Courtney Blades Rogers

Sport: Softball

Induction Year: 2021

University: Southern Miss

The Baton Rouge native was a four-time all-state pitcher at Belaire High School before an ultra-successful career at Nicholls and Southern Miss where she had a career record of 151-34 with 77 shutouts and an 0.97 ERA. She chalked up a then-NCAA record 1,773 strikeouts in 1261.2 innings pitched.

She was the Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year in 1998 at Nicholls, then transferred to USM (following Nicholls coach Lu Harris there) and led the Golden Eagles, who were returning after a seven-year hiatus for the program, to the Women’s College World Series in 1999 and 2000. She collected 95 of her team’s 115 wins in that two-year span, going 43-6 and 52-7 in the circle.

A two-time first-team All-American, Rogers threw three no-hitters with a perfect game and she set an NCAA single-season record with 497 strikeouts in 1999. As a senior, she was the 2000 Honda National Softball Player of the Year after winning an NCAA single-season record 52 games with four no-hitters and two perfect games. She averaged 11.6 strikeouts per seven innings to lead the nation, sitting down 663 batters. In the 2000 WCWS, Rogers pitched a perfect game against No. 1 Arizona, a feat unmatched in the Series until 2021. She established NCAA records for career wins (151) and strikeouts (1,773) though both have been surpassed.

Rogers once recorded 21 strikeouts against LSU, her hometown team, in a 1-0, 13-inning loss in an NCAA regional game. She proved to be more than just a pitcher, hitting .320 during her two seasons at Nicholls and .307 at USM. Played for Team USA between her junior and senior seasons at USM and became the first softball player to be inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.

Recently an NCAA.com columnist ranked her among the top 11 pitchers all-time in the collegiate game. Born 5-16-1978 in Baton Rouge.