This summer the Union University softball team added new pitching coach Sydney Sturner to their staff.
Sturner is a graduate of Southern Oregon University with a degree in elementary education. Over her collegiate career, she notched 241 strikeouts, 3.53 ERA (earned run average) and pitched her career-best 15 season wins. She also led the Raiders to their first playoff berth in a decade. She still holds the school record for most strikeouts in a game with 13.
Union is a long way from her home in Clovis, Calif. Although the choice to come to Union was appealing, it wasn’t necessarily the easiest thing to do. With Sturner from California and her husband from Oregon, they had to leave their families behind.
Coach Sturner talked about the sovereignty of the Lord during the hiring process.
“Walking in faith stems from an eagerness to serve,” Sturner said. “I knew that coming to Union was the obvious choice.”
When asked about the new hire, softball head coach Mackenzie Sher was excited.
“She has an incredibly infectious attitude,” Sher said. “It’s easy to tell that everything she does is focused and intentional. I really respect what she’s got, and I’m still just getting to know her!”
Building the culture of a team is an essential part of any winning program. The Lady Bulldogs softball team focuses on doing the little things because, according to Sher, if you do the little ones, the big ones fall into place.
Sturner is looking to bring consistency to the culture in the pitching coach role.
“Consistent culture is a steadfast part of any team,” Sturner said. “These are growing young women with softball talents, but softball is only a piece of them.”
She is focused on building relationships and investing into each player on the team.
This year’s team roster is filled with many new names and faces. Returning two seniors and a total of seven upperclassmen, this team is loaded with young talent. Only two players on the pitching staff have collegiate experience, but Sturner is excited about this squad.
“I’m putting my whole self into this,” Sturner said. “I’m dedicated to helping these ladies grow on the field but more importanty, in Christ.”
Over the past two years, the sports world has been deeply affected by the global pandemic. From shortened seasons, quarantines and coaching staff changes, Union University’s softball team is no exception.
“Last year was hard,” Sher said. “We had a large number of injuries and quarantines last year making it much more difficult.”
This year’s team is coming in with everything to prove and nothing to lose, seeking redemption from last year.
The team has seen many different faces in the pitching coach position. Sturner is the third in four years, but she seemed confident about facing the pressure.
“The only pressure I feel is self-inflicted,” Sturner said. “I don’t really feel the outside pressure to perform right away.”
This year the regular season will return to the original 56 game season.
Photo By Union Photo Project