- 5/25/2025
Liberty softball coach Dot Richardson previews Super Regional vs Oregon
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Short filmTranscript
00:00Coach, first of all, congratulations on the program's first ever Super Regional.
00:05You were talking about sort of a plan or a path.
00:09Like, since you got here, you built this thing from the ground up,
00:12and you guys are so rebel, and everybody respects what you're doing.
00:16But one thing that kind of struck me, and it kind of stayed with you said,
00:19this is not the angle of your Super Regional.
00:21It has to get to Oklahoma City.
00:23So how do you stress that to your team and tell them,
00:25hey, look, we made it to Eugene, but we want to go to Oklahoma City?
00:28Well, with God, all things are possible.
00:31And when you look at just so many blessings that, you know, we all have, right?
00:37I mean, don't we just go through life, and we just get into this routine?
00:42And I hope that we're able to spark in people's lives that we don't have to just be ordinary.
00:48I mean, it's extraordinary to be able to just trust the gifts that God has given you
00:53and seize the opportunities before you.
00:56And we have done that through the years.
00:59But this year, we've been able to go over that hump.
01:03But this team is like, we've never really focused on winning or losing, right?
01:07We focus on being the best that we can be.
01:10What a great way to honor the Lord when all of us just give our all to something, right?
01:16When you just give your all, that's the best.
01:18Your best is good enough.
01:20And our best was good enough to be where we are now.
01:23Now, the challenge before us against Oregon, a highly ranked team, very strong team, but
01:29so are we.
01:30So let the battles begin, right?
01:32On the field, let's just be the best we can be.
01:35And if that's good enough, then we will be at the World Series and continue to go to be
01:40the last team standing, winning the last game of the season for Division I.
01:44And that's, it's obtainable.
01:48I think that any given day, any team can beat any team.
01:53And so that's what we're going to do.
01:56We're going to seize the opportunities before us.
01:58We know that God has a plan.
02:01I can tell you so many that were so obvious just throughout the entire years I've been
02:07here, including where we are right now and the facilities and just the mission of training
02:13Champions for Christ that Liberty University stands for.
02:17And just look at what the programs have done and what softball is doing.
02:21I can just keep talking forever because I'm just so humbled, but yet hungry just to keep
02:29going.
02:31You've probably been asked a version of this question, but in the last 48 hours, you've
02:35done a lot in softball world.
02:35Is there somebody or something you've seen, maybe somebody writing about Liberty, talking
02:39about Liberty?
02:39Is there something that's kind of been like, wow, I can't believe we've reached it there
02:42after, you know, just given the historical nature of the, of the upset against Texas
02:45and is there something that's been interesting to you?
02:46Well, what is really crazy is the media is like insanely in an amazing way, but social
02:53media has just been like, I don't know what you call it, but the posts, everything going
02:58on and on and on.
03:00See God's plan.
03:01It was really interesting.
03:01We thought that we'd be at South Carolina regional or Clemson regional, but instead we're going
03:07to Texas A&M, the number one seed in the nation.
03:11And God has a plan because look at the eyes that we're watching the games, the.
03:16The battles, the, you know, the battle between Texas A&M and Liberty, it was so awesome to
03:23watch.
03:23I mean, it was softball at the top level and we happened to win the war.
03:29Right.
03:30But it was like, they'd score, we'd score, we'd score, they'd score.
03:34You know, it was like reaching deep.
03:36And it was so, I mean, I'm just getting chills thinking about it because just reliving it
03:43over and over again, that is what fast food softball is all about.
03:48And that felt like the world series.
03:51I've been in the world series, you know, watching the world series, just envisioning Liberty softball
03:57being there.
03:57We're two wins away, but right now our focus is going to be keep playing the way that we
04:06were born to play and the team to be together with the point of just focusing on the ball.
04:11I've always said this, ladies, the softball deserves your respect.
04:17Keep your eyes on it.
04:17The entire sport is named after it.
04:20But think of the softball as Jesus.
04:21We need to keep our eyes on Jesus.
04:24Right.
04:24And when you do that, great things happen.
04:27And we're ready for greatness.
