Softball player Karley Wester reflects on her 200-hit career record

This past Sunday, Notre Dame softball co-captain and fellow Tab writer Karley Wester batted her way to her 200th career hit with an RBI single in the fourth inning of Notre Dame’s match against Stony Brook.

But not only is Karley the 22nd player in Notre Dame history to reach this impressive milestone – she just became the player to reach this milestone the fastest, shattering the previous record of 165 games by doing it in a mere 129.

In addition to her many accomplishments on the field, Karley is also involved in Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), the Rosenthal Leadership Academy for athletes, and of course, writing for The Tab!

Without a doubt, the junior Accounting major is a player who is all about the “we” rather than the “me,” and we got a chance to talk with her about her record, her team, and what’s in store for ND softball this season.

How long have you been playing softball?

I have been playing softball since I was seven years old. Fun fact: I played on my first softball team with Micaela Arizmendi, who is now a senior on the Notre Dame team. So we played on our first and last teams together!

Have you always wanted to go to ND?

Like I said in my article, Notre Dame wasn’t where I had wanted to go to school. Fortunately for me, Stanford (which was my dream school) didn’t end up working out and I found myself committing to Notre Dame to play softball. In the end, everything happens for a reason, and I ended up going to the school I was meant to be at. I couldn’t be happier at ND.

What’s been your favorite part of being on the ND softball team?

My favorite part about being on the ND softball team is how much of a family the program is. I trust these girls, coaches and staff with anything and everything. I have made some of my best friends here and couldn’t imagine my life without them.

What does breaking this record mean to you? Was it something you had been working towards, or was it a complete surprise?

I had no idea I was on pace to reach the milestone, and didn’t realize I reached it until later that night when I saw a post on social media. Breaking the record is pretty exciting, but I’m more excited as to how this team is playing this year.

What are some team rituals or traditions?

One thing we do is “spotlight.” Whenever we win, we always pick someone who played really well to perform on the bus. They choose a song to sing and have to put headphones on loud, so they can’t hear themselves. We get some pretty good performances every year, and they are never anything short of entertaining.

Do you plan to continue your involvement with softball post-graduation?

Every little girl softball-player’s dream is to play for the national team someday, and I’d be lying to you if I had said I’ve outgrown that dream. If provided the opportunity, I would gladly represent USA.

Along with that, I’m not sure if NPF (National Professional Fastpitch) is in the cards or is something I would pursue. Besides playing ball past college, I’m sure I’ll stay involved somehow. This game has given me so much that I don’t think there is any way I could possibly repay it for everything. But maybe coaching at any level one day is in my future.

What can we look forward to regarding ND softball this season, and how does the team look?

The team has a different vibe this year compared to the past. Softball hasn’t been this fun in a long time, and I think we can credit that to the energy we exude in the dugout. We are doing push-ups (like what we do at football games) in the dugout every time we score a run, which is something we have never done before. We are just playing with such confidence and swagger, and I am excited to see how far this team can go this year.

We were excited we hosted a regional last year, but are still bitter with the results. We are determined to do something no ND softball team has yet to do. Our goal has always been to “Bring Notre Dame Softball to Dominance,” and that is something I and my teammates are determined to do.

We can’t wait to go support Karley and the rest of her teammates this season as Notre Dame softball continues to strive for dominance. Check out their full schedule here, and Go Irish!