Jen Mueller Wachtel '07 played an integral part in the success of Ripon's softball program first as a player, and later as an assistant and head coach. A native of Little Suamico, Wis., Wachtel is one of only two players in program history to earn Midwest Conference Pitcher of the Year on more than one occasion, accomplishing that feat twice. She also was named All-Conference three times, including twice as a First Team selection.

Wachtel set the bar for Ripon pitchers, establishing a new school record for career strikeouts at the time of her graduation with 226, which has since been surpassed by four different players, all of whom Wachtel would eventually coach. In addition to that, Wachtel compiled a career Earned Run Average of 1.78, which is second-lowest in program history and ranks ninth in the MWC. She also is second in school history for career victories (40), just three shy of the school record, while ranking third in complete games (50).

"My softball career at Ripon College meant so much to me as it allowed me to learn and develop into the person I am today and taught me many morals and life traits that have made me stronger," Wachtel said. "I was always naturally good at softball but when I got to Ripon, I had to work very hard in order to be a starter, which meant working out every single day and practicing on my own time. My softball experience at Ripon made me the person I am today and I couldn't be more pleased."

Wachtel broke onto the scene as a freshman when she recorded the second-lowest ERA on the team (2.08), while going 7-4 in 11 appearances. The following year, she stepped into the role of ace on the pitching staff and didn't disappoint, setting a single season school record with an ERA of 1.24, en route to her first All-Conference nod. The following season, Wachtel earned her first MWC North Pitcher of the Year award, recording an ERA of 1.58, which is the fourth-lowest in program history. But it's what happened in the final game of that season, a 4-2 loss to Grinnell in the MWC Tournament, that has stuck with Wachtel, who allowed a walk-off homer in the bottom of the eighth inning of that contest.

"I was pitching to the best hitter in the league and my pitch and location were both perfect, but the ball was still hit over the fence and I can still picture where it landed. At the time, I thought it was the end of the world and I was thinking that I lost that game for my team, but looking back at that one pitch has taught me many life lessons," Wachtel said. "It taught me that no matter how hard you work and how much passion you put into every single moment, some things just don't go your way. That memory has helped my husband and I work together as a team and support each other no matter what and has also taught me that everything can't go as planned no matter how hard you work, which has helped me become a good mother and wife."

She followed that up with a second consecutive MWC North Pitcher of the Year award as a senior, which saw her post an ERA of 2.63. That season, Wachtel also hit the first and only home run of her college career, coming during the Red Hawks' first MWC Tournament game. In 131 career at-bats, Wachtel batted .244 with 32 hits, nine doubles, one triple, 30 RBI, 15 runs scored, and four stolen bases.

One year after ending her career playing for Head Coach Kelly Witte, Wachtel transitioned to an assistant on Witte's coaching staff. In that one season as an assistant coach, Wachtel helped the Red Hawks go 20-14, en route to the program's first MWC Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. After Witte and Ripon parted ways at the conclusion of that season, Mueller took over as the team's head coach, a post she would hold for the next eight seasons.

"Coach Witte is the reason I chose to attend Ripon College. She understood my personality, how to push me, and how and when to make me mad in order to improve my game. I could sit down and talk to her about the previous games and learn, while also coming up with a scouting plan with her before games which I absolutely loved," Wachtel said. "During my senior season, we would strategize during the games together which was really fun and helped me learn the game of softball more in-depth."

During her coaching tenure, Wachtel led Ripon to 105 wins, which is the second-most in program history, behind only Witte's 191. In her first season as Head Coach, Wachtel led the Red Hawks to their best conference record in program history (12-1) and a first-place finish in the MWC. That led to Ripon hosting the MWC Tournament for the first time in program history, finishing with an overall record of 20-14.

The defining moment of Wachtel's coaching career came in 2011 when she led the team to its best season in program history, going 27-10 and earning the first three NCAA Tournament victories in program history, which included two wins against a top-25 team. At the conclusion of that season, Wachtel and her coaching staff were selected as the Great Lakes Regional Softball Coaching Staff of the Year. In her eight seasons as Ripon's head coach, Wachtel coached 19 All-Conference players and two MWC North Pitcher of the Year selections. Her 47 conference coaching wins are ninth-most in MWC history.

Today, Wachtel lives in Sobieski, Wis. with her husband Brad and their son, Easton. After working at both Appleton Sign Company and Creative Sign Company, she recently became a Project Manager at Stratus Sign Company.


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