04:30In this day and age of, you know, transfer portal, NIL, it's unusual for a player to stay
04:36at one place their entire career, especially at non-power four.
04:39So, Rachel Root, she's obviously done that, been to four straight regionals, now to super
04:44regionals, conference player of the year.
04:46You know, we can go on and on about her accolades.
04:47Just named South America All-American.
04:50So, yeah.
04:51South All-America All-American.
04:52Lots of accolades.
04:54But what does it say about her wanting to stay here and not, you know, go into the portal
04:59and look to go to a different school?
05:02Well, in the day, as you mentioned, of the transfer portal and to have Rachel Root and
05:06others committed to what Liberty is all about, says a lot about the university.
05:11And it says a lot about her integrity and her goals.
05:14It's like she knows what she has and what she's a part of and what she is building and the
05:21legacy.
05:21It was so evident.
05:23When you looked at that IF championship game, for her to have the two home runs that she
05:28did to set the tone, to say Zoom focus, she goes, Coach, I am locked in.
05:33And when you have a talented athlete like Rachel Root who's locked in, you know, it's historic.
05:41And that's what happened.
05:41History was made.
05:43Because she lifts up other players on the team.
05:45She actually invites transfers here.
05:48When we had her transfers, many of them this past year who came to us, the first day it
05:54was like Rachel Root.
05:56I want to be like Rachel Root.
05:58Everybody knows Rachel Root.
06:01So she could play anywhere.
06:03And unfortunately, when we get caught up into power fours, soon to be power threes, twos,
06:08whoever, we don't appreciate all of the talent because Liberty can't control what conference
06:16they're in.
06:17Right?
06:18And so we're doing everything that we can to just play a sport that we love.
06:25And at Liberty, all of the players, you know, look at women's basketball, men's basketball,
06:29football.
06:31We're just so supported.
06:33And that is why we have transfers from LSU, from Alabama, from Michigan to Washington.
06:40Because you get caught up in this idea.
06:44But the realization is when you're in it, you realize, wait a minute.
06:47Am I being fed what I need?
06:51And so people that come to Liberty, they know they're going to have coaches that have servant
06:56hearts, that have played the game at the highest level, who have had their time and want to
07:02share into you and pour into you.
07:05So you have your time.
07:06This is their time.
07:08And that's special, right?
07:12When they know you care about them more than the game.
07:16And I've said this before, and it's so real, you guys, that finally, these players are
07:22realizing, don't worship the sport of softball.
07:26Let softball be your worship back to the Lord.
07:28So when you play with that freedom, it is so inspiring to watch.
07:35And I know it's got to be so encouraging and inspiring to play.
07:39You can see it.
07:41And when you see it and you even taste it, man, you just want to keep competing and competing.
07:46Can you tell I'm ravishing the moment, right?
07:51Because I felt it as a player and I'm feeling it as a coach.
07:55And there are so many people that believe it as well.
07:59Take us back to the recruiting process with Rube.
08:02And when did you first come across her and what was that process like when you were recruiting her?
08:08Well, Rachel Rube, affectionately known as Rubee, was at some of her camps.
08:12And right away, you saw the talent and you saw the personality, right?
08:18She is a personality.
08:21She will be drafted tonight to be a professional athlete.
08:25And I hope she sees that moment to take her gifts beyond the college level.
08:31But when you have someone who wants to bleed red, white, and blue, right, be a part of Liberty and what it stands for.
08:38Before, Liberty was just barely getting on the map, if you would, in regards to Liberty's softball.
08:45And she is like, she's a frontrunner.
08:50She's the pathfinder.
08:53You know, she's a pioneer.
08:56And that's what puts a program on the map.
08:59And she could be anywhere.
09:02And she's making her statement here.
09:04But right away, we knew, I knew that she was a player I wanted to coach.
09:09And I've loved every second of it.
09:11And she's such a leader.
09:13She's been on the Unity Council, unanimously selected by the players, her peers.
09:20And she's a great role model.
09:22And that is what I'm just so excited for her, proud of her, because she's going to shape the lives of so many people.
