Indiana State University Women's Softball

Thees joins the Sycamores in August 2024 with over 25 years of collegiate coaching experience including head coaching stints at Winthrop, Ole Miss, Memphis, and Georgia College & State University. In her first season with the Sycamores, Indiana State posted a 19-33 overall record, 13-12 in Missouri Valley play on their way to earning the No. 6 overall seed at the MVC Softball Championships. The Sycamores' season was highlighted by series wins over Murray State, Bradley, and UIC. Three players were honored on the MVC All-Conference postseason squads, while Indiana State posted a winning record at Price Field for the third time in the last four seasons.   Thees comes to Indiana State following a recent stretch as an assistant coach at George Mason where she worked with the Patriots' pitchers and catchers since August 2023. During her lone season at GMU, she led the development of three new pitchers on the staff while guiding the Patriots to a 3.83 team ERA over 345.1 innings pitched.   Thees spent five seasons as the head softball coach at Winthrop in Rock Hill, S.C. from 2018-23. In her first season with the Eagles, Winthrop was the Big South Conference tournament runner-up and posted the school's first 30-win season in over a decade. The 30-win season sparked a stretch where Thees guided Winthrop to winning seasons in four of her five years at the helm, a stretch that had not been accomplished in the 2000s. She also coached Winthrop pitcher Reese Basinger, who posted a 2.01 ERA and pitched a 13-strikeout perfect game. Bassinger was later named as a member of the 2023 All-Big South Conference First Team. During her time at Utah State, Thees specialized in working with pitchers & catchers and served as an assistant coach with the Aggies. After her first year in Logan, Utah, she would be promoted to associate head coach prior to the start of the 2016 season. In her first year as associate head coach, Utah State posted a 26-25 overall record, their best record since 1996.   Thees and her Aggie squad would build on their success the following season, putting up a program-best 33-18 overall record and a 14-9 Mountain West league record in 2017. In the same season, Thees produced a pitching staff that posted a 3.09 ERA, which was the lowest by Utah State pitchers since 1998. She also produced an All-Mountain West First Team pitcher in Kellie White, who led the position with a 2.51 ERA in 2017. In 2018, senior catcher Brina Buttracavoli was named to the All-Mountain West Second Team. At Ole Miss, Thees was the head coach for the Rebels for three seasons. In each of those three seasons in Oxford, Miss., her squad won at least 22 games and garnered multiple all-conference awards. Under her leadership, the Rebels increased their hits total every year, including a then-program record of 396 hits in 2014. She also set program records in 2014 in other statistical categories, such as runs batted in, walks and single-season saves. Her 2012 record of runners picked off (19) still stands today. Thees was the first coach in University of Memphis Softball history after being named the program's first head softball coach in 2005. Her best season at Memphis was in 2011, when the Tigers earned their first NCAA Tournament berth and went 36-14 with a .720 winning percentage, which is still the best winning percentage in its program's history. The 2011 season also saw them beat softball powerhouses Kentucky and Stanford in the regular season, post a 15-7 winning record in Conference USA play, receive national poll votes for the first time in program history and recorded a school-record 10-game winning streak. In her six years as head coach, Thees produced nine all-conference awards, eight all-conference freshman team awards and three NFCA All-South Region selections. Thees' first coaching opportunity was at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, Ga., where she was named head coach at the age of 24. In 2003, Thees led the Bobcats to the Division II National Championship, where they would eventually finish as the national runner up. In her five seasons as head coach, Thees set numerous statistical records and helped her players garner all-conference, all-regional, weekly, and all-American awards. Her .639 winning percentage (163-92) is still the best head coach winning percentage in its program's history. She is currently the battery coach for Great Britain's U22 softball team. She has been with the Great Britain coaching staff since 2018 and has been helping to develop softball players to compete in numerous tournaments such as the European Championships and World Championship Softball events. A native of Mesa, Ariz., Thees was a four-year starter at both catcher and second base at Florida State from 1993-97, leading the Seminoles to three ACC Championships. She earned her bachelor's degree in marketing and multinational business from Florida State in 1997 and a master's degree in business administration from Georgia College & State University in 2002.

