MARION, Ind. - Indiana Wesleyan is excited to announce the hiring of Kelsey Kooistra as the new head coach of the Softball program.
 
"What an incredible moment this is for both Kelsey and our softball program," said Deane Webb, Director of Athletics. "She is one of our own and has quickly grown into a successful coach that is pursuing excellence. The improvement in the Cornerstone program has been remarkable to watch, and her career is off to an impressive start. Her desire to grow her student-athletes is inspiring. I believe she is uniquely prepared for this moment and will lead with competitive excellence along with a sincere passion for impacting others for Christ. I look forward to supporting her and our softball program as she leads our program at IWU."
 
For the past five seasons, Kooistra has been the head coach of the Cornerstone University Softball program. Last year, she led the Golden Eagles to their first NAIA National Tournament berth since 2014 and their highest win total (35) since 2004 (36). During her time coaching Cornerstone, 5 players have won First Team All-WHAC honors, 8 have earned Second Team All-WHAC, and 4 have been named to the All-WHAC Defensive Team. She has also earned the WHAC Champion of Character Coach award 3 times in her career, including last season. 
 
Kooistra has already been a Wildcat, playing four seasons for the IWU Softball program from 2015 to 2018. In that time, she was a four year starter playing shortstop and second base and helped lead the Wildcats to four straight NAIA Opening Round berths, 2 NAIA World Series Appearances, and earned a NAIA World Series All-Tournament Team award once. She was an All-Conference and All-Academic athlete and was named an NFCA All-American. She was a model of consistency as she remains 2nd in IWU Softball history for games played and 3rd for games started. Kooistra is ranked 4th in runs scored, 5th in stolen bases, and 3rd in stolen base percentage. She also ranks 9th in program history for career batting average at .396.
 

"It's an incredible honor to return to Indiana Wesleyan University and have the opportunity to lead a program that means so much to me," said Kooistra. "This place shaped me deeply- as a student, as an athlete, and most importantly, as a child of God. It's a true joy and responsibility to now help shape the next generation of student-athletes both on and off the field. I'm especially grateful for the foundation laid by Coach Babs and all those who came before me- leaders who poured their hearts into building something truly special. This is a program rooted in faith, built on love, and hungry for continued growth, and I'm eager to step into this new chapter, faithfully trusting God with what's ahead!"
 
Kooistra graduated with a bachelor's degree in Mathematics Education from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2018. 





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