09:32And young girls to look up to her, she's deserving of it.
09:36And it's not just on the field, but off the field.
09:40So she is a superstar.
09:42Excited to have coached her.
09:44And hopefully I'll continue to coach her in the future.
09:47What was the balance after beating Texas A&M and who you might be playing in the Super Regional versus celebrating and then getting back here to Lynchburg and starting your scouting?
09:56What's that kind of been like in the last year?
09:57Well, once we won that IF championship game, the word got back is we're going to host.
10:03We're going to host because Stanford was ahead of Oregon.
10:06And I thought that they had beat them.
10:08And if they had, then we would have hosted it here, which I'm like, God, he's got a plan, right?
10:13This is like awesome to showcase Liberty and showcase this gorgeous stadium.
10:17Uh, to play at home with a home field advantage, but it wasn't meant to be Oregon battled and, and deserve the right to be hosting.
10:25And we have a couple of players on our team who are from Oregon.
10:29So they're excited about God's plan for them to be there.
10:32And so when you look at Bryn McManus from Oregon, you look at a transfer, um, our starting left fielder, Paige Doerr.
10:40They're from Oregon and so excited to be there.
10:43Uh, and our family, our softball family is excited to see their home state and to compete.
10:49Uh, so, um, we were just excited to say, Lord, we're following you work through us and we're going to go wherever you lead.
10:59Um, and coach, the A&M put your seventh overall pick.
11:05I mean, you guys use Emily Kirby to kind of emulate that in preparation.
11:10What does that look like for Bryn?
11:12Well, let me tell you that, um, well, I have an amazing coaching staff and I would put our coaching staff up with any throughout the nation.
11:22When you have, um, an Emily Kirby, you know, Nagel, uh, come, really came through for Liberty software last few years as a lefty throwing hard, played Georgia, um, and struck out 13 of them, uh, was able to compete against Tennessee in that regional.
11:39And, uh, then you go to coach, uh, Sammy, uh, Fagan Harmon, who's our, my hitting coach, who has been a professional athlete in Japan and the United States played in the sec.
11:52Uh, she's bringing that entire experience and you can see our batting averages.
11:56Our hitters have a strong relationship with her.
11:59They feel comfortable in the box.
12:01They have an approach.
12:02She has a way to seek the knowledge and to share it.
12:05Then you look at, uh, you know, coach Casey Fagan, uh, Graham Gatorade player of the year out of the state of Florida in high school, Gatorade player of the year nationally, uh, playing in the sec, uh, just wisdom about her and experience as my associate head coach.
12:22And then, you know, I've been around the game, you know, myself.
12:25And so to be able to get our knowledge and to pour it in, we come together and we say, okay, how do we beat this team?
12:33How do we prepare our girls to be the best they can be?
12:37And when they're there, then it becomes that mindset.
12:40Right.
12:41And so against Texas A&M, the number one ranked team in the nation, who are they going to throw?
12:46So let's prepare our, our hitters for that.
12:49And we knew Kennedy would be the one.
12:52Right.
12:53And as a lefty, when you have Emily Kirby, you know, uh, Nagel being able to, to pitch and to simulate it, but also with all the, it's amazing, you guys, the resources that you have to scout teams.
13:09And we're prepared and we're, we're just prepared for Kennedy.
13:14We knew we'd face, you know, other hit, uh, pitchers.
13:17They have a very talented squad.
13:19And then you got to look at their hitters and how are we going to pitch them?
13:23And so it takes a lot.
13:25It's funny in my game, you know, years ago, you just showed up, swung the bat a few times, played the game.
13:30Here we go.
13:31I think these kids have swung the bat more in one year than I swung, I swung my bat in my career.
13:40And it's just awesome to see the resources.
13:43We have seven indoor batting cages.
13:45We have hit tracks.
13:46We've got cave vests.
13:47We've got all of this stuff.
13:49There is no excuses for us not to be the best we can be.
13:54And I just think, um, number one, you know, God, the father, son, and Holy spirit.
13:59I thank them and I thank Liberty for having that be the focus of giving us the resources.
