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In just 10 seasons at Purdue, head coach Carol Bruggeman has built a winning softball program from the ground up. Since joining the Boilermaker family in 1993, Bruggeman has taken on the task of making something of nothing. She tackled the challenge of building a new field and recruiting the first student-athletes to lay the foundation of a competitive program. The 1994 squad started things on the right foot, compiling a 21-17-1 record (.545 winning percentage), the most wins for any first-year team in Big Ten Conference softball history. Under Bruggeman's guidance, the program has averaged over 30 wins a year ever since. "We are very pleased with the direction of our program," Bruggeman said. "Starting a program has been a challenging job and very rewarding. Our staff has enjoyed a great deal of satisfaction in seeing the program grow to the level it is today. We continue to push ourselves to reach new heights and to set goals to challenge our program to reach the next level." Purdue made history in 1997 by reaching the Big Ten Tournament for the first time, en route to compiling a 41-25 overall record. The team clinched the fourth and final spot in the tournament in dramatic fashion by toppling Minnesota 3-2 on the last day of the season. In 1999, Purdue recorded the first of five straight 30-win seasons, tallying a 30-26 mark. In 2000, the Boilermakers returned to the conference tournament, finishing the season with a 33-28 record. The season also featured a milestone for its head coach, as Bruggeman garnered her 200th career win with a 3-0 victory over Michigan State on March 31 in West Lafayette. The 2003 season brought another 30-win season and another benchmark victory for Bruggeman and the program. The Boilermakers chalked up the program's 300th victory on March 26 with an 8-0 win over Illinois-Chicago. In her tenure at Purdue, Bruggeman has coached 14 different players to 22 All-Mideast Region honors, including one each of the last 10 years, and 20 All-Big Ten selections. But the pinnacle of her career came as second baseman Andrea Hillsey was presented with First Team All-America honors, recognizing her as the top player in the nation at her position. Hillsey also brought third team Academic All-America honors to Purdue, while she, Heidi Foster and Jesse Jones earned All-Big Ten and All-Mideast Region accolades. Bruggeman's charges have also gone on to the next level, as three former players competed professionally in the WPSL and three student-athletes were invited to the USA National Developmental Softball Camp. Purdue not only has found success on the field, but in the classroom, as well. The Boilermakers have posted 53 Academic All-Big Ten selections in program history. The team also had a member selected to the GTE/Verizon Academic All-America team in 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2003. The Boilermaker squads also have compiled a team grade-point average above 3.0 for the past several years, while all four-year players have earned their degrees. Bruggeman also instills in her players the need to give back to the community. The Boilermakers participate in several community service projects each year, from fundraising for local food banks (Hunger Hike) to helping out at the Lafayette Humane Society to participating in Purdue's yearly canned-food drive. The Purdue skipper's expertise also has been recognized by her peers. In 2002, she wrote a chapter titled "Competing with Class" for the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Book, The Softball Coaches Bible. She also served as the color analyst for Fox Sports Chicago's television coverage of the 2002 Big Ten Softball Tournament. Bruggeman has made several instructional videos and also teaches a softball coaching class at Purdue. An excellent recruiter, Bruggeman has attracted outstanding classes of student-athletes from throughout the United States and Canada to the West Lafayette campus. The Purdue roster currently boasts players from seven different states, from Ohio to California and Michigan. Bruggeman came to Purdue from the University of Michigan, where she was an assistant coach from 1989 to 1993. The Wolverines averaged 38 wins during that time, including a school-record 46 in 1993. UM won back-to-back Big Ten championships in 1992 and 1993 and earned NCAA Tournament berths both years, the first two postseason trips in the program's history. No stranger to Big Ten softball, Bruggeman was a graduate assistant at Iowa, her alma mater, in 1988. She was a standout infielder with the Hawkeyes, earning All-Big Ten and All-Mideast Region honors during her four-year career. She also was an Academic All-American, three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and received Iowa's Athletic Academic Medal of Honor. During the summer of 1997, Bruggeman was inducted into Iowa's Softball Association Hall of Fame for her contribution to the sport. In conjunction with her coaching duties, Bruggeman conducts the Purdue summer and holiday softball camps and clinics. She represents the university through various public appearances and speaks at softball clinics throughout the country. This year, her expertise will be heard in Missouri, Illinois and Maryland. She was also the national Division I representative for the National Fastpitch Coaches Association from 1996 to 2000. A native of Charter Oak, Iowa, Bruggeman earned a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1987 and a master's in athletic administration and coaching in 1990, both from Iowa. She is currently working on her doctoral degree at Purdue. Bruggeman Year-by-Year Year School Record Winning Percentage 1994 Purdue 21-17-1 .551 1995 Purdue 23-31 .426 1996 Purdue 36-21 .655 1997 Purdue 41-25 .621 1998 Purdue 29-30 .492 1999 Purdue 30-26 .536 2000 Purdue 33-28 .541 2001 Purdue 34-24-1 .585 2002 Purdue 33-26 .559 2003 Purdue 34-27 .557 Totals (10 years) 314-255-2 .550 |
 Coach Maher's Twitter Blog, June 22 Summer Camp Season Underway BTN Feature: Liane Horiuchi At Home On The Road, Part II At Home On The Road, Part I Coach Maher's Vision For Purdue Purdue Softball: Leaving A Legacy
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