Williams Takes Her Place Among Greatest in Herd History

Sept. 7, 2018

By Scott Hall

HerdZone.com

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The culmination of a Hall of Fame softball journey that began almost 20 years ago for Jessica Williams came on April 25, 2018, with a phone call from a West Virginia number.

"When I had a phone number with a West Virginia area code calling me I thought 'What is this all about'," Williams remembered. "So I answered it and it was the Athletic Director, Mike Hamrick, I just kind of held my breath for a second because I thought I knew why he was calling but I wasn't sure.

"And once he told me that I was being inducted I just started crying. I just felt thankful, extremely blessed and emotional. And Amanda (Williams) was right there with me so I was able to share the moment with her."

Amanda is Jessica's twin sister, who was inducted into the Marshall Hall of Fame in 2017.

"The Hall of Fame was always something to me that if it happened I would be so thankful and happy that it did," one of Marshall's newest hall of famers added. "But for Amanda, I knew it was something she was going to get. She came in and broke just about every record and has her name all over the record book.

"Somehow I squeezed my name into the Hall of Fame too."

Squeezing herself into the Hall of Fame is an understatement. Jessica was a born leader as well as four-time all-conference performer, one of just five Herd players to accomplish that feat. She is tied for second for the most games played and started at 230, and is a member of the 200-hit and 100-runs scored club. On the defensive side, Jessica is third all-time in assists with 465 and finished her career second in double plays turned with 27.

Jessica and Amanda led Marshall on the field and off, and they started this softball journey together as playing travel ball. The Williams sisters first found out about Marshall very early on in the recruiting process.

"It started in travel ball maybe 14 and under or maybe the first year of 16 and under," Jessica said. "One of our coaches, Rick Jaegle, played at baseball at Marshall. And so when Marshall and Coach (Shonda) Stanton first started showing interest, Rick told us about playing at Marshall and that peaked our interest."

Helped by the expert recruiting of former Herd head coach Shonda Stanton, the seeds were sewn of the journey that eventually led to the Hall of Fame.

The culture of Marshall softball was something that coach Stanton sold Jessica on very quickly and that she could be a part of something bigger than herself. And the new class that was coming to Huntington for the fall of 2002, could really turn around the fortunes of a program beginning to form its identity.

Jessica's leadership in this new class was found right away, even before the first official practice.

"Practice had not yet started and so we rallied some of the troops, the incoming girls, to go out on the field and throw, take some reps and hit a little bit," Jessica said. "One because when the first practice does come, you want to make sure that you are on point and that you do really well.

"But then two, it was really neat to see who we were going to be playing with and what their skill level was and see what Division I athletics was all about."

The group of incoming freshmen that went on to make up the Class of 2006 consisted of Jessica, her sister Amanda, Leigh Wintter, Courtney Kacenga, Sara Spenia, Noelle Adams, Jennifer Susman and Jessica Thomas. They helped in one of the biggest turnarounds in the country that first season.

Marshall struggled through a rough season in 2002 in dealing with a team tragedy and finished the year 18-28. The team still had a lot of fight in them, especially the returners coming back for 2003. Marshall ended up starting five freshmen in 2003, all four infield positions and center, with Jessica at shortstop.

The Herd was picked to finish second in the Mid-American Conference East division in '03, but outside of the locker room and the coaching staff, no one expected what this young Marshall team went on to accomplish.

The Thundering Herd ended the year with a program record 41 wins and just 17 losses. Marshall won the MAC Regular Season championship going 20-4 in conference games. The freshman class set numerous team records, but yet according to one of Marshall's starting freshmen, it was all expected.

"We always had high expectations for ourselves," the former Herd shortstop said. "I think that was one things about the culture of our class. We wanted to win and we felt like we were going to work for it and do whatever it took to win. So we never looked at it as 'oh wow we are 20-4 in conference', no we expected that and worked for it.

"I think it was just the expectation and the healthy competition that we had with one another is what really helped us achieve as much as we did that first year."

However, Marshall was knocked out of the MAC Tournament before the championship game.

The Herd then struggled some during Jessica's sophomore season in 2004. Marshall began the year ranked No. 25 in the preseason polls and picked to finish first in the MAC, but just couldn't find the magic that it had in 2003.

"Honestly I am still not over that," Jessica said. "I don't know if it was the combination of being so successful early on or us maybe getting complacent but it came back to bite us. I don't know if we had enough 'buy in' as we should have that year.

"I think that the hard work and the effort were always there. I think that the things that were lacking were some of the mental things, the focus and the buy in. And when you have buy in, you are going to have the mentality and the focus that you need to have."

Marshall ended 2004 with a 31-27 overall record, 12-12 in conference, and missed out on the MAC Tournament. The conversation after the '04 season quickly turned.

