Emily Higgins, bottom row second from right, is the new PHS girls' softball coach. She is pictured with the 2016 PHS girls softball team, which advanced to the WIAA state tournament.
Emily Higgins is the new girls’ softball coach at Pulaski High School. She replaces Billi Jo Vertz, who retired last summer after 20 seasons at the helm and 24 years with the program.
Higgins, a Pulaski Community Middle School eighth-grade teacher, is no stranger to the softball program. She is a 2018 PHS graduate who competed in softball, basketball and cross country during high school. She later played basketball for two years at UW-Oshkosh, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education. She was Fox River Classic Conference first team all-conference member all four years of high school in softball. She was honorable mention on the Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association all-state team in her freshman year and first team her sophomore, junior and senior years.
Growing up, she played on a travel softball for a team called PowerHouse Fastpitch, where they traveled all over the country to play in tournaments. “It was an amazing experience playing against girls from all over,” she said. Her younger years, she played shortstop. She played first base her freshman year and second base the remainder of her high school career. In 2016, the Red Raiders advanced to the state tournament.
Pulaski is such a well-rounded community with people in it that are very supportive toward the sports programs, Higgins said. “It’s a school that has competitive sports teams, softball being one of them so I am super honored to come back and be a part of the softball organization again.”
Higgins’ goal is to keep building the program to be the best it can be and for her players to compete at a high level.
“It is awesome to see Emily Higgins back on the softball field, this time at the helm of the Red Raider program,” said PHS athletic/activities director Janel Batten. “I am beyond excited for her future and the future of this softball program. She will do a great job, with the assistants around her, of carrying out the tradition of excellence that Coach Vertz had built.” At present, Batten is working on finalizing the rest of the coaching staff.
Higgins said some of her biggest memories from high school were going to softball practices, being with her teammates, the bus rides and the games. “Those are some times that I will never forget so to come back and coach the next generation is an honor!”
Higgins recognized she has huge softball cleats to fill.
“As a former player for coach Vertz, I just want to give her a huge shout out, and also a huge thank you for all the hard work she put into the Pulaski softball program from youth all the way up to varsity. She’s worked really hard to build this program and has done a phenomenal job doing it, so I am honored to take it over and to continue the strong and competitive program that she left it as.”
Higgins is the daughter of Bill and Mary Higgins, Hobart.