Hall of Fame
During the program's short history, many student-athletes have etched their names into the softball record books at Northwest. Casey Baddley is one of those names.
A native of Nesbit and a product of a strong DeSoto Central softball program, Baddley made a name for herself both at the plate and in the circle as part of two playoff teams from 2012-13. She quickly gained national attention during her freshman season, earning NJCAA Division II Pitcher of the Week honors less than a month into the season, paving the way for First Team MACJC and Region 23 selections.
Baddley's 2012 season was a stellar one, as she finished 17-4 in the circle with a 1.47 ERA. She tossed 17 complete games in 22 starts and threw nine shutouts, while also garnering 99 strikeouts against 35 walks in 128.1 innings of work. On April 18 of that year, Baddley recorded her first collegiate save at Holmes, throwing three shutout innings.
Her dominance extended to the plate as well, where she hit .319Â with four doubles and 17 RBIs, while scoring 20 runs. Baddley set a single-season school record with 16 hit-by-pitches and also laid down 12 sacrifice hits, which is second in a single-season. In the field, she carried a .994 fielding percentage with just one error in 173 chances.
Baddley was one of several factors that led coach Mike Rowan's team to a 30-win season and a runner-up finish in the MACJC North Division. The Rangers led the nation with a .967 team fielding percentage, due in part to Baddley's efforts.
Northwest had another solid season in 2013, as the Rangers finished 27-13 overall in Baddley's sophomore campaign. She led the team with a .391 batting average, five doubles, four home runs and 26 RBIs, while also setting a new school record with her 27 career hit-by-pitches. In the circle, she completed a 12-6 record with a 2.35 ERA, 11 complete games, six shutouts and 105 strikeouts.
Following her Northwest days, Baddley hung up the cleats and continued her academic studies at the University of Mississippi, where she graduated in 2016 with her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and a minor in Mathematics. While at Ole Miss, she served as the president of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and a member of Tau Beta Pi.
After leaving Ole Miss, Baddley worked as a process engineer and superintendent for a paper mill in Louisiana and is currently the Rail Program Manager at a manufacturing plant in Memphis. She is also working on a Master of Business Administration from the University of Mississippi and will graduate in December 2021.
Baddley resides in Olive Branch with her husband, Jon. In her free time, she enjoys visiting breweries, riding her bicycle and attending college sporting events.
