Softball 8/31/2021 1:00:00 PM Chris Brannick

Gerry Pinkston Stadium To Be Name of UCO Softball Facility

Central Naming Facility After Longtime, Hall of Fame Coach

EDMOND – The University of Central Oklahoma announced Tuesday Gerry Pinkston Stadium will be the new name of its softball facility, honoring the Hall of Fame coach.

Pinkston coached Central from 1976-1997 and won 455 games along the way. A formal ceremony is being planned for next month. More details will be announced soon.

"Overwhelming," Pinkston said about having her name put on the stadium.

"I had a dream job," she continued. "To be able to teach and coach a long time. You don't think about things like this. It certainly wasn't anything I expected. It's such an honor. It really honors all of the players that have played here and made the program what it is."

"Gerry is synonymous with UCO Softball and its tradition of excellence," University President Patti Neuhold-Ravikumar said. "Naming the stadium for her is not only a fitting way to honor her personal contributions to Central, but also to remind the next generations of softball players of what she made possible for them."

"Coach Pinkston certainly has made a name for herself in a life filled with accomplishments and service to UCO, so this is such a fitting honor for the University to extend her legacy at the stadium," UCO athletic director Stan Wagnon said. "When I think of Coach Pinkston's contributions to UCO, I look no further than the current state of our women's sports programs because her efforts years ago paved the way for both the opportunities we now provide and the success we now enjoy. I'm excited for the young women who will get to play at Gerry Pinkston Stadium and learn about the difference she has made at UCO."

"This is the perfect honor for Coach Pinkston, who has done so much for the Central softball program for more than 40 years," current head coach Cody White said. "She laid the groundwork for what we stand for with the success she had on the field as a coach and has continued to support the program in every way possible."

An active member of the Central's health & physical education department, Pinkston started coaching the softball team in 1976 and would spend the next 22 years laying the foundation and building the program while leading the Bronchos.

She took the team to the national tournament on several occasions. She coached 15 student-athletes to a combined 24 NAIA All-District 9 selections. Nine student-athletes earned All-Region honors a combined 12 times, and eight student-athletes earned All-American honors a combined 11 times under her tutelage.

There are six former softball players in the UCO Athletics Hall of Fame. Pinkston coached them all. And then she was inducted into the UCO Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011 but she is part of a small group of individuals that can also claim induction to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Pinkston had a lengthy coaching career at UCO, directing the volleyball program for eight seasons and badminton for one while spending 22 years with the softball program (1978-97) in addition to teaching in the Kinesiology Department.

She finished with a 455-319-1 career record in softball, leading the Bronchos to 16 winning seasons with two 30-win campaigns. UCO made three national tournament appearances under Pinkston and she coached 11 All-Americans while earning FCA College Coach of the Year honors in 1985.

Pinkston is one of just 53 individuals who have been inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame and she has been involved in many organizations since her retirement from coaching. She was named UCO's Outstanding Educator in 2003 and in 2007 became a member of the UCO Foundation Board of Trustees.

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