Josh Christensen enters his ninth season coaching the Sycamore swimming and diving team heading into the 2026-27 year. The Sycamores continued their success under Christensen in the 2025-26 season as Indiana State claimed its second consecutive Missouri Valley Conference Championship scoring 1,236 points across the four-day meet to top both Southern Illinois (1,161) and Missouri State (1,117). Christensen was voted by his peers across the conference as the MVC Women's Swimming Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season as well. The Sycamores posted three event winners and the 200-yard Medley Relay to top the field for their second consecutive title. Overall, Indiana State placed 10 athletes on the MVC All-Conference First Team and 10 more on the MVC All-Conference Honorable Mention squad.  Indiana State was back in the postseason following their successes in the pool highlighted by freshman Grace Cummings becoming the first Sycamore to qualify for the NCAAs in the 1650-yard Freestyle, where she went on to earn CSCAA All-American status after setting Indiana State and MVC records in both the 1000-yard and 1650-yard events in placing 15th overall in the field. An additional 10 Indiana State athletes went on to compete at the CSCAA NIC. For the season, the Sycamores rewrote the record book again with eight different school marks going down while 54 new entries were made on the Indiana State All-Time Performance List. Under Christensen's leadership, Indiana State just recorded one of its most successful seasons in program history over 2024-25. The Sycamores won the 2025 Missouri Valley Conference Championships scoring a program-record 1,440.5 points in claiming the first MVC Championship in program history. The Sycamores trailed by 10 points heading into the conference final day, but strong performances in all events, including five individual event winners and the 400-yard Freestyle Relay title guided the Sycamores to the 109.5-point win over Southern Illinois (1331) to take the team title.   The Sycamores continued their postseason success this spring as Indiana State posted its highest finish in program history at the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA)'s National Invitational Championship. Indiana State finished ninth overall at the CSCAA NIC accumulating 334 points. A program-record 14 Sycamores finished inside the Top 20, advancing to either the A-Final or B-Finals over the three days including Top Five finishes in the 1000 Free (Erin Cummins), 1650 Free (Claire Parsons), and 400 Free Relay. Christensen and the Sycamores had another solid year over the 2023-24 season as Indiana State finished second overall at the 2024 MVC Championships. The Sycamores scored 1294.5 total points highlighted by Claire Parsons being named the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year. Indiana State had 14 athletes earn All-Conference recognition over the four-day event. The season was highlighted by Indiana State sending two divers to the NCAA Zone C Qualifiers including Zoe Smith and Bailey Betzer, while four different athletes advanced to CSCAA event finals with Dorotea Bukvic (200 Breast), Ali Pearson (50 Breast), Kaleigh Kelley (100 IM, 50 Fly), and Alexandria Cotter (400 IM) all qualified.   The Sycamores took the program to new heights in the 2022-23 season as the Indiana State finished an ISU-best second overall at the 2023 MVC Championships to remain one of the top teams in the Missouri Valley Conference. Indiana State continues to rewrite the record book as the Sycamores set 13 new records over the course of the season, while ISU had 16 All-Conference recognitions at the MVC Championships. The season was highlighted by the first ISU diver (Zoe Smith) to ever compete at the NCAA Zones, while Marni Gray became the first ISU swimmer to advance to three different CSCAA National Invitational event finals. Christensen guided the Sycamores to their fourth consecutive top-three finish during his tenure at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships this past spring as Indiana State continues to sit among the conference's top teams in the pool. ISU rewrote the record book throughout the year with 14 records falling throughout the entirety of the 2021-22 season, including four coming at the CSCAA National Invitational Championships. The Sycamores were again in the top-three in the shortened 2020-21 season at the MVC Championships. The Sycamores were paced by a trio of All-Conference selections, while nine additional players earned MVC Honorable Mention honors. Indiana State boasted 13 All-Conference performers in another top-three showing at the 2020 MVC Championships. The Sycamores were paced by four athletes finishing in the top-three in their events to highlight the year. ISU finished in the top-three in Christensen's first season with the Sycamores. Indiana State boasted 12 All-Conference performers in the 2019-20 year with seven athletes finishing in the top three in their respective events. Over his coaching career at Indiana State, Christensen boasts a 35-17 overall record in dual meet competition and a 13-7 mark in MVC competition during the regular season. The Sycamores have garnered 50 All-Conference accolades with 12 coming this past season. Christensen came to Indiana State from Fresno Pacific University in Fresno, Calif., following a national search. Christensen oversaw the men's and women's