Rounding Third Softball

Texas Southern Head Coach Worley Barker has stepped down effective immediately. Barker won 10 consecutive SWAC Western Division Championships and led the Tigers to three NCAA Regional appearances and three overall SWAC Titles. Assistant coach Raven Rodriguez has been named interim head coach for the 2021 season.

RTS is saddened to report the passing of one of the sport of softball’s true philanthropists and icons, Jim Frost. The Chattanooga, Tennessee native and owner of the Frost Cutlery Company, Frost became involved in softball with his daughter Stephanie taking up the game in the 1980’s. This also spurred the creation of one of the most storied and well-known club organizations in softball to this day, the Frost Falcons. An avid supporter of the game locally, regionally, and nationally for over three decades, Frost also spearheaded the construction of one of the top softball facilities in the country and home for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga program. The facility was dedicated as Jim Frost Stadium in 1998. Frost had been hospitalized due to complications from COVID-19.

Marymount California University has announced it is suspending the 2021 spring athletics season due to the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic. This will include the Mariner Softball squad. An NAIA member of the California Pacific Conference, MCU finished a pandemic shortened 2020 season 13-11.

Venus Taylor has resigned her position as head coach at Charleston Southern, and RTS has learned will take over the similar position at North Central College in Illinois. Taylor coached the Buccaneers for two seasons where she posted a 28-46 record. She returns to the Chicago area where she was the head coach at Judson University for four seasons. Taylor takes over for longtime NCC Coach Jim Kulawiak who recently retired after 32 seasons at the DIII school.

Young Harris has named Caroline Hardy assistant coach. The former Alabama Utility and offensive contributor joins the Mountain Lions after serving the 2020 season on staff at Georgia Tech as the volunteer assistant coach.

Cornerstone University has named Kelsey Kooistra their new head coach. Kooistra spent the last two and a half years at Northern Michigan Christian Academy where she taught while coaching volleyball, basketball, and softball. She was an All-American and four-year starter at Indiana Wesleyan.

Maggie Hawkins has been promoted to assistant coach at East Carolina RTS has learned. She has worked on the Pirate Staff the last two seasons as director of operations. Before coming to ECU Hawkins was the Director of Softball at The Performance Academy after serving as a graduate assistant at North Carolina State.

Oauchita Baptist announced head coach Leslie Dean has stepped down due to health and personal reasons. Dean was about to begin her third season as head coach. She went 27-53 leading the program at OBU.

RTS is deeply saddened to report the passing of longtime Baylor assistant coach Mark Lumley. The former BU aide had been fighting cancer for many years having beaten it back several times. One of the most well respected and likable people in softball, he spent 20 years with the Bears before retiring in September. Lumley helped build a consistent Top 25 mainstay, regular Big 12 contender, and helped lead Baylor to four WCWS appearances during his time in Waco. He is survived by his wife Stacey and three sons, Trey, Mason and D.J.

Kennesaw State Legend Scott Whitlock has announced his retirement from college athletics at the end of this month. The 2012-13 season marked the conclusion of a storied career as head softball coach of the Owls before he transitioned into administration as an associate athletic director. Whitlock compiled a record of 997-296 in 21 seasons coaching fastpitch. He served KSU for over 36 years. “The Reverend” as he is so affectionally known to colleagues and friends was inducted into the NFCA Hall of Fame in 2005.