 1984 Olympic volleyball silver medalist Laurie Corbelli, who was the head volleyball coach at Texas A&M from 1993 to 2017. Another highly recognizable former Texas Lutheran Bulldog, especially to fans of college football, is long time TV voice and National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Famer, Verne Lundquist.

The black and gold clad TLU program is a force in Division-III softball. They are members of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. Member schools in the SCAC are Trinity University (San Antonio), St. Thomas University (Houston), Schreiner University (Kerrville), Southwestern University (Georgetown) Centenary College (Shreveport), Austin College (Sherman) and The University of Dallas (Irving). As of this writing, the 2022 Bulldogs are 32-4 and unscathed (18-0) in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play. With one conference series remaining, a home match-up with second place Trinity (18-17, 13-4), the Bulldogs have already wrapped up another SCAC title. TLU has won eight straight SCAC titles (including this year) and are riding a 59-game conference winning streak.

TLU is currently ranked No. 3 in the country in the NFCA coach’s poll. Over the past 11 seasons, the ‘Dogs, headed by veteran skipper Wade Wilson, have posted an unreal record of 337-73 (.821). During that same time, the program is 185-16 (.920) in conference play. They have never lost a SCAC series. That impressive streak dates back to their entrance into the league in 2014.

Coach Wilson, a native of nearby Cuero, Texas, is the all-time victories leader at TLU and the most successful coach in the school’s illustrious competitive history, regardless of sport. His 2019 TLU club captured the NCAA Division-III championship – the first ever national title in school history. The 2021 team reached the national championship series, dropping a heart-breaking third game to Virginia Wesleyan, finishing as national runners-up. Coach Wilson’s staff (Olivia Van Hook, Ed Zarzabal, James Fuqua, Scott Smith) is experienced, organized, and learned. They are the envy of many coaching groups in the country. This highly gifted collection of professional instructors was named the 2019 and 2021 West Regional Staff of the Year and the NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year in 2019.

Maybe even more impressive than TLU’s on-field accomplishments, is the program’s collective efforts in the classroom. The Texas Lutheran softball program has had 11 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, two NCAA Division III Elite 90 winners, and over 100 Academic All-Conference honorees. Amanda Lochte was the 2017 Division III Academic All-American of the Year.

The 2022 edition of the TLU Bulldogs is a juggernaut, and they are on a mission. They carry themselves with a champion’s confidence. They are not outwardly arrogant or conceited. They collectively approach each contest with a plan and they execute. And do they ever execute. Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that they appear to truly enjoy playing the game and being a part of this nationally recognized program. No one player is more or less important than the other. That approach and direction obviously flows from their coaching staff, but the young people who don the uniform are the ones who make this all happen. There is an obvious, almost palpable pride in being a Texas Lutheran softball player.

At first glance, the ‘Dogs look like a Division-I program. They are athletic and strong. It is apparent that they have put the time into ready themselves for the long haul of an NCAA season that starts competition in February and for this program, ends sometime in late May or early June. It is obvious, even to an untrained eye, that this group knows where the weight room is, and they know how to use it. They are twitchy and fast, sleek, and powerful, and they have individual and collective skill ability usually found in only the very best programs in the country.

In a quick three-game set this past Thursday and Friday in Irving against SCAC opponent University of Dallas, the Bulldogs made fairly short work against a try-hard, but out-manned Crusader nine. TLU won Thursday’s contest 8-0, in a game shortened to five innings by the NCAA run-rule. The ‘Dogs cruised to an easy 10-0, five inning, run-rule win in the first of Friday’s doubleheader before capturing a 4-1 in the series finale on the back end of Friday’s double dip. The UD club did not get a run across the plate until the bottom of the fifth of the final contest. To the Dallas Crusaders credit, they never quit. Their efforts were consistent. They just ran up against a program that is hyper-focused, well-coached, and has their sights set on a long playoff run.

Like most upper echelon fastpitch programs, TLU’s strength starts in the circle and behind the plate. Pitching coach James Fuqua, has a staff that could rival any program in the country regardless of playing level. He has instilled in his young hurlers a simple approach. The talented group that toed the pitcher’s plate in Irving, are all power pitchers who can spin the ball. They work with a pronounced pace and rhythm. They work ahead. They pound the zone, changing eye levels, and pitching to both edges and all four quadrants of the plate with at least four advanced pitches. They are really good!

Sydney Ouellette started and finished the game one TLU win and picked up a save in game three, in closing out the TLU sweep of UD. She was dominant. The 5-foot-9 right-hander only allowed two hits in her masterful complete game win. One of those knocks was in the first inning and came off the only mistake she made all day when she left a changeup in the middle of the plate. That bloop single was the only ball that UD got out of the infield. Ouellette is poised, cool, and calm and pitches with a style that gets her team off the field quickly. No one would ever give Sydney the “crafty” moniker. She is shear power and she is going to fill up the zone with strikes. If hitters aren’t ready to swing when they step into the box against TLU’s power righty, they better be prepared to go grab some bench, as their time at the dish will be short lived.

Every bit the equal of Ouellette was TLU’s game two starter, Ashlyn Strother. The 5-foot-7 righty utilizes the same approach as Ouellette. Where Ouelette is more of a north-south hurler who mixes in just enough changeup and in and out offerings to keep hitters guessing, Stroher is more east-west, showing a certain ability to power pitches to either side of the plate. An at-bat against Strother looks very uncomfortable. She works the outer half of the dish and gets hitter’s eyes looking away and then busts them inside, getting no swings or give-up passes. She only allowed two hits on the day and struck out eight, including five in a row to end the contest.

