This Weekends Series vs. Southern Miss (Dr. Billy Bundrick Field)
Friday at 6 p.m.; Saturday at 12 p.m.; Sunday at 1 p.m.
by Malcolm Butler
If Lindsay Edwards wrote a Hollywood script about her collegiate days at Louisiana Tech, it could be a comedy, a drama and a horror movie all rolled into one.
Playing for her fourth head coach in four years, Edwards has experienced a gamut of emotions since helping lead the program to the 2019 C-USA title while being named the league’s Freshman of the Year as a rookie.
When Edwards and her Lady Techster senior teammates step onto Dr. Billy Bundrick Field for their final home games this weekend, they will be writing the final chapter of their Louisiana Tech softball careers.
And regardless of the outcome of the three games against Southern Miss – Tech is playing for a regular season Conference USA title – all five have helped establish a winning culture and foundation that will benefit future players within the program.
Just the fact Audrey Pickett, Madie Green, Kara Goff, Tanjala Smith and Edwards are still in Ruston is a testament to their toughness.
After all, anyone wearing a Tech softball uniform over the last three years needed to buckle up during the roller coaster ride.
From losing its home facility and being softball nomads for almost two years following the EF3 tornado in April of 2019, to wading through a Covid-19 world for almost two full years, to dealing with a carousel of head coaches over the last four, the road leading to this weekend has been anything but easy.
No one could have blamed any of the senior class if they had decided to hang it up or to enter the ever-popular transfer portal.
But instead they all made the same decision and put their faith in the game they grew up loving.
“Those were tough decisions for them,” said Taylor, who was hired in June of 2021 bringing stability to the program in less than a year. “There is no way it was easy for them. I know some didn’t make the same decision. They have all handled it all so well. They have embraced it so well.
“They were skeptical at first. They were looking at us sideways. That was normal for us. They were skeptical. We were okay with that. We wanted to make sure that we established that we care for them off the field just as much as on the field. They needed to know that in order to trust us.”
Pickett, Goff and Green all opted to take their “Covid” year, a fifth year granted by the NCAA following the early cancelation of the 2020 season due to the pandemic. All three had already earned their bachelor’s degrees.
It would have been easy to move on to whatever was next. So why did they come back?
“I wanted to come back because I felt like I wasn’t done yet,” said Pickett. “My first two years were bumpy, and I didn’t want to end my college career on that. I had worked too hard, and I just didn’t want to leave with a sour taste in my mouth.”
Pickett, who went 11-17 with an earned run average of 3.75 in her first two years at Tech, has sweetened that taste. The Aurora, Colorado, native sports a 23-5 record and 2.23 ERA and ranks fifth nationally in wins. She is a legitimate candidate for the Conference USA Pitcher of the Year.
Tech was 8-16 in 2020 and 22-30 in 2021 for a combined 16 games under .500 during Pickett’s two years in a Lady Techster uniform.
“Audrey has really bought into Chelsea (Cohen’s) approach of commanding the zone,” said Taylor. “She was always concerned with ‘I only have this pitch or that pitch.’ Well let’s get people out with that because hitting is hard. She has done that.”
Green was one of Tech’s top hitters last year, but it was on a team that batted only .232 for the entire season. This year the Keller, Texas, native is batting .310 with a team-high 10 home runs and 30 RBI.
“I didn’t have any second thoughts about it,” said Green. “I knew right away I was coming back regardless of who was coaching. I didn’t think it was my time to leave yet. I was like ‘I am not ready to go out into the real world yet.’
“Even though the previous two seasons were challenging, I felt I needed one more year. I felt like I needed to get the fun back. I was very excited about it. I also wanted to get my master’s degree so it was a great chance to get my second degree and play the sport I love one more year.”
“Madie had a tough first part of this year but was constantly working through it,” said Taylor. “And she has finally figured out who she is as a player. And who that player is, well it is pretty good.”
Goff transferred to Tech from LSU in 2021 after three years in a Tigers uniform. The former Ruston High all-stater returned to the place she called home for three years.
Smith signed with Tech following two years at Tyler Junior College. She came to Tech to play for her junior college coach in Maria Winn Ratliff, who resigned for health reasons before Smith ever donned a Lady Techster uniform.
“I know Kara and Tanjala haven’t played as much as they want to,” said Taylor. “It’s been amazing to watch them handle it in such a graceful, professional, awesome way. I think I am most proud of that.
“It shows that if you build a relationship with the players, they are going to excel. Both of them want to play more. You know they do. I would question it if they didn’t. They are competitive Division I athletes. But they come to practice every day and work hard. They have the right attitude. And they have had some big moments for us this year.”
Edwards story is a little different. The Plano, Texas, native is the only senior who played her entire collegiate career in a Lady Techster uniform. The 2019 Conference USA Freshman of the Year is the lone remaining player on the roster from the program’s last league title.
She has played for four different head coaches in her time in Ruston.
“The last few years have been difficult,” said Edwards. “It was hard. We didn’t want this year to be like it had been. We wanted a fresh environment. Coach Taylor provided a blueprint for that. He made it very clear the way he wanted things to be done and how he wanted the season to look, and we all agreed with it. There has been no off-the-field drama and unnecessary things that took away from the ultimate goal of winning.”
The wins have come. And the joy has returned. Probably not in that order.
“We wanted them realize why they love softball and what is good about it,” said Taylor. “There are things about softball that are indicative to everyday life. And I think that’s why these five really love the game.
“I am proud of these five and the foundation they are building. It’s been exciting. It’s been emotional. It’s been fantastic. All their journeys are different. We always talk about writing your own story. You have to figure out how you want it to read.”
The faith that this year’s senior class put in the Tech administration and their new head coach could have turned into a low budget flick that no one would remember.
But instead, it has turned into a 35-18 record and the opportunity to write a Hollywood ending this weekend.
Since I killed the “lunch break bird” on my grandfather’s property, I have been eagerly looking forward to going back to that tract. Anders and I hunted it opening weekend and should’ve doubled up, but I screwed up… don’t worry, I will write some screw up stories later, as I’ve got plenty.
