Hall of Fame
Missy Mapes transferred to TWU with Kathy Arendsen. Mapes was an outstanding infielder who occasionally played catcher. She also provided vital power at the plate. Her first year with the team, TWU took fourth at the Women's College World Series.
Dubbed the team's “workhorse,” Mapes played in all 71 regular season games during the 1979 national championship season and finished with a .349 batting average. After winning the national crown in May, Mapes was named a 1st Team All-American and won the TWU President's Award, the highest accolade given by TWU Athletics. She played for the Orlando Rebels that summer, registering a .609 batting average and earning another All-America award. Then in July, Mapes helped the U.S. go 13-1 in the Pan Am Games and win the gold medal.
During her senior season, she was named MVP of the Hawaiian Tournament and was nominated for the Broderick Award. She finished her collegiate career with three state titles, two regional titles, two WCWS berths and a national championship.
Mapes spent the 1980-81 season as a TWU assistant coach. During the summers of 1980-84, she played third base for the Raybestos Brakettes, earning four more ASA All-America awards. The Brakettes won the national title twice and came in second twice with Mapes on the roster. She won a gold medal at the World Games in 1981 when the U.S. defeated China, 1-0. Two years later at the Pan Am Games, Mapes brought home a silver medal when the U.S. came in second to Canada.
She earned her B.S. in physical therapy at TWU's Dallas campus in 1983. In 1988, she earned her M.S. at Northeastern University in Boston. She has won several small golf tournaments and has run in both the Detroit and Honolulu marathons. Mapes, who hails from Troy, Mich., is entering the M.B.A. program at Walsh College later this month.
