Arnold, Terry Blong

She began her career as a successful slow pitch player. She played the game for twenty years from 1961 through 1980. She and the teams for which she played won numerous awards culminating with an ASA “A” State Championship in 1976.

She began her coaching career in 1980 with the Morehead Cobras who finished the season as ASA State Major Runners-Up, ASA Midwest Major Regional Runners-Up, and advanced to compete in the ASA Major Nationals.

In 1981, she became the coach of Bill Fraley’s Wildcats. From 1981 through 1985, she led her team to an outstanding run of success. They won three ASA Major State Championships in 1981, 1982, and 1983. They placed 2nd twice, 3rd once, and 4th twice in the ASA Major Midwest Regionals and advanced on to the ASA Major Nationals three times. In the Nationals, they managed to claim a 6th and two 10th place finishes.

From 1986 through 1994, she was the head coach for the Ruth Paving Softball team. Under her leadership, they became the flagship team of Kentucky consistently posting strong finishes in the ASA Major Nationals at a time when the Women’s Major level had become ultra-competitive. Their crowning achievement was their finish as ASA Major National Runners-Up in the 1993 event.

Ruth Paving’s won-lost record during her career has resulted in the team winning over 74% of their games. Her leadership as a coach throughout her career brought forth outstanding efforts from her players which enabled her teams to excel on a national scale against the very best in the country.