A talented young softball player from southeast Saskatchewan is going to be joining a successful collegiate program in the U.S.
Lampman’s Raegan Walter has committed to join the West Texas A&M Buffaloes in Canyon, starting in the fall of 2023. She will be a catcher for the program.
She said she started looking at schools to play for in the U.S. about 18 months ago. West Texas A&M had just captured the NCAA Division 2 national championships in softball in 2021.
“I became interested in the school, and the more I read about it, the more I really enjoyed the thought of going there. And then I went to a camp there, and I loved the campus, I loved the whole atmosphere, I clicked with all of the girls and the coaches, and that’s where I wanted to be,” she told the Mercury.
Canyon is a small city in Texas with a population of about 15,000 people, and Walter said the sports programs at the university receive excellent support from the community. She found the professors to be very nice people who want to see people succeed.
Walter plans to get a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in sports psychology, and she hopes to one day have a masters in sports psychology.
The championship in 2021 isn’t the only success for the Buffaloes. Walter noted they play in the Lone Star Conference, which she said is very strong. It boasts teams from Texas and New Mexico and the Buffaloes have done very well.
West Texas A&M also won the national championship in 2014, and they have high hopes for a title in 2023 and in future years.
She recognized she will need to get physically and mentally stronger to play the sport at the university level.
Walter has enjoyed a lot of success in softball. She has played with a number of different programs over the years. Most recently, she was selected to represent Saskatchewan at the 2022 Canada Summer Games at Niagara, Ont. Saskatchewan finished fourth in the tournament.
Oxbow’s Raivyn Millions was also on the team.
Walter loves the family and team atmosphere she finds in softball, and getting to connect with people that she believes share her work ethic and values.
“Another thing I enjoy about softball is how it’s a team sport and you get to work together to accomplish something great,” she said.
Walter is grateful to the support of her family and to the softball programs in the southeast for their contributions to her development.
“I’ve had my dad as a coach for a really long time. He pushed me to do all of this, and he has coached me and taught me mostly everything. Of course, my teams around have helped that, but my dad has coached most of the teams I have played for.”
Her sister Morgan has also been a big source of support. Morgan Walter has also played collegiate baseball in the U.S., first with the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D., and then to McCook Community College in Nebraska.
The two sisters have talked about what it will be like for Raegan Walter to play U.S. collegiate softball.
“I’ve talked to a lot of girls that are playing down south, and it’s really exciting just to get to do the whole athletic and academic experience together.”
