Get on board with Extra Inning Softball’s regular feature, The Last Inning!
We are scouring the Internet and Social Media and keeping our ears to the street for the latest going on in the softball community.
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Here’s our TLI for Friday, Oct. 7, 2022:
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EXTRA ELITE SPOTLIGHT: KATIE PHILLIPS BIGHAM
Katie Phillips Bigham was a standout at Rustburg Dixie and Rustburg High in Virginia where she won two stated championships before going on to Liberty University where she was named to the Softball Hall of Fame in 2017. She currently coaches at Rustburg High and at the travel ball level.
She and he husband, Seth, a softball coach for Starz Gold, have three daughters, who are extremely talented softball players. Eden Bigham is a freshman RHP at Virginia, Nahla Bigham, is a 2025 1B for Rustburg High and Starz Gold, and Laila Bigham, a 2027 RHP for Rustburg Middle School and Maroon Crush.
EXTRA ELITE SPOTLIGHT Q&A
Name: Katie Phillips Bigham
Hometown: Concord, VA
High School: Rustburg High
Club Team: Rustburg Dixie. Only one travel team when I was in high school.
Graduation Year: 1995
College: Liberty University
Height: 5-foot-7
Position: P
Can you tell us about your experience in club/high school/college softball? Dixie was where I started around age 11 (years old). My dad said as coaching and needed and pitcher and I threw the hardest, so I was his pitcher. I was wild and all over the place. We practiced and watched VHS tapes to figure out how to throw (a) change and rise. (I) went to a World Series, which was an amazing experience. High school (was) such fun and memorable years for me. (I) won two state championships and came down to final game senior year, losing 1-0 in (the) state final. Those are some of my best memories. College (was) a lot harder since nobody really comes to games and your community isn’t as involved as they were in high school. (It was) tougher competition, but I loved it and made great lifelong friends. (I) got to go to California my senior year to play.
Can you tell us about your husband and daughters’ involvement in softball? Seth was always a huge fan. (He) followed us around in college supporting. I think he loves it more than I do now. I’ve done it all my life, so it’s not as new to me. He eats, sleeps (and) breathes it. So do my girls. They all know what it takes to be good. Hard work and they do it. I’m so proud of all of them. (I) got to coach my oldest daughter and win a state championship at my old high school.
What is your coaching experience? I coached Dixie and have coached at the high school for about six years now, two years as varsity head coach. Also, (I) help out with all three travel teams at times.
What is your coaching philosophy/style? I want the girls to love ball, to want to come back again and again, but to know that we work hard, we don’t have attitudes and it’s about team, not me. And the main thing I want to do is show them Christ through my life and faith.
How did you approach playing softball with your daughters? I love being able to share this with them. It’s something we all have in common and it’s something I can teach them and know they are learning so many other lessons from this game.
What is your greatest softball memory? Winning state championships back-to-back in high school.
Which player/team was your toughest opponent and why? I would say in high school Amherst was always tough for us. It was always a 1-0 game. We came out on top, of course. 😉
Who is your sports hero and why? I guess when I was coming through like Lisa Fernandez was a big inspiration to me.
What’s your favorite TV show to binge and why? I don’t watch a lot of TV. (I) find that most of it isn’t worth watching. I like home shows like “Fixer Upper.”
Do you have a secret talent/skill? I can find four-leaf clovers all the time. A lot of the time before a game, I’ll find everyone on the team one and they put them in their sock, etc., for the game. Just a little fun thing we do.
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