swimming and diving teams while at Fresno Pacific, turning the programs into national contenders in NCAA Division II. While in college, Christensen married his wife Jenny, an NCAA All-American swimmer at Ouachita Baptist University who was part of an NCAA-record setting relay team and still owns the OBU school record in the 100 breaststroke. Jenny was also an Indiana age group state champion. The couple has three sons named Levi (5), Finn (2) and Axel (1). During the 2017-18 season, Christensen led the women to a fourth place finish and the men to an eighth place finish at the NCAA Division II Championships, the highest-ever result for both teams. The women were the highest finisher of all West Region teams, and it was the second consecutive season both teams finished in the NCAA top-10. Fresno Pacific athletes earned 42 All-American honors at the NCAA Championships. Both teams also placed second at the Pacific Collegiate Swim and Dive Conference Championships. In 2016-17, Christensen led the men and women to ninth and 10th place finishes at the NCAA Division II Championships, while both programs were also the top finishers out of all West Region schools and were one of six programs in the nation to both achieve top-10 finishes. During the meet, the team produced 27 All-Americans and 11 school records while each FPU student-athlete scored points. The Sunbirds also took second at the PCSC Championships. At the end of the season, Christensen was named the PCSC Men's and Women's Coach of the Year. Under his leadership, Laura Fornshell was tabbed the PCSC Women's Swimmer of the Year, while Duston Gragg earned Diver of the Year. Fornshell was also awarded the FPU Freshman of the Year award, Matlyn Morris earned Sunbird of the Year honors and the men's and women's teams received the Team of the Year award by the department. The 2015-16 season saw Christensen elevate the Fresno Pacific swimming and diving program, as FPU qualified for the NCAA Championships for the first time in program history, sending seven athletes to compete. All seven athletes scored points for the Sunbirds as well. Outside of the pool, FPU received CSCAA Scholar All-America Teams on both the men's and women's sides. The Sunbirds also had seven individuals named Scholar All-Americans. Led by Christensen, the Sunbirds broke several school records and earned many program firsts in 2014-15. The men placed third at the Pacific Collegiate Swim Conference, while the women finished fifth and Christensen earned Co-Coach of the Meet. The FPU program also excelled in the classroom under Christensen, as the men earned CSCAA All-Academic and ranked 25th in Division II with a 3.39 team GPA. Several members of the 2014-15 teams earned individual honors under Christensen's leadership. Alex Hussain was named FPU's Scholar of the Year and earned Capital One Academic All-American honors, while diver Duston Gragg was named the PCSC men's Diver of the Meet. Wesley Coles qualified for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 100 butterfly (54.58), while Daria Belova won the 100 (1:14.16) and the 200 (2:40.43) breaststroke at the FINA Masters World Championships. Christensen also help bring media attention to record-setting swimmer Kendall Swanson, who ranked first in NCAA Division II in the 100 and 200 breaststroke during the regular season. Christensen earned his first PCSC men's Coach of the Meet award in 2013-14 after leading the men to a third place finish. The Sunbirds also ranked fifth in all of Division II with a 3.35 team GPA, while the women ranked 14th with a 3.40 team GPA as both teams earned CSCAA All-Academic under Christensen. In his first year at the helm, Christensen had the Sunbirds ranked eighth in the nation and the women No. 12 in their first year at the NCAA Division II level in 2012-13. Christensen led FPU to a second-place finish at the PCSC Championships, while the women took home third. In the classroom under his leadership, the men held a 3.01 cumulative GPA to earn the CSCAA All-Academic Team honor. Before his time at Fresno Pacific Christensen spent two seasons at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix as the head assistant and recruiting coordinator for one of the top swimming programs in NCAA Division II. Under Christensen, the GCU men's team, which had finished 16th the year before he arrived, put together two consecutive NCAA top-five finishes and was ranked #1 in the nation in January 2011. He took the women's team from a 27th place finish at the NCAA Championships in 2010 to an eighth place finish in 2011. Originally from Mesa, Ariz., Christensen swam at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas as a student-athlete before joining the OBU coaching staff during his junior year of college. He was an assistant coach from 2007-2010 and during that span the men's team never finished lower than fifth and the women's team never lower than 10th at the NCAA Division II national championships. In the summer of 2011 he coached Team Canyon of USA Swimming Club at the USA Swimming National Championships hosted by Stanford with one of his athletes qualifying for the Olympic Trials in two different events. He holds a bachelor's degree in history & political science from Ouachita Baptist, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude, and a Master's degree in Business Administration, with a leadership emphasis, from Grand Canyon.  

