After more than 300 wins and 20 seasons, Pulaski softball coach Billi Jo Vertz retires

Billi Jo Vertz has fond memories of her 20 seasons as the Pulaski softball coach.

Perhaps the most powerful one came in 2016, when the Red Raiders made the WIAA state tournament for the first time in two decades.

Of all the Pulaski supporters in the stands at Goodman Softball Complex in Madison that day, one was unexpected.

Vertz’s younger sister, DaNelle, was battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia and living in Milwaukee in order to receive around-the-clock chemotherapy treatments while preparing for a bone marrow transplant.

She was supposed to be in the hospital but was determined to attend the state game even though doctors didn’t want her to go.

Vertz didn’t know her sister was in the stands, at least until the moment somebody told her she was there.

It still serves as a reminder to Vertz what life is all about.

“It hits on the idea of family and supporting each other. Even when the chips are down, you continue life,” said Vertz, whose sister died in November 2019. “When you love something, you go all-in for it. It’s one of my best memories, even though they are tough memories.”

It also could be considered the perfect description for what Pulaski softball was about during Vertz’s time as its leader, which came to an end last month when she announced her retirement.

Everyone was all-in.

Vertz led the Red Raiders to a 306-92 record during her tenure. Pulaski won three conference championships, reached sectional play nine times and made it to the WIAA Division 1 state tournament in 2016 and 2019.

The first trip to the big stage under Vertz arrived after years of close calls, which perhaps made it a little sweeter when it finally happened.

Pulaski was one win away from state in 2007 but lost to Appleton North 3-2 in 10 innings in a sectional championship. It lost to Green Bay East by the same score in a sectional final in 2009.

It came after it lost in extra innings to Ashwaubenon in a sectional semifinal in 2006, one year after it lost to Appleton North in a sectional championship.

Former Pulaski infielder Emily Higgins wiped away all those heartbreaks with one memorable swing of the bat in a sectional championship against Hortonville in 2016.

She hit a grand slam with two outs in the fifth inning to lead the Red Raiders to a 4-2 win and send Vertz to the big stage for the first time as a coach.

“She is awesome,” Higgins said about Vertz after that game. “She dedicates (herself to) this program 100 percent.”

The trip to state was even more rewarding for Vertz because the 2016 class was the first to go through the Pulaski Youth Softball Organization, starting from 4K all the way through high school.

“Prior to that we were kind of combined with baseball and softball,” Vertz said. “Even though it was hard to separate, it helped us to focus on our girls and we could put energy toward softball skills and drills. Even though they are very similar, they are still different. That was the first group that went through that whole program. It was neat to see them be the first group to make it to state ball.

“It was huge. We are not where a lot of kids would open enroll to come to Pulaski because there are so many other schools in the area. We are kind of that rural outskirts. It’s important we get as many kiddos involved in ball and loving it so they stay all the way through.”

Vertz steps down to focus on family

Vertz felt the time was right to step away from her regular coaching duties.

Her son, Easton, plays baseball at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. Her daughter, Morgan, will pitch at Northern Iowa after she completed her standout prep career at Pulaski in the spring.

Vertz wants the opportunity to watch both play.

“I was leaning towards that, and I kind of went back and forth during the summer,” Vertz said about stepping down. “I am fortunate for all the opportunities growing up, and I learned so much on the ball diamond that it’s a hard decision to make. But, in my heart, I felt it was the right decision for my immediate family even though it was hard for my softball family.”

Vertz also leaves mark as a player in high school, college

Before she was a coach, Vertz was one of the best softball players in the state in high school at Ashwaubenon and in college at Division II UW-Parkside.

Vertz — whose maiden name is Kapla — led the Jaguars to three straight D1 state titles from 1992 to 1994.

She was an all-state pitcher each season during the run while playing for legendary coach Phil Adam. The Jaguars went 74-1 during that span. She got to play and throw to her twin sister, Bobbi Jo, who was a standout catcher for the Jaguars and played at UW-Parkside.

Vertz led Parkside to three DII World Series appearances and remains one of the best two-way players in program history.

Vertz earned all-America honors in 1996, 1997 and 1998 and had a breakout sophomore season when she hit .367 with 11 home runs and 71 RBI while going 17-1 with a 1.25 ERA.

She led the Rangers to their first national championship game as a junior and was inducted into the Parkside Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012.

Vertz is all over the school record book. She is third all-time in RBI (177) and slugging percentage (.600), fourth in home runs (32) and doubles (43), fifth in hits (229), seventh in batting average (.356) and 10th in runs (127).

She is tied for fourth in shutouts (17), fifth in wins (54), ninth in strikeouts (221) and ERA (1.67) and 10th in complete games (73).

Vertz started her coaching career as an assistant at Kenosha Bradford for one year before serving as the coach at Racine St. Catherine’s for one season.

She was an assistant at Pulaski for several years before taking over as coach in 2004 when Joe Kind retired.

Vertz knew she wanted to be a teacher after graduating from Parkside because she loves working with kids and watching them succeed. She hoped to have an opportunity to coach, too.

When she returned to the area in the early 2000s, it ended up coming down to her alma mater at Ashwaubenon and Pulaski.

Vertz applied for teaching positions at both schools. She was asked to come in for a second interview at Ashwaubenon, which also was requested by Pulaski.

When Vertz told the Pulaski administration she had a second interview at Ashwaubenon on the same date, they offered her a job.

It’s been Pulaski each day since, although it already felt like a second home considering both her parents graduated from the school.

But it’s time for somebody else to run the softball show, even if this isn’t a goodbye.

“I’m still going to help out the Pulaski youth organization with their pitchers and catchers and their offseason development,” said Vertz, who teaches Applied Biology, Biology and AP Biology. “Still help out with the summer program. I know I’m not leaving softball forever. If it aligns when I’m done with my kids and depending on how I feel. … Hopefully, it’s not forever. But it might be.”

Bay Port, Ashwaubenon hire softball coaches

Bay Port named Sara Laughrin as its new softball coach last month. She played for UW-Green Bay from 2008 to 2012 and coached at the school the following season.

She has been an assistant with the Pirates since 2019 and replaces Chris Nelson.

“Sara’s passion and vision for Bay Port softball really stood out during the interview process,” Bay Port athletic director Dillon Maney said in a statement. “We are excited to see where Sara will take the program in the future.”

∎ Ashwaubenon hired Raelynn Wingert to lead its softball program. She also is the girls tennis coach at the school.

Wingert replaces Shannon VanLaanen , who stepped down after 11 seasons and 207 wins.

“I am beyond excited and honored to take on the role of head coach for the Ashwaubenon High School softball program,” Wingert said. “This community has been incredibly welcoming, and I am grateful for the trust and support I’ve received from everyone here. Ashwaubenon has a rich tradition of excellence in softball, thanks to the tremendous leadership that’s come before me. I’m inspired by the legacy built over the years and I’m fully committed to continuing that tradition while putting our own mark on the program each year.”

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: After more than 300 wins and 20 seasons, Pulaski softball coach Billi Jo Vertz retires