Northwestern State University of Louisana

The Northwestern State offense appeared destined to return to its glory days in the second season in associate head coach Amanda Locke's second tenure in Natchitoches.

The 2020 Lady Demons were averaging 6.5 runs per game in a COVID-19-shortened season, including setting a program record 23 runs scored on Feb. 15 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Locke helped build NSU's formidable offense in her first stint at NSU (2013-14), which included a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances.

In Locke's first season back in 2019, the Lady Demons won 30 games for the first time since 2015.
 
Locke helped guide an offense that featured seven freshmen or sophomores that started at least 20 games to nearly four runs per game.
 
Two offensive players (Cayla Jones and Elise Vincent) and one utility player (E.C. Delafield) were All-Southland Conference selections.
 
Three underclassmen (Jones, Alexis Perry and Riley Cantrell) compiled at least 30 RBIs on a team that ranked third in the SLC with 202 RBIs.
 
Locke rejoined the Lady Demons after serving on Pickett's NSU staff from 2013-14.
 
Locke spent the past four seasons at Texas Tech, serving as the primary pitching coach.

She 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.
 
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.

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.
 
Locke ranks third in Alabama history with 54 career home runs and eighth with 161 RBIs.
 
As a senior, she slugged .703 with 18 home runs, 56 RBIs and 116 total bases, all of which rank second all-time in Alabama single-season history.
 
Locke joins pitching coach Brooke Boening on Pickett's staff. Boening was a senior pitcher under Locke's tutelage in 2013.