Logansport senior Natalee Packard has found what she considers is the perfect fit for her to play softball at Indiana Wesleyan University.
“I like that it’s a faith-based Christian and that it’s a smaller school,” she said. “And it’s really close to home. It’s only like 45 minutes to an hour away, and I really want to be close.”
The university, located in Marion, has become an NAIA powerhouse in all sports.
The Wildcat softball team is coming off a season when they went 42-15 and reached the NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round. They are already 22-4 to start this season. They have reached three NAIA World Series in the last seven years (2017, 2018, 2022).
The Berry softball team has also been on a recent upswing and Packard has been a big part of the success.
She’s coming off a junior season where she finished tied for the team lead in hits (37), doubles (8), triples (4) and RBIs (29). She hit .366 with four home runs.
She also excelled on the mound, going 11-2 with a 1.77 ERA. She had 86 strikeouts and 23 walks in 79 innings pitched. Her only losses were to Class 3A state champion Western and a South Bend St. Joseph team with an Oklahoma recruit pitching.
“Natalee was our MVP for the season,” Logansport coach Cory Cripe said following the season. “She came up with a lot of big hits for us throughout the year. She pitched some crucial games early in the year. And then as the season went on her defense at first base was just elite. That’s what really put us over the top defensively.”
The Berries went 25-6, tying the program record for wins in a season, and won a Class 4A sectional title, their first since winning a Class 3A title in 1998.
The Berries are making the move to Class 3A this season. It makes for an intriguing potential sectional matchup with defending Class 3A state champion Western.
A year ago Logansport knocked off longtime nemesis Harrison to win a Class 4A sectional title, showing it can compete at a similar level.
“I feel like that’s going to be one of our bigger challenges and so we just have to work hard and work now to overcome it,” Packard said. “I think we can win if we all just work together and put our minds to it.”
Packard plans to have a similar role at Indiana Wesleyan as she does at Logansport in that she’ll be a pitcher and will play in the field and hit.
“He said I’m going to be one of the pitching staff and then also be a utility too, kind of just where he needs me,” she said.
But before she heads off to IWU, Packard has a highly anticipated senior season to play for the Berries.
“I think we can be pretty good this year. I think it’s going to be a great year for us,” she said. “I’m really looking forward to it.”
The Berries open their season at home against Pioneer on Thursday, April 10.
