The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Ten things you need to know about Tina Boutelle
04.11.2006 | Softball
1. Shower you with kindness. "She can gleek on command. If you ever feel a quick spray of wetness, look around and see if Tina is near you," says freshman Brittany Reliford.
2. The original prankster. "One day on my recruiting trip, Tina stood behind me with a stuffed alligator head and said 'roar' and when I turned around, I pretty much jumped out of my pants. Thanks Tina," says Shannon Thomas. Fellow senior Amber Hall says, "We were rooming together once and I had just gotten out of the shower and I opened the door to Tina stripped down to her sports bra and sliders jumping out from underneath the sink yelling, trying to scare me. I made her get back under so I could take a picture of it. Hilarious!" "She taps people on the shoulder and gets them to look the other way," says MicKayla Padilla. And don't look now, but she's not letting up during her senior year. Just ask Coach Clark about practice jokes in the hotels this season.
3. What About Bob? "She always has to have 'Bob' with her. It's her own version of the Hook 'em Horns sign. I think this may be the last year for Bob," says Megan Willis. 'Bob' is a softball bat with a batting glove shaped like the Hook 'em Horns sign on the top. He has been a part of the Texas Softball team since Boutelle's freshman year.
4. Size does matter. "Tina has huge feet," says Rachael Cook. Boutelle wears a women's size 12 in Nike cleats and she is a whopping 5-foot-5. Boutelle and Cat Osterman share shoes strangely enough. "I think my feet give me a huge advantage on the bases. They are much bigger than a usual 5-5 woman and when I slide they get there much faster than someone with a size 8 shoe," says Boutelle.
5. Open Mic Night. "Tina is the oldest little kid. She is so much fun to be around. You are always in a good mood around Tina," says Meagan Denny. "She likes to make up random dances and always laughs at herself," says Padilla. "She loves to have a good time and wants others around her to have a good time as well. Has an awesome sense of humor and can make many laugh," says freshman Kelly Melone.
6. Tina of a different color. "Tina is a bubbly girl that enjoys coloring her hair," says fellow senior Chez Sievers. Boutelle says, "I have dyed my hair a few different colors since being at Texas. I accidentally dyed it maroon my freshman year the week before the UT vs. OU football game. Then I dyed most of it blonde again and then added burnt orange to it. Finally I have added a 'copper' tone that is a bit red, but fades to burnt orange eventually. I love drastic hair colors!"
7. Running of the Bulls. "She does this raging bull act with her feet either in the outfield or going up to bat. She does it then I have to respond with the same thing. Not sure why we started it but it's stuck now," says Coach Marla Looper.
8. Shag now or shag later? "She takes shagging batting practice to a whole new level," says freshman Kacie Gaskin. Boutelle and Rachael Cook like to pretend they are playing polo in the outfield with their bats and without the horse. They will gallop to a ball and hit the balls back to the infield with their bats.
9. Dr. Jekyll, Ms. Hyde. "She has split personalities between her curly and straight hair," says Cook. Depending on Boutelle's mood, her hair will be straight as a board or it will be full of curls. She looks like two completely different people but she is still the same fun-loving outfielder.
10. "My Baby Blue." "She has a really cool blue and silver bike she got at Target," says freshman Crystal Saenz. "She loves to ride her bike around Town Lake when we have time off," says fellow senior Cat Osterman. She nicknamed her bike 'Baby Blue' because she loves her bike like it is her baby since her first one was stolen.
