"Going the Distance"
Joyce (DeWitz) Barnard Earns Hall of Fame
Gustavus Adolphus College will be inducting Joyce (DeWitz) Barnard and seven other athletes into its Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 14th. After a dominating softball college career, Barnard described the honor as “insane” and a “relief” but also felt as if her accomplishments more than warranted consideration. Gustavus Adolphus athletes are eligible for induction 15 years after their playing career ends, and considering Barnard left Gustavus holding eight program records, including innings pitched (195.1), games started (89), appearances (106), and career victories (61), her inclusion was worth the wait. At one time, however, her stellar collegiate career almost didn’t happen.
The former Maple River 2002 state champion described how her “bad senior year” continued into her freshman year at GAC due to an illness that took almost a year of recovery. Instead of just calling it quits, Barnard bounced back with her best year of her career during her 2005 sophomore campaign. According to Jeff Annis, who coached Barnard at Maple River and later as the head coach at Gustavus Adolphus, her self-confidence allowed her to overcome many of the ups and downs that face pitchers in a game. Her grit allowed her to deal with umps, defensive mistakes, and cheap hits to become a successful pitcher.
Barnard does admit that her physical gifts took her a long way but it was her command of the mental game that gave her an edge. Going into a game, she claimed “I never thought I’d lose.”
Her love of the game also motivated her through a career that saw success at the high school, collegiate, and even professional levels. After graduating Gustavus Adolphus in 2007, she spent a year in New Zealand in the professional ranks with international players before returning to Minnesota to coach teams and individuals. To this day, Barnard still picks up the ball because of her love of the game.
Her passion for softball found its roots locally. “Fastball is in our blood,” Barnard said about exposure to the game courtesy of her father. Once she decided upon being a pitcher in 7th grade, the rest was history. From her first pitching coach Ken Dobie to the support of Juliann and Julie FitzSimmons, Barnard found both team and individual success as a varsity pitcher at Maple River, including shut-outs, no hitters, and attaining a perfect game. Not wanting to play “too close to home” for college, her decision to attend Gustavus Adolphus ended up being a last minute decision because of her connection to hitting coach Mark Weist. A few years later, Barnard saw her high school coach become her college coach. Annis explained that by the time he met her again in college, she’d developed a maturity and understanding of setting up college players that made “hitters hit her pitch” instead of just blowing by hitters with strikes like she was able to do in high school.
(Originally Published with the Maple River Messenger)
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