Sullivan joins the Sycamores on August 1, 2024 as the Associate Head Coach and comes to Indiana State by way of Illinois State University where he served on the Redbirds coaching staff since 2021. Sullivan served as the sprint coach from 2021-2023, before taking on the role of interim head coach over the 2023-24 season. He enters his third year with the program heading into the 2026-27 season. Sullivan's second season with the Sycamores featured another Missouri Valley Conference Championship as Indiana State topped the field in Evansville to claim the title over Southern Illinois and Missouri State. His work with the sprinters saw Indiana State feature multiple All-Conference award winners including Raine Boles, Kaleigh Kelley, Sahara Visscher, and Addison Johnson all sit among the conference's best in the pool at the meet. Overall, the Sycamores set 25 new Performance List marks in the sprint events over the year, while the team also set a new standard in the 200 Freestyle Relay at the MVC Championships and claimed the MVC title in the 200 Medley Relay. Over Sullivan's first season with the Sycamores, Indiana State recorded one of its most successful seasons in program history. The Sycamores won the 2025 Missouri Valley Conference Championships scoring a program-record 1,440.5 points in claiming the first MVC Championship in program history. The Sycamores trailed by 10 points heading into the conference final day, but strong performances in all events, including five individual event winners and the 400-yard Freestyle Relay title guided the Sycamores to the 109.5-point win over Southern Illinois (1331) to take the team title.   The Sycamores continued their postseason success this spring as Indiana State posted its highest finish in program history at the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA)'s National Invitational Championship. Indiana State finished ninth overall at the CSCAA NIC accumulating 334 points. A program-record 14 Sycamores finished inside the Top 20, advancing to either the A-Final or B-Finals over the three days including Top Five finishes in the 1000 Free (Erin Cummins), 1650 Free (Claire Parsons), and 400 Free Relay.   Over the 2023-24 season at Illinois State, Sullivan oversaw all aspects of the program including writing and executing all in-water workouts and training plans for every swimmer. The work paid off as the Redbirds set four school records, including the Missouri Valley Conference record in the 400-yard Medley Relay. He also coached two athletes to NCAA B cuts marking the first time in program history that two athletes achieved the standard in the same season.   During his time as an assistant coach with the Redbirds, Sullivan was the primary coach for the 10-athlete sprint group that featured multiple elite athletes including 2023 MVC Swimmer of the Year Madyson Morse. Over the three seasons, he helped coach the team to 14 school records and the highest team conference finish since the 2014 season when Illinois State took home second place at the 2022 MVC Championships.   Sullivan gained national recognition at the 2023 World University Games after representing Team USA as an assistant coach selected by USC men's and women's associate head coach Peter Richardson and Fairfield Head Coach, Jacy Dyer. Sullivan was joined by Morse as the team earned seven medals overall at the games held in Chengdu, China. He was also named as assistant manager for USA Swimming's 2022 National Diversity Select Camp and manager for the 2023 Central Zone Select Camp.   Prior to his time at Illinois State, Sullivan worked with the Glenbook Swim Club and Glenbrook Aquatics in Glenview, Ill. He was the lead assistant for the top senior group that included Olympic trail qualifiers, junior national qualifiers, high school, and club state champions, and Speedo sectional champions.   Sullivan received his bachelor's degree in kinesiology from Occidental College in 2016 and was an all-conference swimmer and former school record holder for the Tigers.

Bechtel joins the Sycamores from Bellarmine University where she served as a graduate assistant on Caitlyn de la Haba's coaching staff.  She is pursuing a master of business administration degree at Bellarmine and will graduate in the spring of 2025.  The Harrisburg, Pennsylvania native was a standout catcher at Central Dauphin High School before enrolling at the University of South Florida where she played for the Bulls while earning honors as a student in the health sciences program.    After competing for USF from 2019 to 2021, when the Bulls won two American Athletic Conference championships, Bechtel continued her playing and academic career at George Mason University.  Success followed Bechtel to Fairfax, Virginia. The Patriots also captured a league title during her time there and she also reaped numerous individual honors. Among those accolades were being named as an NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete and as the First Team A-10 Conference catcher in 2023 after posting team-leading, in-conference several offensive statistics including batting (.421), on-base percentage (1.171), hits (32), RBI (21) and slugging percentage (.671). Another highlight was being named the Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week by the NFCA after batting .857 (6-for-7) and reaching base in 11 of 12 (.917 OBP) plate appearances over three games while registering a double, two home runs, four walks while posting a 1.857 slugging percentage  Bechtel graduated with magna cum laude honors with a degree in integrative studies with a focus in occupational therapy in May of 2023 and served as a volunteer assistant coach for George Mason following her graduation.

