There's a new sheriff in town for the UW softball team.
The new head coach for the softball team, Candelle Schulte, is accustomed to winning. Her career record as a head coach is a very respectable 207-147, good for a winning percentage of .698. But she knows that competing in the Big Ten will be a challenge for the Badgers, who are currently in just their 11th season in existence.
"[The Badgers] were 11-10 last year in the Big Ten," Schulte said. "Certainly, we'd like 11-10 [wins this year]. It is doable; we'll have to play well. We would take 11, anything above 11, and be okay with that the first year."
It is no surprise that Schulte, who came to the University of Wisconsin from the College of Charleston, has experienced success as a coach. She grew up in a household where typical dinner table conversation topics were baseball and football.
"My dad played semi-pro [baseball], my brother played college football, and I have been involved in athletics my entire life," explained Shulte. "And my dad coached when he got injured. So, I think it's been in my genes a little bit."
Schulte grew up in Eastpoint, Mich., and graduated from Eastern Michigan in 1992. Only one thing stood between her and her destiny to become a successful collegiate head coach: law school.
"I graduated [from Eastern Michigan] and I was going to go to grad school," said Schulte. "And somebody called and said there was a coaching position [available at a small college in Michigan, and asked if] I would be interested in being an assistant."
Schulte couldn't make such a major decision herself and enlisted the support of her mother for advice.
"I had a great conversation with my mom, and she said, 'Is [law school] really what you want to do?'" Schulte said. "So that one conversation really gave me permission to go ahead and do something my brothers and sisters are all very jealous about."
Schulte wants to win each and every game when the Badgers take the field. However, winning in Big Ten play is the primary goal this year for the young team.
"[Increasing the overall win total from last year] is obviously something we'd like to achieve, but this is by far the most difficult schedule UW Softball has ever played," Schulte said. "So, [the schedule] is a little ambitious, and there's a fine line [between] being competitive and still having your kids have confidence. So, I'm not really worried about the overall win record, I'm worried about us being ready to compete in the Big Ten."
Schulte has other, more reasonable goals for the team this year.
"A measurable goal is obviously to at least match our record in the Big Ten last year," divulged Schulte. "[Another goal is] to increase our defensive fielding percentage by ten points, so … .960 or higher; to get our ERA down into the 2.00's, as a team … those are very small things that we hope to do that will help us win a few more softball games."
Schulte has noticed some differences between coaching softball at College of Charleston and coaching at the UW.
"It's been a difficult transition getting used to practicing inside, because, you know in Charleston we really didn't have to do that," the first-year coach said. "It's just not the same as playing on the dirt, so I think for me that's the biggest challenge so far, is just really getting used to adapting to an indoor facility versus being able to be outside all of the time."
The new sheriff has arrived, and if her past successes are any evidence of things to come, the Badgers will not only reach the goals they set this year, they just might surpass them.
