TOPEKA, Kan. — Washburn Director of Athletics Loren Ferré has announced today that Lisa Careyhas resigned her position as Lady Blues head softball coach. Carey has spent nine seasons as the Lady Blues head coach. A national search will begin immediately.

 

“I appreciate all the hard work and commitment Coach Carey has provided to the softball program,” Ferre said. Lisa has taken the program to two of Washburn’s three NCAA postseason appearances and to the MIAA postseason tournament eight times in nine seasons. We wish her well with her future plans.”

 

Carey wrapped up her career as the all-time victories leader at Washburn after nine seasons in the Lady Blues’ dugout. She was named the program’s 13th coach Aug. 14, 2002 and has recorded a 256-221 (.537) mark during her Washburn tenure.

 

“The past nine years have been very rewarding,” Carey said. “I’ve enjoyed working for Loren Ferré and Washburn. I want to go in a different direction and pursue other opportunities. I’m ready to start a new chapter in my life. I wish the team the best of luck in the future.”

 

In nine seasons at the helm of the program, she has coached 55 Lady Blues to all-MIAA honors, seven all-region team selections, the 2007 MIAA Freshman of the Year, the 2009 MIAA Most Valuable Player, 57 MIAA Academic Honor Roll award winners as well as an ESPN The Magazine Academic all-district selection.

 

Last fall Carey was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. As a collegiate player, Carey was the starting first baseman on Oklahoma’s 2000 National Championship and Big 12 Champ ionship teams as a junior. That same season she was selected as the Big 12 Player of the Year and First team All-America honors after leading the Sooners in batting (.405), hits (90), home runs (20), RBI (77), total bases (173) and slugging percentage (.779) in 74 games.

 

As a senior, Carey was named All-American for the third time after leading the Sooners to the College World Series after batting .400, scoring 50 runs with 76 hits in 59 games. While at Oklahoma, Carey was a member of three Big 12 Championship teams. She also made her mark in the classroom making the Big 12 all-academic team following her freshman, junior and senior seasons and a member of the Dean’s Honor Roll as a sophomore.

 

At Washburn Rural High School, she was a 1996 High School All-American as a junior while hitting .478 with 10 doubles, one triple, two home runs and 25 RBI. On the mound she was 48-3 with a 0.31 ERA and 130 strikeouts during her high school career. During her four-year run for the Junior Blues, she was 87-4 winning the state championship as a sophomore.

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