Zimpleman to continue softball career at Ball State

Former Caston star ‘grateful’ after PFW dropped softball

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Addison Zimpleman will continue her softball career next year at Ball State after her career at Purdue Fort Wayne ended suddenly.

Her commitment to Ball State ended a two-month trek to find a new school. She knows other players in her position might not be so lucky.

“I am beyond grateful,” Zimpleman told RTC. “This summer was very hard for me. I kind of thought for awhile I’d be hanging up my cleats. There are so many people that go into the portal that don’t end up finding a home. And I honestly thought for awhile I was going to be one of those players that didn’t. I was very scared, but to be given another opportunity and another chance, is all glory to God for allowing me to still continue to play the game I love.”

Purdue Fort Wayne announced that it would be discontinuing softball and baseball, effective immediately, on May 23, so Zimpleman, a 2024 Caston grad, immediately filed paperwork and entered the transfer portal.

“I was at home sitting at our office desk,” Zimpleman said when asked where she was when PFW ended its softball program. “And my heart broke. I was on a Zoom call hearing the very devastating news that I didn’t think would happen.”

Zimpleman said no one tipped off the players. Coach Amber Bowman found out the day before, according to Zimpleman, but the players found out the same time the public did.

What made the news more frustrating was how much the team improved.

PFW won 14 games the year before Zimpleman arrived. They won 21 games during the year that she was there and were conference tournament runners-up.

“I think they were waiting for everyone else to tell us,” Zimpleman said. “You know, a lot of emotions were running. Probably anger and just frustration after the historic season we had. So no one knew this was going to happen.”

Zimpleman said the players were mindful of a culture change while she was at PFW.

“I would say unification, teamwork,” Zimpleman said. “Everyone bought into what our coach had to say, bought in to each other. We knew that something had to change, and I wanted to be an impact piece coming in. I wanted to change the energy and just the passion for the game.”

If she did that, it could be argued that it would not have been the first time Zimpleman changed the culture of a softball program. In the final three years of her high school career, she hit .548 with 30 homers while starring on the 2023 Caston team that won the first sectional, regional and semistate titles in school history before losing the Class 1A state title game to Tecumseh.

While many freshmen at the Division I level struggle to get playing time, Zimpleman played shortstop and either hit fourth or fifth in the batting order at PFW.

But challenges go with the playing time. She hit .215, but she did hit seven homers, including two in a game against Robert Morris.

“College is a whole different ballgame,” Zimpleman said. “I know that’s kinda cliche to say, but especially as a hitter, it’s hard. I was in the 4-5 hole most of the time, and you know, pitchers pitch to you differently. A lot of schools don’t have you figure it out, I guess. So they’re going to throw you a little bit of everything. They know you’re a good hitter when you’re in that spot, and I had to carry that confidence with me. I struggled for a little bit. I was in a slump. But every little thing… if it was a sac fly to bring a runner in, it didn’t always matter about the hits. It was more how can I contribute to my team in any way that’s possible. … You had to have a good mindset going through everything. Truly, I played like every game could be my last. Never did I think that the program would just end. But as a freshman, you never know for sure your playing time. Not a lot of freshmen play, so I wanted to make the most of my time and the opportunity I was given.”

Zimpleman said PFW coaches put out good words for her after the announcement. The problem was that by May 23, the transfer portal was already filling up, and spots at potential new schools were already beginning to fill.

“If we would have known the news ahead of time, we would have gotten a jumpstart,” Zimpleman said. “That’s why there’s a lot of girls on my team that still haven’t found a home. It’s because there are so many rosters that are already full.”

Zimpleman said she did not like the recruiting process when she was in high school. She said athletes from smaller schools – whether it was her former teammate and current Bethel basketball player Isabel Scales at Caston or Pioneer grad Hailey Cripe getting noticed at Kansas or close friend and Pioneer grad Brooklyn Borges getting noticed by the volleyball coaches at Ohio Christian – are not on the “radar”of big schools.

“It’s very hard to get noticed,” Zimpleman said. “With travel ball, it’s all about the right place at the right time. And travel ball is really the only way for people within our area to get recruited.”

Zimpleman said “a lot” of schools reached out right away, but Ball State was not one of them. So she emailed them.

Zimpleman earned a Lilly Scholarship when she was at Caston, but in order for the Lilly Scholarship to be in effect, she had to transfer to a school in Indiana. A Lilly Scholarship pays for tuition, fees, books and equipment.

“And I want to represent my home state,” Zimpleman added. “I want to be close to family and friends and especially my support with Caston. So many people still follow me, and it’s just great to have those people behind me.”

Zimpleman said that Ball State was the only school she visited during the transfer portal process.

“I knew after talking with the coach, that was the school and program I wanted to go to,” Zimpleman said. “I had a lot of smaller schools reach out, but I didn’t want to limit myself quite yet. I wanted to shoot for the stars, and talking with Ball State, I was like this school and this program, it’s my second opportunity, and I really felt at home there.”

Zimpleman said she loved how Ball State and coach Helen Peña treat their players more as people and instill a series of values that transcend softball.

“This is a game we play,” Zimpleman said. “It’s a game I love, but to also be valued as a person, that’s bigger than anything.”

Zimpleman said her primary major is marketing with a minor in finance. She said her academic credits will transfer from PFW to Ball State.

From a softball standpoint, she is moving from to a Ball State team that went 33-18 last year.

“I haven’t met with all the girls, but I firmly believe this is going to be a great year with the players, and even with just talking with the coaches, they expect more and more out of their players each year because of the hard work they’re putting into the program and the devotion,” Zimpleman said. “But I think it’s going to be a great year. I do.”