Right at Home

STORY BY JOANNE GREEN ’93, ’10

A conversation about all-time softball greats in Indiana wouldn’t go too long before Erin (Rethlake) Ehler’s name would come up. Perhaps the most accomplished player in Huntington North High School program history, the hometown favorite is now the 12th head coach of the Forester softball program.

Ehler’s success as a player includes a long list of accolades. In her final campaign as a Viking, she was named Miss Indiana Softball. She was also the 2013 Gatorade Indiana Softball Player of the Year.

After her decorated high school career, Ehler took her talents to the University of Kentucky, where she was a pitcher, first baseman and outfielder. Ehler was her team’s Freshman of the Year and earned Kentucky’s Defensive Player of the Year praises as a junior and senior.

A left-handed pitcher with a wicked curve ball, Ehler graduated with 26 wins to her name, a 2.68 ERA and 216 strikeouts while giving up 218 hits and 104 earned runs. Offensively, she finished her career with 106 hits, 35 RBI and 38 stolen bases.

Ehler also taps into previous coaching experience, most recently as an assistant coach at Indiana Tech. She is well established in the travel softball circuit as a coach for Indiana Shock.

While this is her first go-around as a college head coach, she brings a seasoned approach.

“I want my players to leave the program having grown mentally and spiritually,” she said. “I want them to graduate ready to impact their corner of the world.”

With a handful of fundraisers, several months of practice and a few exhibition games already under her belt, she is excited for the upcoming season.

“This fall has been a big change on and off the field. We saw moments of greatness throughout the struggle and adjustment, so I can’t wait to see all their hard work pay off this spring.”

Ehler inherits a Forester squad that went 25-29 last season, including a 14-20 record in the Crossroads League for the seventh spot in the conference regular season standings.