Amanda Locke

Amanda Locke

Amanda Locke rejoined the Northwestern State softball staff as the associate head coach after serving on Pickett’s NSU staff from 2013-14.

Locke spent the past four seasons at Texas Tech (2015-18), serving as the primary pitching coach.
 
The Mesquite, Texas, native will return to her offensive roots at NSU as she’ll be involved in coaching hitting on Pickett’s staff.

Locke worked primarily with pitchers in her last stint at NSU. including tutoring Kylie Roos and Kaylee Guidry in 2013, who combined for a sub-2.00 ERA with 29 combined wins and a pair of All-Southland Conference selections.

Guidry boasts NSU’s highest career winning percentage (.727, 24-9) while Roos ranks in the top four of four different NSU career pitching categories.

Locke helped slice NSU’s team ERA from 3.88 in 2012 to 2.15 in 2013.

She also assisted with hitting in seasons that built the foundation for NSU’s most prominent power numbers with hitters like Cassandra Barefield and Kellye Kincannon.

Locke helped the Lady Demons to Southland Conference Tournament titles and NCAA Tournament appearances in her two seasons in Natchitoches, the first time that’s been accomplished in program         history.

At Texas Tech, young pitchers that Locke recruited morphed into the Red Raiders’ leading arms.

Freshman Erin Edmundson posted a team-high 17 wins with a 2.97 ERA en route to All-Big 12 Freshman Team honors in 2018. Freshman Kassidy Scott was selected to the All-Big 12 Freshman team in 2017 with 10 wins.

Locke lowered the team ERA to 3.78 this past season for a 31-28 squad, improving from 4.72 in 2017 and 5.77 in 2016.

But Locke is no stranger to the bat.

As a utility player at Alabama, she took home NFCA All-American honors (second team) and an All-Southeastern Conference selection as the Crimson Tide won the national title in 2012.

The All-SEC selection helped the Tide to their first-ever national title and first title for an SEC member.

The SEC Freshman of the Year in 2009 earned two NFCA All-Region selections and was a four-time member of the SEC All-Academic Team.
 
Locke ranks third in Alabama history with 54 career home runs and eighth with 161 RBIs. 

She helped the Tide to three WCWS appearances and one more Super Regional appearance,

Locke joins pitching coach Brooke Boening on Pickett’s staff. Boening was a senior pitcher under Locke’s tutelage in 2013.