Kentucky softball coach Eileen Schimdt has announced the addition of assistant coach Brett Prosek to her staff. Prosek comes to UK after spending the last two years as a special education teacher and coach at Neenah High School in Neenah, Wisc.
After two years at the high school level, Prosek is breaking into the collegiate coaching ranks with the Wildcats. Schmidt served as an assistant on the Arkansas staff during Prosek?s playing career in Fayetteville.
?Brett played for me at Arkansas and she just knows the game,? said Schmidt. ?She could play anywhere, but she specializes in offense. She knows how to swing and can teach it. Brett will be a great addition to our staff. Softball comes naturally to her and it?s in her blood. We?re excited to have her and her family here.?
Prosek was part of the first-ever recruiting class at Arkansas, which was started by Carie Dever-Boaz in 1996. She was named All-SEC twice and was a two-time member of the SEC All-Tournament team.
Prosek rewrote the records books while at Arkansas, setting the record for hits in a season with 80 in 2000. The Appleton, Wisc., native also holds single-season records for doubles (20) and total bases (106) and is tied for the most games started with 75. Prosek ranks among career leaders several categories, including assists (2nd ? 459), triples (3rd ? 5), walks (3rd ? 49), batting average (4th ? .294), hits (4th ? 184), doubles (4th ? 35) and RBIs (5th ? 56). She graduated from Arkansas in 2003 with a degree in Kinesiology.
Prosek was also a standout at the high school level. She graduated from Appleton West High School where she was a three-year letterwinner in softball, basketball and volleyball.
?Coaching at the college level is something I?ve always wanted to do. I was given the opportunity and I definitely couldn?t pass it up,? said Prosek. ?Being at an SEC school with the level of competition we will face is exciting to me as a coach. I think the best thing about coaching at this level is you?re working with kids who you know want to be here and you know are going to put in the time and effort that it takes to succeed.?
A love of the diamond runs in the family for Prosek. Her older brother, Matt Erickson, is currently a free agent after making his major league debut for the Milwaukee Brewers last season. Her father, Bruce, is in his first year as a volunteer assistant coach at Wisconsin-Oshkosh after serving as a high school coach and teacher for the past 30 years. He led Appleton West baseball to four WIAA Division 1 state titles.
Prosek and her husband, Andy, have an 18-month-old son, Drew. They will reside in Lexington.
