EHS signs new head softball coach

Elgin High School’s softball program secured a new leader with an extensive list of accolades and experience under a Texas softball legend.

Texas State University alumnus Jodi Paige Williams was recently hired as head coach of the Lady Wildcats, a member of the 2018 junior college National Coaching Staff of the Year who formerly pitched under the tutelage of Texan and Olympic gold medalist Cat Osterman.

Williams is succeeding Pete Moreno, who stepped down to spend more time with family, according to district reports.

“I’m so excited for the opportunity to become a Wildcat,” Williams said. “I can’t wait to get to work and continue building upon the tradition of Elgin Softball. Let’s go, Wildcat Nation.”

Williams grew up in Central Texas, pitching for small-town Rogers High School in Bell County, northeast of Georgetown, where she was an honor student and finished in the top 10% of her class academically.

Her high school softball team reached regional semi-finals in 2011 and Williams was named district MVP three consecutive years.

Williams went on to pitch for nearby Temple College for two years, compiling a 37-11 overall record, with 293 strikeouts in 309 innings. As a sophomore in 2015, she had a 26-3 record with a 1.19 ERA, finishing seventh in the National Junior College Athletic Association national softball tournament.

Her success there led Williams to Division I Texas State, where she pitched two seasons for the Bobcats, logging 140 innings with 12 victories and 93 total strikeouts. She threw the team’s only no-hitter in 2016 and Texas State, with Osterman on staff as pitching coach, made the NCAA softball tournament both years she was there.

Williams graduated from Texas State in 2017, and became an assistant softball coach at Temple College the following year, named part of the NJCAA National Coaching Staff of the Year.

In 2019, Williams moved on to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, where she worked as pitching coach and interim head coach. She helped the pitching staff drop its overall ERA from 7.72 to 4.42 while coaching at TAMU-CC.

Most recently, Williams served as pitching, varsity assistant and head JV softball coach at Abilene High School. The team advanced to the Class 5A Region 1 semifinals of the state softball playoffs this year. “Her focus has been in pitching and pitcher development, which can be very difficult to find,” said Elgin Independent School District Superintendent Jana Rueter. “We are thrilled to have her experience as a player, college athlete, college coach and high school coach.”

The Lady Wildcats ended their 2024 regular season 18-8 overall, 11-3 in district. They finished strong, ending their playoff run against No. 16 ranked Lake Belton May 3.

The high school softball team is losing six seniors but retaining eight underclassmen heading into next season.