Rose Reichhart '06 is arguably the greatest hitter in the history of the Ripon College softball program. A three-time First Team All-Conference selection and the only All-American in program history, Reichhart is also the only Ripon softball player to finish with a career batting average north of .400, compiling a school-record .437 average during her four years, which still ranks fifth in Midwest Conference history. Also a member of Ripon's volleyball team, Reichhart was inducted into Ripon's Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.

On the night Reichhart was inducted into the Hall of Fame, the Cedarburg, Wis. native reflected on her journey that landed her there.

"Every day as a student when I would walk through the lobby of the then-Storzer Center, I'd always see the plaques and pictures of all the student-athletes that had been inducted into Ripon's Athletics Hall of Fame," Reichhart said at the time. "It motivated me to work harder and achieve more so that maybe one day my plaque and picture would hang among them. The day I received the news that I would be inducted into the Hall of Fame, I literally had tears of joy because it felt like a weight had been taken off my shoulders."

In addition to her school-record batting average, Reichhart also still holds school records for career hits (162), Runs Batted In (99), home runs (20), on-base percentage (.504), and slugging percentage (.744), all of which still rank in the top 10 in MWC history. In addition to that, Reichhart ranks third in school history for runs scored (102), eighth in doubles (23), second in triples (14), and ninth in stolen bases (20).

"Rose always gave her all and was very competitive, while pushing herself to her limits to perform at her best, whether it was at practice or in a game," Reichhart's former teammate Jen Mueller Wachtel '07 said. "She drove her teammates to work harder in order to keep up with her competitiveness, passion, and work ethic."

Reichhart hit the ground running once she arrived at Ripon as a freshman, batting .387 that season, but it was her middle two seasons that saw her produce some of her most eye-popping numbers.

As a sophomore, Reichhart batted .509, which was ninth-best in all of Division-III, while posting 56 hits, 37 RBI, and 41 runs scored, which all set new single season school records that still stand today. She also finished in the top 50 in D-III in slugging percentage (.855), runs, and RBI that season, en route to Third Team All-American and First Team All-Region honors. The following season, Reichhart was again one of the best hitters in Division-III, ranking 15th in the country in batting average (.477), fifth in home runs (9), and sixth in slugging percentage (.943).

With Reichhart on the team, Ripon never finished with a sub-.500 record, going 77-51 during her four seasons combined. The team set a school record with 26 wins during her sophomore campaign, which has since been broken and currently ranks second in program history.

"It meant everything to me that I was able to continue playing sports at the collegiate level because I know most people don't receive that opportunity," Reichhart said. "Nothing was ever given to me and I had to work my butt off for playing time, but it paid off big time. I was often asked if the gym was my home, and it basically was."

Also a member of the Red Hawks' volleyball team for four years, Reichhart appeared in 49 career matches, accumulating 430 digs, 66 kills, 27 service aces, and 19 total blocks. Her finest season on the volleyball court came as a senior when she recorded 323 digs, 60 kills, 30 assists, and 24 aces.

During her first three years with the volleyball team, Reichhart contributed to the squad winning more than 20 matches each season on what are the three highest-win totals in program history, going 68-43 during that span. Although she played two different sports, Reichhart had the same head coach for both throughout her entire college career.

"Coach Kelly Witte was my biggest influence during my time at Ripon College," Reichhart said. "She believed in me and because of that, I was able to break out of my shell and gain stronger confidence."

An Exercise Science major at Ripon, Reichhart currently resides in New Berlin, Wis. She is a Medicine on Time Tech at Guardian Pharmacy of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, while also serving as a Sales and Fitness Training Specialist for iLoveKickboxing.com.

Despite hanging up her Ripon College cleats for the final time 15 years ago, Reichhart has managed to stay very active in the sport of softball, playing for Chicago-based Made To Order/NL Apparel for the past nine years.

"Since joining the team, Rose has been a part of NSA B and AWS B World Championship teams and has become an integral part of the team's success," Made To Order/NL Apparel Head Coach Hugo Donado said. "A perennial offensive powerhouse, she continues to be a top performer on the now class A Women's Conference USSSA team, competing at the highest level of amateur softball and against the best players in the world. Rose continues to lead our team on a quest for an A World Championship."


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