When Linda Wells took over as ASU softball coach before the 1990 season, she stood in the shadow of a legend. Mary Littlewood won 536 games from 1971-89.
That shadow is long gone.
With a sweep in last week's season-opening series against Texas-San Antonio, Wells, in her 16th and final season at ASU, drew even with her predecessor.
A victory in this weekend's Kajikawa Tournament will make Wells the winningest softball coach in school history. Wells has 887 career wins, the seventh-most in NCAA history.
For Wells, her final season is like any other.
"Every year, I accept the fact that there are seniors in the program, and every year you want to do your best for the program, for the seniors and for the team," Wells said. "To me, this year is no different. Although I am definitely going through it aware that this is my last season, I don't think it's going to be different from any time we have any seniors. That's just how I am.
"Every year is the last year for somebody. The difference is that this year it just happens to be mine."
Wells has led ASU to a pair of Women's College World Series appearances. In 1999, the Sun Devils finished seventh. In 2002, they took third. Wells has coached 75 All-
Pac-10 players and has had seven players combine for 12 All-America honors.
ASU has advanced to the NCAA Tournament 11 times under Wells. The Sun Devils made seven consecutive postseason appearances from 1997-2003.
Wells said the disappointment of not being selected last season still stings.
"We want to prove that not only were we a deserving team that got passed on last year, but we're a deserving team this year that you can't pass on," Wells said. "I think we need to take responsibility for putting that in our own hands instead of putting ourselves on the bubble. If you put yourself on the bubble, you can get your heart broken, as we did last year."
Wells, a fiery competitor, is not content riding into the sunset, as evidenced by her enthusiasm in last week's three-game series. She is treating every game as her last -- something she has done her entire career.
"I'd like to hope that I've approached it every year as strong as I could," Wells said. "There's always a multitude of reasons that a season doesn't go the way you like. Your response to that can be to see it as the opportunity and the challenge that it is, or you can continue to sit back."
Wells has never liked sitting back.
Last summer, Wells coached the Greek Olympic team in Athens. After the season, she plans on holding camps and doing whatever she can to promote softball around the world.
Retirement hasn't started yet. Wells remains focused on having a memorable final season and leaving the program in good shape.
"We need to position ourselves in the grouping a little bit, so we're not in jeopardy of getting passed over again," Wells said. "That's going to happen by playing consistently against whatever competition we face. We'd like to see ourselves get back to Regionals, and that would put us in a position to make the Super Regionals, and then the World Series."
Reach the reporter at jeremy.a.cluff@asu.edu.