14:06And, uh, when you're at Liberty, you get everything that you need academically, athletically, socially, and spiritually.
14:13And not every school can say it.
14:15And, um, I'm just humbled to be a part of it.
14:19And I'm just so grateful the rest of the nation and the world can see it.
14:24Uh, coach, I got to ask you this.
14:26I think I've asked you this in the past.
14:27You kind of deflected it, not about you, but in theory, I mean, when you got here to build the program in the way you had for you personally, how special is it?
14:38I know you don't make it about yourself, but deep down, how special is it for you to build this program from where it is when you got here to being one of the final 16 teams in the Supers?
14:48Well, I've said the word before, you know, humbled.
14:53Um, my husband and I knew that the Lord was leading us here.
14:57Um, I had asked the Lord, you know, when I was asked to be in politics, run for mayor, county commissioner, U S Senate for the state of Florida.
15:04Uh, I thought that was the direction the Lord was leading me.
15:07I gave it to him in prayer, heavenly father, whatever it is, you know, I'm your bond servant, wherever you want me to be.
15:14If it's politics, whatever I'm all in, I just please make it perfectly clear.
15:17And the next day I received a phone call from the athletic director at Liberty and asking me to be the head coach here in softball.
15:28And at the end of our conversation, I said, you know, I have never had coached in college before.
15:34I'm humbled by this opportunity.
15:36And he said, well, um, we know you haven't coached before head coached, but we feel the Lord is leading us to you.
15:45And that was just affirmation.
15:46And then when your husband says, yeah, you know, we got to follow where the Lord is leading us.
15:52And when we came to this university, um, in no way does it compare, but in my mind, I just saw baby Jesus in a manger.
16:02And I say that because we had a, uh, not a double wide, but it was a, I think a double wide trailer.
16:10It was a double wide for our offices, the players locker room, the umpire room.
16:15And we had a rec field, right?
16:18That everyone poured as much as they could.
16:20The previous staff had built the dugouts with cinder blocks and painted a blue.
16:26And it was like a hubbit, a hobbit dugout because it was perfect for me, but everyone else had to bend down to get in it.
16:33But, you know, in humble beginnings, when the university started in 1971, it took God fearing and believing leaders to be on Liberty Mountain and to pray over this property to say,
16:52let us fulfill a calling from you, God, of having a university that puts Christ first, Christ centered, who should be centered of all of our lives, who paid the debt on the cross for our sins,
17:06willingly was buried dead for three days and rose again to come over the curse that Satan had put on mankind and ourselves wanting to be our own God, right?
17:18To overcome death that we must go through.
17:21And, uh, he should be the center of our lives.
17:25And, uh, I just, where else can you coach where you're able to say, God, thank you for using me to spread your word and, uh, to pour into these young girls.
17:40You guys, it's like they, this generation is targeted by Satan more than any and by the world.
17:49And I'm just so blessed that even Billy Graham said a coach will impact the lives of more people in one year than most people do in a lifetime.
18:00And these young people need to know how special they are because God loves them and paid the price for us to be able to be with him and love him back.
18:10And we're here for them.
18:11And you guys, the stories, the wounds, it's so real, but they're not alone.
18:18And I hope that people have listened.
18:20You're not alone.
18:21We're in this together.
18:23So you're either with Jesus or not.
18:25You're either for me or against me.
18:26He says, so be on the right team, the winning team, more than Liberty softball, right?
18:33When we're on God's team, we're victorious.
18:36No matter what the score is on a field.
18:37And so that is what I'm about.
18:42That's what Liberty is about.
18:44And I pray that if you don't know Jesus, say, who is this person that Coach Dot's talking about?
18:50Man, I'd love to talk to you.
18:54You know, the Bible inerrant and fallible and inspired word of God tells us the future, tells us a prophecy, tells us the past.
19:02Jesus fulfilled all 300 prophecies of the Messiah.
19:05So when we think about putting Christ first, this is fun, right?
19:13To express the gifts he's given us, baby, and for me to be coaching it.
19:18Just thank you, Lord.
19:18We'll open it up to any questions on the virtual call.
19:24Go ahead if you have anything.
