Erickson Comes Full Circle to Take Over UW-Stevens Point Softball

     Kelly Erickson has gone a long way from being the batgirl for the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point softball team as a sixth-grader.

     Now, just 13 years later, the former Pointer All-American and assistant coach has been promoted as the school�s eighth head coach in the 23-year history of the program.

     �I definitely looked up to the players when I was younger,� said the 25-year old Erickson, who is a 1996 graduate of Stevens Point Pacelli High School. �They were an inspiration for me and I said then that I would play for the Pointers someday. To be coaching here now is a thrill for me.�

     Erickson (formerly Rutta) succeeds Paul Caufield, who resigned after two 21-win seasons to spend more time with his young family. Caufield will remain an assistant coach with the UW-Stevens Point men�s hockey team.

     Erickson worked closely with Caufield in all facets of the program as an assistant coach the past two seasons. She was married last summer and her husband, Rob, will be an assistant football coach with the Pointers this fall after assisting at UW-Platteville last season.

     �I�m very excited about this opportunity,� said Erickson, who helped the Pointers to the NCAA Division III national championship in 1998. �Being a part of successful teams when I played gave me so much experience, not only as a player, but in helping me learn how to coach as well.�

     Erickson was a four-year starter at second base for the Pointers and set a single-season school record with 64 hits as a freshman during the national championship season.

     She was the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference co-East Division Player of the Year her final two seasons and earned second-team All-American honors as a senior when she hit .420 and set a school record with eight triples while leading the Pointers to the WIAC title. Erickson also holds school records for career extra base hits with 53 and total bases with 280. She was named to the All-World Series team and All-Great Lakes Regional team during the 1998 championship run.

     Erickson, who was also the conference�s co-scholar athlete award winner her senior year, ranked second in school history in career at-bats with 558, hits with 200, doubles with 34 and stolen bases with 26. Her 130 runs scored and 11 triples rank third in school history.

     The Pointers finished 21-17 last season and have won 20 or more games in 10 consecutive seasons.