From These Roots

The softball program at North Greenville began in 1985 under the direction of Coach Jan McDonald. Coach McDonald had a strong background in softball after playing in college for Erskine College. After graduating from Erskine, Coach McDonald attended Furman University, where she received a Master’s Degree. In August 1983, she accepted a position at North Greenville College teaching physical education. She had always wanted to be a coach, so she asked Coach Jayne Arledge if she could help coach women’s basketball and volleyball. Coach Arledge agreed, and Coach McDonald began her long coaching career at North Greenville.

North Greenville was still a junior college in the 1980s, and the athletics programs were members of the Western Carolina Junior College Conference (WCJC) in Region X. The mascot at the time was the Mounties, and the women’s teams were called the Lady Mounties. Funds were tight when softball started, but Coach McDonald was still able to recruit a good team. That first year, the NGC softball team won second place in their conference with a record of 12-7, and Coach McDonald won Region X Coach of the Year.

With more experience as a team, the 1986 season was even more successful than 1985. The Lady Mounties finished with an overall record of 22-13, won the Region X championship, the WCJC Conference Championship, and participated in the National Tournament. Coach McDonald won Region X Coach of the Year for a second time, as well as Conference Coach of the Year. The 1987 softball team was plagued by injuries and finished with a record of 10-20. However, they rebounded in the Region X Tournament and finished 3rd. The 1989 Lady Mounties finished the season with a record of 15-15.

The 1990 season was very successful for North Greenville softball. They finished tied for first in Region X, but then went on to win the Region X Tournament. The regional win earned the team a spot in the national tournament. The Lady Mounties were defeated in the first round of nationals, but had a great overall season.

The 1991 season ended with a second-place finish in Region X and a conference record of 11-5. Unfortunately, little is known about the teams from 1992 to 1998. North Greenville College joined the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) during the 1995-1996 school year due to the school becoming a 4-year institution. The Lady Mounties softball team played in the Mid-South Atlantic conference in the NAIA. The 1997 Mounties finished with an overall record of 23-18. The 1999 softball team finished the season with a winning record.

The Mounties softball team had one of its best seasons ever in 2000. They finished the season with a record of 43-13 and won the conference championship. Coach McDonald was named the conference Coach of the Year, Ele Watkins was named player of the year, and Angie Bennett, Candi Jefferson, Emily Howell, and Ele Watkins won All-Conference awards.

The 2002 season brought several changes to the softball team. North Greenville College joined the NCAA Division. II and the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), the mascot changed to the Crusaders, and Coach Jan McDonald stepped down as head softball coach after the 2001 season to become the full-time Athletic Director at North Greenville. The new head coach was Lori Manning. The 2002 season was a struggle as the team adjusted to playing at a new level, but the 2003 team finished with a 19-21 record and placed seventh in the NCCAA National Softball Tournament.

A new head coach joined the team for the 2004 season. Coach Buster Sturkie brought years of softball experience, both as a player and as a coach, to the team. The 2004 Crusader softball team finished the regular season 12-24.

Tragedy struck the North Greenville community early in the 2008 season when Coach Buster Sturkie passed away from cancer. Coach Sturkie had been diagnosed with cancer the previous season, but kept coaching. In a news article about Coach Sturkie’s passing, Coach McDonald stated, “The one thing about Coach B is that although he had an illness, you wouldn’t know it. He came to work every day and gave 100% to his girls and to North Greenville softball, and that’s just the way he was going to do it. He certainly had our softball program going in the right direction, but the biggest thing I can say about him is that he loved his players and they loved him.”

After the loss of Coach Sturkie, Coach McDonald stepped out of coaching retirement to lead the team for the remainder of the season. The team finished with a record of 20-27. Coach McDonald remained at the helm as interim coach for the 2009 season. The team finished 18-18 for the season and lost in the regional championship game by one run. Their final rank in the NCCAA was 9th.

The 2009-2010 season started with a new coach named Sarah Hall. Coach Hall came to North Greenville as a young coach who had played softball for Samford University. The Crusaders finished their first season under Coach Hall with a record of 25-21. The 2011 season was a very successful one for the Crusaders after a rough start. The team won the NCCAA South Regional Tournament Championship and the 2011 NCCAA National Championship.

The 2012 season started with a change in conferences. The Crusaders joined the Conference Carolinas and were ranked 7th in the preseason coaches’ poll. The team won the regular season Conference Carolina’s title with a record of 26-11, but lost in the championship game of the conference tournament. They went on to win the NCCAA Regional Championship, but lost their quest for a repeat NCCAA National Championship title. The 2013 Crusaders finished with a 20-20-1 record and made it to the Conference Carolinas Championship game, but fell to Mount Olive College. The 2014 Crusader softball team finished with a winning record of 29-18. The 2015 season ended with a record of 23-20 and a return to the Conference Carolinas Championship game, but the Crusaders fell to Limestone College in the final game.

The 2016 season was a big one for the Crusader softball team. After 28 years on the old Pepsi Field, the softball team moved to their complex across the highway. On April 23, 2016, the new complex was dedicated and named “Jan McDonald Field” after longtime coach and softball program founder, Jan McDonald. The dedication ceremony included the first pitch on the field being thrown by donor Gary Glenn and caught by Coach Jan McDonald. The Crusaders finished the season with a record of 25-24.

The Crusaders reclaimed their Conference Carolinas Championship title in 2017 and ended the season with a record of 36-19. The next season, the Crusaders made it back to the Conference Carolinas Championship game, but fell to King University and finished with a record of 32-15. The 2019 season ended with a record of 24-24. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 season was cut short and ended with a record of 11-13. The Crusaders returned to the diamond strong in 2021 with a season record of 26-15.

On March 19, 2022, a new seating area behind home plate was named in honor of NGU professor Dr. Catherine Sepko. Dr. Sepko was an English professor who had served as the Faculty Athletic Representative for many years before her retirement. The 2022 season ended with a record of 21-30, and the 2023 season ended with a record of 26-24. Last season, the Crusaders finished with a winning record of 36-20 and were the Southwest Division Champions.

This season marks 40 years of softball at North Greenville and brings with it a new mascot. The Trailblazers took the field with a preseason coach’s Poll ranking of 2nd in the Conference Carolinas. The future looks bright for the North Greenville softball team, and if you are in the area, be sure to attend a game. You can find the schedule here: https://nguathletics.com/sports/softball/schedule