Coley Ries Welter: Coach
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Currently: Head Coach Gustavus Adolphus Softball
College: Minnesota State University- Mankato
Coley Ries Welter was named the first coach in Mankato Habaneros history. Currently Ries Welter is the Head Coach of Gustavus Softball entering her fourth season. Ries Welter, helped build the program up leading them to their first playoff win since 2015 and first time hosting a playoff game in organizations history.
Previous to taking the position at Gustavus, Ries Welter spent three years as a volunteer and graduate assistant coach at her alma mater, Minnesota State University-Mankato. During this time, Ries Welter served as the primary pitching coach for the Mavericks, helping the team achieve an overall record of 89-41. While on the Mavericks’ coaching staff, Ries Welter operated the team’s social media accounts, organized fundraisers, and compiled scouting reports on opposing teams.
Ries Welter, a 2017 graduate of MSU-Mankato, was a standout pitcher for the Mavericks, compiling a wealth of achievements as a player. As the ace of the pitching staff, Ries Welter led the Mavericks to the 2017 NCAA Division II national championship where she posted a 41-3 overall record with a 1.05 ERA while striking out 476 batters in 294.2 innings. After going 5-0 at the national tournament with a 1.20 ERA and 50 strikeouts, Ries Welter earned Most Outstanding Player honors. She was named the 2017 NFCA Division II Player of the Year and the D2CCA Pitcher of the Year. Ries Welter also earned CoSIDA Academic All-America honors, was a two-time All-American, two-time Central Region Pitcher of the Year, and three-time NSIC Pitcher of the Year. Since graduating in 2017, Ries Welter has played professional softball for the Texas Charge, Chicago Bandits, and the Aussie Spirit.
Justine Schultz: Assistant Coach
Currently: Assistant Coach Gustavus Adolphus Softball
College: Saint Mary’s University/ Minnesota State University- Mankato
Justine Schultz is in her second year as Assistant Softball Coach under Head Coach Coley Ries-Welter in the 2023-24 academic year. Schultz helped Ries-Welter lead the Gustie softball team to one of its best seasons in 2023, finishing with an overall record of 24-18 and 14-8 finish in the MIAC, good for fourth in the conference standings. For the first time in seven years, the Gusties swept St. Catherine in a MIAC doubleheader and defeated nationally-ranked No. 14 Saint Benedict in conference play. The Gusties made history in 2023, hosting the first ever home playoff game at the Gustie Softball Field, defeating St. Catherine 4-1 for the team’s first playoff win since 2015.
Schultz currently serves as the GustieWELL Coordinator at Gustavus, specializing in in wellness education in campus. Schultz is also a Mental Performance Coach for Mentally Strong Consulting. Previous to taking the position at Gustavus, Schultz served as a Mental Performance Coach with the Mankato United Soccer Club, a semi-professional team apart of the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL), while pursuing her graduate degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology from Minnesota State University-Mankato. Schultz also spent time as a Graduate Level Mental Performance Consultant as a part of her graduate work.
Schultz, a 2021 graduate of Saint Mary’s University, was a standout catcher for the Cardinal softball team and one of the program’s best players of the last decade. A four-year letterwinner, Schultz started in every Cardinal game during her career, posting a top-five batting average on the roster all four years, leading the team in 2019 and 2020. Schultz led the Cardinals in slugging percentage, on base percentage, at-bats, runs scored, hits, RBI, doubles, triples, total bases, and putouts in multiple years of her career, and finished with All-MIAC honors in her junior and senior season.
