On Oct. 10, Pleasant Valley senior, Carli Spelhaug, committed to play division one college softball. The multi-sport athlete chose to play for Iowa State, a college she believes can take her to the next level.
Spelhaug has played second base for Pleasant Valley’s varsity softball team since the summer following her eighth grade year. Since then, she has worked hard to make a name for herself on the field. Just this July, PV’s team won the state championship, earning them back-to-back titles.
After Spelhaug finished celebrating the big win with her teammates, she was approached by Iowa State’s softball coaches. They expressed their interest in her and offered her an official visit to the campus. A few days later, they called for further discussion.
Iowa State was not Spelhaug’s only prospective school. Spelhaug was offered a chance to play at Iowa State, Iowa, Drake, Minnesota and Wisconsin. “I chose Iowa State because I loved the facilities and coaches. They also have a great engineering program, and I want to major in engineering,” said Spelhaug.
Iowa State is a division one school in the Big 12 conference. This conference includes schools like Baylor, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech. The Big 12 has some of the best schools in the country, so Spelhaug looks forward to playing against schools that will challenge her.
Spelhaug has been working for years to become the athlete she is today and her high school coaches have contributed to her success. Her first high school coach, Lori Duncan, got the ball rolling for her college commitment and got her name out for colleges to see. Coaches Jose Lara and Samantha Urban also helped build her skill set and prepared her to become an elite athlete.
Spelhaug looks forward to working with new coaches. Iowa state is led by head coach Jamie Pinkerton, with assistant coaches Kate Sinnott and Courtney Martinez. Before becoming head coach in 2017, Pinkerton was assistant coach at Iowa State for four years. “His experience in Ames was a bonus but he has methodically improved programs at Tulsa, Arkansas and Montana. Jamie is a relentless recruiter, confident leader and excellent teacher of the game,” the Senior Associate Athletic Director at Iowa State said.
Spelhaug looks forward to one final season with the Spartans this summer. “Both of our pitchers graduated, so it will be very interesting to see who takes their place. I’m excited to see where we go following two amazing seasons,” Spelhaug stated.
Spelhaug’s teammates are very proud of her accomplishments and college commitment. Sophomore Emily Wood said, “I really think that she has the skills to go anywhere she wants, and Iowa State is so lucky to have her. I can’t wait to watch her next year and the years following and continue to learn from her as a person and as a player.”
