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St. Mary's to retire softball legend Kym Kling's jersey on Feb. 9

By Chad Peters | St. Mary's Athletics Communications

SAN ANTONIO — St. Mary's softball legend Kym Kling's famous No. 17 will never be worn again on the Rattler diamond.
 
Kling, whose storied career was as bright as any Rattler to have donned the Gold and Blue, will have her jersey retired during a ceremony scheduled for Feb. 9 at the St. Mary's Softball Stadium. The presentation is set to begin at 6 p.m. that evening, immediately before St. Mary's takes on cross-town foe Our Lady of the Lake.
 
Kling's father, James Kling, is OLLU's head coach.
 
Kling (B.A. '05) will become just the second female in the history of St. Mary's University Athletics to have her jersey retired, following in the footsteps of another softball great, Leticia Morales-Bissaro (1983-86).
 
Kling, who played for St. Mary's from 2002-2004, carried on the Rattlers' gold standard, leading St. Mary's to the 2002 NCAA Division II national championship and being named the National Softball Player of the Year in 2003. The pitcher was also a three-time All-American, including twice being named to the First Team.
 
Following the completion of her career, she was named A Top 25 Athlete of the Decade for NCAA Division II. Kling, also a three-time MVP of the Heartland Conference, was inducted into the St. Mary's University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014.
 
"Kym's competitiveness along with her desire to study the game were just two attributes that helped her become a three-time All-American, Top 25 Player of the Decade, MVP of Division II and three-time Most Valuable Player of the Heartland Conference," said St. Mary's longtime head coach Donna Fields, who coached Kling during her entire career with the Rattlers.
 
Fields continued: "As a pitcher, Kym could remember her opponents' strengths and weaknesses from each at-bat or from the previous time she had faced them. If she was uncertain of who she was about to face, she made sure she studied the charts before the competition. She was not going to be beat due to a lack of preparation or knowledge."
 
The preparation paid off, as Kling was rarely outdone during her time at St. Mary's, posting a career record of 88-12. In 2002, she led the NCAA in hits (99), doubles (24) and RBIs (69), and also tied for the nation's lead in victories that season, winning 35 games.
 
For her career, Kling totaled four no-hitters and ranks No. 3 all-time in St. Mary's history with 29 shutouts. Her 506 strikeouts rank fourth in Rattler history, as does her 645.2 innings pitched. She is No. 1 in fewest walks allowed, No. 2 with 103 games started and No. 4 with an ERA of 1.11. She was just as electric at the plate, ranking second all-time with 66 doubles and No. 2 all-time with a career batting average of .407.
 
Kling played three seasons at St. Mary's after spending her freshman season at Stephen F. Austin.
 
"Kym's offensive starts were just as striking as her performance on the mound," Fields said. "She was such a consistent performer at the plate that we wanted the bat in her hands as often in a game as possible. To be able to carry a .400-plus batting average and dominate on the mound as she did sets her apart as one of the top softball players that has come through the St. Mary's program."
 
General admission tickets to the Feb. 9 game cost $5 and are available online at StMUtickets.com. Free admission is granted to Rattler Nation donors, all fans with valid St. Mary's student/staff ID, and children aged 12 and under. 
 
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