Road Trip Diaries: A Terrier Tour in Spartanburg

National College Softball Editor Justin McLeod is on the road for the 2023 college softball season. He compiles stories and happenings along the way; these are the Road Trip Diaries. Earlier in March, a trip to the newly-formed Wofford softball program was in the cards.

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When a school announces plans to create a softball program, the immediate reaction is one of jubilation in the softball world. The aftermath of the initial fervor, though, can go one of two very specific ways.

Either the expectations will be set at a certain level, one considered more “reasonable” for a program just beginning, or the school will prioritize doing things right and not just to say they did them.

After a recent visit to Spartanburg, I’m happy to report that Wofford falls into the latter category.

The signs were there early on. When the Terriers announced that a softball program was on the horizon, the department wasted little time in naming Mark Line as the program’s head coach. Line practically is Mr. Wofford, at least when it comes to diamond sports. He spent decades as the school’s baseball coach before moving into an administration position.

Line got the program started, a steady hand at the helm. And Wofford invested in facilities from the outset.

Oh, those facilities.

The Terriers have an absolutely gorgeous stadium to call home. Chairback seating. Expansive dugouts that honestly made me think of those used by a Major League Baseball team. A sleek press box. Wofford clearly decided that having a softball team necessitated setting them up right with quality facilities.

After touring the campus, by the way, it’s a thought process that applies to more than just softball – the entire campus and the athletic facilities fit a similar mold. Terrier basketball plays in an arena that looks more like a statehouse than a stereotypical basketball facility upon entrance. The architecture and allure of the entire campus is impressive.

Back to Wofford’s softball offering, I think the thing that impressed me most – at least, outside of the still-newly-constructed stadium – was the program’s approach to facilitating success. Line was the inaugural head coach, charged with the initial building, recruiting, and shepherding of the program. But when the time came to get serious about the softball side of things, the Terriers looked outside and brought in Chelsea Butler.

Admirably, Line is still part of the program as an assistant coach – those decades of diamond-sport experience will still come in handy. Butler, though, had experience in South Carolina softball recruiting circles from her stint as an assistant at Presbyterian College; her most recent experience as the pitching coach at Maryland gave her Power 5 experience; and her fairly-extensive resume meant it was her time to get to run her own program.

Wofford softball won’t take to the field until 2024, and they’ll have thirteen newcomers when they do so – nine players are already on campus, practicing and redshirting through the year of preparation. Those initial recruits will be joined by the baker’s dozen of new faces this fall and that group will make up the inaugural Wofford softball team.

Eleven incoming freshman signees hail from six different states in total, including Florida; North Carolina; Georgia; Virginia; West Virginia; and South Carolina. Butler didn’t waste time on the recruiting trail this summer.

The SoCon is an intriguing softball league, and one that always seems to have new developments and progressions every year. Wofford could have some growing pains when they officially join the league softball standings in 2024, but the formula is also there for the Terriers to be a team that makes some noise and makes their name known early and often.