The College of St. Scholastica

The eight-time UMAC Coach of the Year has guided the Saints to 15 UMAC Regular Season titles the past 16 seasons and 13 UMAC Tournament Championships. CSS has made five NCAA Tournaments under Walter.

Walter has had 13 winning seasons, including seven with 30-plus victories. In 2014, Walter became the third St. Scholastica Head Coach of any sport to record at least 400 wins at the school.

Under her tutelage, the Saints received their first national ranking in 2004 when they appeared in the NAIA poll and were ranked as high as No. 13. Upon entering NCAA Division III competition in 2005, the Saints took just over a year to appear in the national poll, peaking at No. 15, just missing out on an NCAA tournament berth despite going 34-7 overall. The Saints earned their first NCAA postseason bid in 2006 as the No. 5 seed in the Midwest Regional, where they earned Coach Walter’s 200th career victory.

The Saints are 234-16 against UMAC opponents in Walter’s tenure. CSS has earned NAIA or NCAA postseason berths in 10 seasons under Jen Walter, and won the NAIA regional in 2004 to earn the program’s first ever NAIA National Tournament berth.

“What I love most about coaching at St. Scholastica are the players,” says Walter. “In my 14 years here, I have met some great student-athletes who have excelled both on the field and in the classroom and continue to excel beyond St. Scholastica.”

Entering 2016, Walter has coached three All-Americans, including two-time first teamer Laura Heise (2004, 2006), second team honoree Rilee Dawson (2007), and third team honoree Erica Kozacek (2003). Her players have earned 44 All-Region nominations, 71 First Team All-UMAC selections, and 11 UMAC Player of the Year awards. Walter earned conference accolades for her coaching in 2001, ’02, ’03, ’04, ’09, ’10, ’12 and 2014.

After graduating from Wadena High School as a two-time All-State softball honoree, Walter went to Golden Valley Lutheran College in Minneapolis where she was named a Junior College All-American catcher and then Augustana (S.D.) College where she earned All-Region honors. She graduated from Augustana in 1986 with a degree in Health, Physical Education, and Recreation.
In the summer of 2010, Walter was inducted into the Minnesota Fastpitch Coaches’ Association Hall of Fame as a player.

Before joining St. Scholastica in 2000, Walter was the assistant softball coach at Armstrong High School in Plymouth, Minn. and also served as head softball coach at Perham High School from 1989-91. She also coached basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, and cross-country at Breck School in Golden Valley, Minn. while also teaching lower and middle school physical education from 1991-97.

In December 2006, Walter earned Master Coach status from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. She continues to grow as an educator and a coach by participating in the Women Coaches Academy, co-sponsored by the Winstar Foundation and the NCAA. She also serves on the Midwest All-Region Selection Committee.

“I have the greatest job in the world,” says Walter. “I get to be around young women who have the desire to become great softball players and along the way become great people. There are tons of frustrations and challenges, but in the end, the rewards, on the field and off, are so worth it.”