The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Longhorn legends: Softball Hall of Honor inductee Christa Williams
10.04.2007 | Softball
When The University of Texas added softball in 1997, it did so with the intent of eventually becoming a national power. In 1998, Christa Williams accelerated the process and gave the Longhorns that status much sooner than anticipated after transferring to the Forty Acres.
Williams, a Houston native, left national power UCLA -- a program that played in the finals of the Women's College World Series and had eight NCAA Championship plaques in its trophy case -- to pitch at Texas, a program entering its second intercollegiate varsity season.
In 1998, the Longhorns would improve from a 30-24 record in 1997 to 49-16 and become the youngest program to ever appear in the NCAA Women's College World Series (WCWS). Because of her outstanding tenure at UT, Williams is one of the six former Longhorns to be inducted this year into the Texas Athletics Women's Hall of Honor.
Williams came to Texas at a time ripe for growth and change, not just for the young softball program, but for herself personally as well. Before she had ever thrown a pitch at the college level, Williams compiled a 2-0 record at the Olympics with 15 strikeouts and a 0.00 ERA. She had come to expect perfection.
"Coming back to Texas was wonderful for me," Williams said, "because when I left for college I had a lot of pressure on me, mainly from myself, to be perfect. When I came back to Texas, I still felt the pressure to perform, but with such a young program I was relearning how to enjoy the game."
UT softball head coach, Connie Clark, knew what a big impact Williams would make.
"It was very significant to get Christa to come here in her second year," Clark said. "I knew a high-level pitcher would be one of the biggest things we would need to really get ourselves on the map nationally. Any time you are playing fast-pitch, you better have good pitchers in the circle. We're just happy she ended up wearing Texas Orange."
With the addition of the young ace to the team, the Longhorns were instant contenders, not only in the Big 12, but nationally. In her first season with the Longhorns, Williams appeared in 43 games, compiling a record of 28-6 and an ERA of 0.46. In her 230.1 innings of work, she hurled 364 strikeouts and hitters racked up a miniscule batting average of .107 against her.
"My favorite memory as a Longhorn was winning the regionals to go to the Women's College World Series," Williams said. "It was my first year playing for Texas and we were the youngest program in history to make it to the World Series."
It would be much the same story in 1999. The Longhorns tallied an overall record of 45-17 and captured their first Big 12 Conference Tournament championship. Although they would not make it back to the WCWS, Williams still put up remarkable numbers including a three-week stretch where she tossed three no-hitters, allowed just eight total hits and did not give up a single earned run. Two of her no-hitters were against ranked Big 12 rivals, No. 18 Texas A&M and eventual Big 12 regular season champion, No. 8 Oklahoma.
In 2000, Williams would leave Texas and return to play for the U.S. National Team in the Sydney Olympic Games.
"The second time I went to the Olympics it was a completely different scenario," Williams said. "It was a different role for me personally, and our team was in a totally different situation. We were in fourth place going into the Olympics so if we lost in the first medal round - we were out. On top of that, the games were being held in Sydney, which was a much more hostile environment than playing in front of a home crowd in Atlanta. Thankfully, I had had three years of experience pitching in college, and that really taught me how to handle myself in a hostile environment."
The U.S. would claim gold again, and Williams would transition from her college and Olympic glory to the professional ranks. The Ohio Pride (Women's Pro Softball League) drafted her in 2000 and the Texas Thunder selected her (National Pro Fastpitch League) in 2004. In her three seasons with the Thunder, Williams went 42-19 in the circle and lead the league in ERA twice. In 2005, she won the NPFL Pitching Triple Crown, leading the league in wins (17), strikeouts (172) and ERA (0.72).
Williams now coaches softball at Manvel (Texas) High School.
"They were a new school last year and this is their first year as a varsity program," Williams said. "So it is like my whole life is coming full circle. Even the school colors are red, white and blue."
With her professional playing career and now coaching, Williams has stayed so busy after leaving Texas that it was a surprise when she got the call about the Hall of Honor.
"I was shocked when I heard that I was being inducted," Williams said. "I totally didn't expect it because I have been so focused on transitions in my own life since I just retired last year and now I am trying to give back to softball through coaching. I am thrilled to come back and now I look back at my time at Texas and realize how good I had it. I have played softball lots of different places, but some of my best memories and definitely some of my best teammates were right here."
To her former coach, Williams will be remembered as a competitor.
"Christa really gets this look in her eyes and she competes as well as anybody," Clark said. "I think that's why she was a gold medalist and has been so tremendous in her sport. It is great to see her teaching the game now and trying to give back to some of the younger athletes. She is instilling that as a coach now, but as a player, she was one of the best."