19:27Yeah, Coach.
19:28Mike Barber for the Associated Press.
19:29On the field, was there something about this group that either you felt good going into the year or that clicked during the year that told you they could maybe get over that hump?
19:39Well, what clicked during the year was you could see them coming together culturally.
19:45If you're going to win and win big, the team has to be together.
19:49And this team truly cares about each other.
19:51When we had exit meetings last year after being one out away from Supers, every player said this, love to play the game.
19:59And I played hard.
20:01What made it different was that we wanted to play for each other, right?
20:05We love playing together.
20:07And they took that into this year.
20:09And the senior leadership was exciting.
20:13And there were struggles in the beginning.
20:16Like Satan always throws darts when he knows you're going to do something great for the Lord.
20:20And that made me smile because I'm like, buckle your seatbelts.
20:24Here we go.
20:25And all of a sudden, you just started seeing with Conference USA, us getting together.
20:31Because winning is a tradition, right?
20:33You've got to learn how to win.
20:34And the team has learned how to win and how to do it right.
20:38So I'm not surprised where we are.
20:42And I just knew it because when you watch them, they just play with so much freedom.
20:47You know, it's so – and that's what happens when you see great athletes play with freedom.
20:54Great things happen.
20:55You guys have been good for, obviously, a long run here.
20:59This isn't one year of flash in the pan.
21:02Is this your most talented team?
21:05Or is it that other ingredient that has you here?
21:08No, this is without the most talented – this is without a doubt the most talented team that Liberty Softball has had depth-wise.
21:16We've had some superstars, you know, Bishop Twins, and I can go on and on, Julie DiMartino, others.
21:23I don't want to miss anyone.
21:24But when you collectively have the talent – when I started, I could write the leadoff batter in a lineup.
21:32Then it got to be two, three, then I remember being able to go to five.
21:39And this lineup, I look and go, what?
21:42I can't fit this hitter in.
21:43I can't fit this hitter in.
21:45We've got to find a way.
21:47So this is a very talented team.
21:50Everyone is witnessing it.
21:52And like you said, this is not just a one-time thing.
21:56Six regionals of the six, five of them, we're in the finals.
22:02Everyone, we've taken the seed down.
22:05And with this regional, being able to get over the hump.
22:09So Supers is going to be super.
22:13And it's one of the things two wins away to the World Series.
22:18This team is deserving of it.
22:20And not just to be there, but to show that we can win.
22:23But we just got to keep them humble and hungry, right?
22:30Awesome.
22:30Thank you, Coach.
22:34Just to ask more quick, it was a grueling week for Escobar last week.
22:37And obviously, she's been fighting for spines.
22:38Just her status going into what is expected to be another long weekend for her, possibly.
22:41To let you know, with Elena Escobar, affectionately known as E, she's been dealing with an Achilles
22:48injury for a long time.
22:50And she walks in a walking boot.
22:53She also had a knee injury that she's been dealing with.
22:57And we've been trying to give her rest.
22:59And when we went out in that if, you know, championship game, we did not take her out.
23:06Um, her tears were because she could not give anymore.
23:12She gave up the home run.
23:15She gave up two singles back to back.
23:18And she realized that she's giving her best and her best at that time wasn't good enough to, to make it happen.
23:27And she was in such pain.
23:30So, God's got a plan.
23:33And here's Kaylin Yoder just waiting, waiting for her opportunity.
23:39And when she got on the field to take the place of Escobar, and her warm-up pitch was a ground ball to the backstop.
23:48And the 12th man started laughing at her.
23:53She just gave a big smile back.
23:55And man, the switch was made.
24:02And that, to see what that kid did, and you could see her looking up to the heavens and say,
24:09Lord, I believe, give me the strength.
24:12And what she did was phenomenal.
24:14And we know she's capable of doing it.
24:18Last year, when she pitched, her high was maybe 63, 64.
24:25And when I looked up there and she was throwing 68, 69, it was just so awesome.
24:34Sports is so awesome.
24:36When you have the moments and you rise to the occasion, it's inspiring.
24:44You did it again?
24:45Good.
24:45Good.
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