As if the starters that TLU ran out to the circle in games one and two weren’t dominant enough, Coach Wilson and Coach Fuqua had more of the same style ready for game three. The coaching staff tag-teamed the last win of the series with solid pitchers who could be frontline hurlers for just about any other D-III staff in the country.

Amanda White is a 5-foot-10 righty who has a deceptive operation and a powerful mix, working both rivers and all quadrants. Her long levers, big reach, and solid four pitch mix helps her fill the zone up with offerings that appear to get on hitters before they are ready to swing the bat. She only allowed a couple of scratch hits in her four innings of work. She, like Ouelette and Strother, is a strike thrower who gets ahead, stays ahead, and puts hitters away.

Lefty Madison Johnson, who started in right field in games one and two and is an integral part of the TLU offense, showed her versatility as she pitched the next couple of innings for the ‘Dogs in relief of White in game three. The 5-foot-5 southpaw can spin it. She works both edges of the plate with pitches that are heavy and have late life. She hides the ball well and her pitches appear to jump on hitters. Johnson is a great compliment to the dominant righties that TLU runs out to the circle. Her ability to not only pitch, but pitch with a presence, could pay big dividends for Coach Wilson and Coach Fuqua as TLU moves through the playoff season.

The glue that holds the talented TLU pitching staff together is their gifted catcher, Sarah Metzer. Metzer caught every pitch of the TLU series against Dallas and was seemingly flawless. The 5-foot-9 backstop is phenomenal with the glove. In scouting vernacular, she is an elite “catch and throw” receiver. She is an advanced framer of pitches and keeps her staff focused and engaged. Her arm is strong and accurate and her quick trigger limits opposition running games. She, along with the outstanding Bulldog pitching staff and airtight TLU defense, helps limit any big inning. Sarah is a true field general and guides a near perfect Texas Lutheran defensive effort.

Offensively, the Bulldogs are aggressive without being reckless. They put pressure on opponents pitching staffs and defenses getting off the bus. Texas Lutheran has no holes in a strong top-to-bottom lineup. The customary starting group has earned their accolades and has a forceful presence that should carry them deep into the 2022 playoffs. Their reserves can also swing the bat. It would not be a big stretch to say that TLU’s next nine players, after their starting group, could impact any lineup in the SCAC. The TLU program, especially at the plate, is deep and talented. They play with a confidence rarely found at this level. Hitting coach Scott Smith, a renowned and highly respected softball instructor, is a great sounding board for the Bulldog team. He imparts his knowledge to the TLU hitters in a way that is concise and makes sense to young and gifted competitors.

At the top of the Texas Lutheran lineup is a star, and a player who could impact any lineup at any level, and that includes the very best Division-I clubs. Kelly Jurden is the NCAA Division-III career stolen bases leader. That is worth repeating...No player in the history of competitive softball at the D-III level has stolen more bags. That footnote speaks highly of a couple of specific attributes; the ability to get on base and the instincts to pick the right pitch and get the best jump. It is very apparent that Kelly is the rock that Coach Willson and the rest of the team leans on. It is even more noticeable that Jurden can handle that role. She plays with a calm presence that few at this level do. She leads through example mostly, but also keeps her teammates engaged. She is a gifted left fielder, and her defensive game says a lot about her obvious attention to detail. At the plate, the left handed swinger is selective, understands the strike zone and is especially cognizant of her role. She is an on-base machine. In the UD series she reached base 10 times in 12 plate appearances. She stole six bags and scored a handful of runs. Her approach and style is infectious and energizes her club. She leads from the front and appears to relish that role.

The only other seniors in the TLU starting nine are center fielder Chassity Rains and second baseman Casey Martin. Rains, a switch hitter, is probably the fastest TLU player. Although she only had a few chances in center field, she is a ball hawk. She can cover a lot of ground and has a noticeably strong, accurate arm. At the plate, she shows power from the right side and a solid ability to put the ball on the ground from the left side which enhances her speed game. Martin is the steadying force in the Bulldog line-up and big time run producer for TLU. The left-handed hitter rarely chases and almost always produces with runners in scoring position. Defensively, she is an elite defender who can cover a lot of ground. She helps orchestrate a young infield defense, and like the other two seniors in the lineup, leads through example.

Following the three seniors in the TLU lineup is a collection of young and gifted players, most of whom are freshmen and sophomores. Faith Hernandez is a slick fielding shortstop who hits cleanup and shows a consistent ability to get the barrel to the ball. She is just scratching the surface of how good she really can and will be, and it would not be a reach to see her attain all-American status before her career in Seguin is over. Olivia Prinz, Bailey Hudgeons, Laura Hernandez and Brandalyn Dee are all young, impactful, and gifted players in an incredibly deep and complete TLU lineup that strikes fear into any and all opposition.

Coach Wade Wilson, his very capable and knowledgeable lead assistant and first base coach, Olivia Van Hook, along with the rest of the coaching staff, have done a remarkable job of not only recruiting top-flight student athletes to TLU, but in retaining and graduating them, which after all, is the main purpose of higher education. The Texas Lutheran softball team has earned every accolade that comes its way. For pure fastpitch fans, this group is fun to watch and will leave folks wanting more. It would not be a great surprise to see the Bulldogs back in the championship arena in a few weeks. They are talented. They are driven. They are a “team first” group that strives for excellence. NCAA Division-III softball is pure competition, and few do it better than the school from Seguin, Texas.

For young, up-and-coming prospective softball players who have their sights set on competition beyond high school ball, it would be beneficial to look outside NCAA Division-I competition. The true reality is that opportunity at the D-I level is limited to only a few players. There are plenty chances and a number of schools around the country who play a great brand of ball that are not D-I. Look no further than Texas Lutheran University.

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