"It was 'okay it is time for us to re-evaluate'," Jessica recalled. "Something has got to give and we have to turn this thing around. Anyway you put it, losing is not fun and yes we learned from it and it happened for a reason but it was not fun and especially in the Mid-American Conference where we were expected to do well and picked to do well and then not even making the tournament.

"We need to be there 100 percent mentally but also a 100 percent buy in."

Marshall went on a tear over the next two seasons winning a total of 71 contests and reaching two conference championship games. By then end of 2006, Jessica's class had established itself as the winningest in the history of the program. Their record of 143-87 and a winning percentage of .620 still stands today. The Class of 2017 got close with a record of 135-84 (.616), but the 2006 class also won two MAC Regular Season titles and had two championship game appearances.

But they could never finish it out with the championship win and the trip to the NCAA Tournament.

"The '06 (C-USA championship loss) was probably the most painful," Jessica said with a sigh. "Because it was the last game I ever played at Marshall. And our time at Marshall was so special and it was such a special time in our lives.

"To end the season in the bottom of the seventh, tie game and then a walk-off home run is something that I will never forget. It is painful when you lose like that and realize that your season is over, it is heartbreaking."

Jessica also has a physical reminder of that game against Tulsa in what was Marshall's first season in Conference USA.

"I had stitches on my hand from that game and so every time I look at my hand or someone asks about it, it is a reminder of that walk-off loss," Jessica said.

The losses are painful for her to talk about, but then you can still here some happiness and a smile in her voice as she reminisces about the time in the Green & White.

"You wish you could go back and do it all over again because it was so special," Jessica says as that smile begins to return. "Just being around the fans, the team and the staff. All of it was such an amazing experience. Although it was the start of a new chapter, it was definitely a sad day to see that chapter end."

The new chapter for Jessica was a run in the National ProFastpitch League. Playing for the Chicago Bandits, Rockford Thunder, USSSA Pride and Akron Racers over six seasons gave Jessica the opportunity to play with some of the greatest athletes of all-time. And allows her to do some serious name dropping.

"I probably played with a dozen Olympians," Jessica said with a smile. "Although it wasn't for the red, white and blue but playing with Monica Abbott, Jennie Finch, Cat Osterman, Natasha Watley, Caitlin Lowe, Jessica Mendoza, Andrea Duran I mean the list goes on and on.

"To be able to call those girls teammates of mine was just awesome because not only was I being challenged everyday physically because they were the best of the best, but being around them and seeing how humble they were and how they earned everything they had. Being around people like that on a daily basis made me not just a better ball player but a better person."

The former Herd shortstop also had some collegiate coaching travels after her college playing days. She spent 2007 with the Herd and then moved to Western Carolina, Charleston Southern and San Diego.

Through all of her stops in the pros and coaching at other schools, Jessica still kept her eye on her alma mater. And felt enormous pride in 2013 when Marshall won its first Conference USA tournament championship, defeating Houston 3-1, and making its first ever trip to the NCAA Tournament.

"Oh my gosh, it meant everything," Jessica said beaming. "I was watching on my computer and when it happened, I was just in tears. Because not only the hard work that the girls had been through, but being on the other side of that having coached at Marshall for a year and then having been a college coach for several years myself, just seeing all the time and effort that you put into it as a staff as well to see it finally happen, to see them accomplish their goals."

And of course, her sister Amanda was in her final year as an assistant coach for the Herd.

"To see her be a part of that as well was special because she worked so hard as a player and then as a coach of course under Coach Stanton's leadership," Jessica added. "But to see them accomplish that goal was amazing."
Jessica made the trip to Lexington, Ky., for the NCAA Regionals and led the numerous Marshall fans in cheers.

Jessica's life has changed over the years as she is now married to Chandler Sweat and a mother of two. However, she still has a competitive edge and loves giving back to the game that gave her so much.

"I like to say that I am a fulltime mom that does softball on the side," she said with a laugh. "Coaching at the Division I level was so much fun and the competitive atmosphere, but now we (Jessica and Amanda) are currently the coaches at a private I-A Christian school in Kennesaw, Ga.

"There is a big difference going from Division I to single-A in Georgia, but the girls are so much fun. They just love being out there. They are out there honestly just for the love of the game and it is neat to be around girls who have such an appreciation for the sport."

When asked about what it has meant to her, to have made this softball journey with her twin sister Amanda, the emotions begin to flow again.

"I am so thankful because honestly, one to have the experience to play with Amanda for the four years that we did, but to have our names forever together in the Hall of Fame is special," Jessica said through the tears of joy. "It is special because, the bigger picture stuff. Our kids and our grandkids, it is something for them to have and to hold on to when we are no longer here.

"It is really neat and such a blessing."

And Friday night Jessica Williams will take her rightful place in Marshall Athletics history. As a member of the Hall of Fame.

For all of the latest information on the Marshall Softball team, follow the Herd on Twitter @HerdSB, Facebook at Marshall University Softball and on www.herdzone.com.

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Williams Takes Her Place Among Greatest in Herd History

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