Emily 'Bird' Herren also joined the Indiana State Softball program in the fall 2024 as an assistant coach and hitting coach on Windy Thees' coaching staff.  Coach "Bird" is a native of Rome, Ga. where she played softball at the University of Georgia and received numerous accolades during her time as a Bulldog to highlight her time prior to joining the Sycamore staff. Herren was a member of the 2008-2009 roster which became the first team in school history to make it to the Women's College World Series.  At the end of the 2008-2009 season, Herren received the Kim McClung Award which is awarded to those players who show heart, dedication, and great love of the game.  After competing for the Dawgs, Coach Bird completed her degree in Exercise Science with a minor in coaching from Jacksonville State University in 2013. Herren then started a private and team sports specific training at Jack City Sports Center in Dacula, Ga. Herren served as the Facility Manager, Head Trainer, and Sports Specific Trainer at Jack City Sports Center from 2013 to 2019, where she organized fundraising events, camps, and weekly schedules, while developing training and agility programs for athletes and teams. She also monitored and recorded progress of clients. She has coached Elite 18U travel ball for the past 11 years, during which she has trained and helped numerous athletes perform at a high-level year in, and year out. In high school, Coach "Bird" lettered 6 different sports, including softball, soccer, basketball, track cross country, and being the first female football player for her high school, all while maintaining a 3.0 GPA, and graduating with a Duel Seal diploma and gaining her CNA certification. 

Teresa Hall enters her sixth season as the diving coach at Indiana State in the 2026-27 season. Indiana State diving continued its success over the 2025-26 season with Jecza Lopez being recognized as the conference's first-ever nine-time winner of the MVC Diver of the Week honors, while claiming the 1M Springboard title at the 2026 MVC Championships. The Sycamores placed three divers in the Springboard finals at the MVCs with Lopez, Sofia Dansereau, and Brenna Woodruff all scoring points for Indiana State at the meet. Lopez went on to qualify for both the 1M and 3M Springboard NCAA Zone C Qualifiers for the second consecutive season. Hall capped the 2024-25 season earning Co-Diving MVC Coach of the Year recognition following her work with the Sycamores diving program. The Sycamores' coach helped the diving program continue to represent nationally with Jecza Lopez earning MVC Diver of the Year honors after winning both the 1M and 3M Springboard Championships. Lopez went on to become the first Sycamore to advance to an NCAA Zones Finals after advancing to the 1M finals. Over the 2023-24 season, two Indiana State divers qualified for the NCAA Zone C Qualifiers with both Zoe Smith and Bailey Betzer advancing to both the 1M and 3M diving events.   Hall’s group took the program to new heights in the 2022-23 season as the Sycamores boasted MVC finalists in both the 1M and the 3M diving events for the first time in program history, while Zoe Smith became the first ISU diver to compete at the NCAA Zones. Bailey Betzer became the first ISU diver in school history to compete in an MVC diving championship finishing third overall in the 1M. Smith became the second to finish on the podium two days later in the 3M event placing second overall in the field. The Sycamore divers rewrote the record book in 2022-23 with 19 new placements on the All-Time Event Best lists. Hall comes to Indiana State from Fresno Pacific University where she served as the diving coach for seven years. While at FPU, Hall was named the Pacific Collegiate Swim and Dive Conference Diving Coach of the Year in 2017 and 2012. She coached an All-American on the men’s side in the three-meter dive in 2016 and also coached an All-American in the one and three-meter dives in 2017. Her men also performed well at the PCSC Championships where they were named the three-meter dive champions from 2013-2017. Hall’s women also earned the PCSC titles in the one and three-meter dives in 2012. Prior to her stint at FPU, Hall spent 16 years at Clovis Unified School District as both a club and high school coach. She also coached at City of Chowchilla, Madera Unified and Fresno Unified, as well as serving as the gymnastics coach for Madera Gymnastics and Madera Unified from 1978-1990. Hall is also a very accomplished athlete, having earned numerous accolades while competing in U.S. Masters Diving, including being named a national champion the three-meter dive in 1989 and in the platform in 2013. She was named a national silver medalist in the one-meter dive in 2006, three-meter dive in 1989 and 2000, and platform in 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2012. Hall was a world silver medalist in the three-meter in 1998. In addition to her silver medals, Hall has earned bronze medals in the national one-meter dive in 1990, 1991, 1999, 2001 and 2012, the three-meter dive in 1990, 1991, 1999 and 2006, and the platform dive in 1989, 1991, 1992, 1998 and 1999. Hall was a world bronze medalist in the platform in 1992 and 2006. Hall has also attended and hosted numerous USA and AAU diving clinics and camps. She holds a B.A. in liberal arts and a master’s in bilingual education from FPU.