Coaching Staff

Jen Walter | Assistant Coach

Jen Walter is entering her third season as the assistant coach of the St. Thomas softball team in 2024.
 
The Tommies took one win out of every team in the Summit League except the champion South Dakota State Jackrabbits in year one. In year two their conference highlight was a three-game sweep of Western Illinois, each in complete game shutouts by Isabelle True, Ella Cook, and Keira Murphy. Walter’s first season was highlighted by a win against top-25 opponent, South Florida, and a single-game record-breaking 19 strikeout performance by Christina Crawford. Their second-season victory against Big Ten opponent Wisconsin was the program’s first Power 5 win. 

Walter joined the St. Thomas staff after six seasons at the University of Minnesota Duluth, where she guided the Bulldogs to a 188-102 overall record, and three NCAA II Tournament berths. In addition, she helped produce three All-Americans, and multiple All-Regional selections and All-NSIC picks. Her Bulldogs also took care of business in the classroom during that time as well, earning NSIC All-Academic Team distinctions and NFCA Scholar-Athlete Award status on numerous occasions.

Prior to UMD, Walter was the head coach at the College of St. Scholastica, and compiled a record of 447-233, made five NCAA Division III Tournament appearances (2006, 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015), won 15 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference regular season championships and another 13 UMAC Tournament titles, and paid one visit to the NAIA National Tournament (2004). During Walter's tenure, CSS also eclipsed the 30-victory plateau on seven occasions and failed to reach the .500 mark only three times. In addition, Walter coached three CSS All-Americans, 11 UMAC Player of the Year award recipients, 43 All-Region selections, 71 All-UMAC picks, and 81 NFCA Scholar-Athletes. Coach Walter was named to the St. Scholastica Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022.

Walter played two years of softball at Golden Valley Lutheran College in Minneapolis, Minn., where she was a NJCAA All-American catcher, and continued her collegiate career at Augustana College (S.D.), attaining All-North Central Conference honors as a senior in 1985. She went on to serve as the head softball coach at Perham High School, and the assistant softball coach at both Breck School and Robbinsdale Armstrong High School.

A native of Wadena, Minn., Walter was inducted as a player into the 2010 Minnesota High School FastpitchCoaches Association Hall of Fame. She received a B.A. degree in health, physical education and recreation from Augustana in 1986.

Kristi Villar | Assistant Coach

Bio Coming Soon!