Wende Ward Lourenco, 1998 Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee
Item
Title
Wende Ward Lourenco, 1998 Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee
Description
With her strong right arm, productive bat and steady glove, she contributed mightily to Fresno State's rise to prominence and helped build the fan base that led to the construction of the nation's best softball stadium. Named team MVP and San Joaquin Valley media female athlete of the year four straight seasons (1980-1983) while dividing time between the pitcher's mound and third base. Earned All-America honors in '82, when the Bulldogs finished second to UCLA at the College Softball World Series. The Tulare Western High School graduate pitched six no-hitters, including two perfect games, while compiling a collegiate career record of 77-36 and 0.61 earned-run average. In the era before the introduction of the "juiced" softball, hit 13 home runs and averaged .286 over four seasons. Virtually wrote the record book for the Bulldogs upon graduation and at the time of her Hall of Fame induction, still ranked among the top 10 in every major pitching category. Her uniform (No. 19) was retired in 1987. Later compete professionally on women's golf mini-tours and also was a futurity show horse rider.
Creator
Lourenco, Wendy Ward
Relation
Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame
Coverage
Fresno, California
Identifier
SCMS_fahf_00004
extracted text
Peter G. Mehas: Wendy Ward Lourenco, the pride of Tulare Western High School and a battling bulldog.
Many people say a legend in softball in Fresno State, one of the stadium builders. For the record named,
year and place of birth.
Wendy Ward-Lourenco: My name is Wendy Ward Lourenco, and I was born in Bakersfield, California on
June 3, 1961.
Peter G. Mehas: Tell us about growing up now. Where did you grow up? How did you get introduced to
sports?
Wendy Ward-Lourenco: I grew up in Porterville, my younger years, um grammar school years and we
lived on a 600-acre ranch. My dad ran some cattle, and he was, he had a horse training stable and he is
he, my father loved sports, competition, and so all of us kids did too and my mother as well and we, we
had foot races, we had a basketball hoop, we played catch um rode horses. Um and my dad even had a
high jump pit that he built for us at one time and we even had some wooden starting blocks as well. We
practiced our running quite a bit and uh we just had a wonderful childhood from all the space and sports
and so forth.
Peter G. Mehas: So, do you think that rural upbringing in terms of around horses and on the farm
contributed to your athletic success?
Wendy Ward-Lourenco: Oh, I think so. I, I was never, I never thought any different being a girl. I just,
that's just what we did. It wasn't, I would never thought of myself as a tomboy. That's just how we lived,
you know, I just, it was a marvelous way to grow up.
Peter G. Mehas: How do you feel you benefited from sports in your sports experience?
Wendy Ward-Lourenco: Sports has totally enriched my life. Um you learn, you learn about life playing
sports. I use my sports life for my everyday life and if my husband has a comment on, he needs help in
the business, I kind of go to my sports, my sports world and uh we try to figure it out that way.
Sometimes you have to go for things, sometimes you have to have patience and I just love having sports
in my life, and competition makes me feel alive and I just can't say enough about sports.
Peter G. Mehas: I know you're a modest person, but don't be modest on me now. What do you feel was
your greatest sports accomplishment?
Wendy Ward-Lourenco: Um the greatest accomplishment was, well my sophomore year at Fresno State,
Rosie Garcia broke her ankle. So, I ended up being the only pitcher and I pitched an awful lot of games
and we, it seemed like we won, we'd lose one to nothing. I mean a lot of games, it was devastating. So,
the next year I'd write Nationals, Nationals, Nationals, I wanted to go to the College World Series next
year. And uh, lo and behold there we were with the University of Pacific to go to the College World
Series, Unbelievable moment in my life.
Peter G. Mehas: Your life has been filled with many memorable moments uh in your young age as well.
What do you consider to be your most memorable moment in sports and your biggest disappointment?
Certainly people of your stature have experienced many wonderful moments, but also many
disappointing moments and so share with us what was your moment most memorable?
Wendy Ward-Lourenco: That would have, that's kind of all in one. There we are at the College World
Series in the championship game against UCLA and there we are, that was just fantastic. We're so happy
to be there and then the disappointment would be not beating them and I think had we not been quite
so happy just to be there and maybe been there to win I think, I think we could have beat them, you
know, but we were just so happy to be there, and I think that's all kind of rolled in one and it's not really
a disappointment. It's, it's pretty amazing and wonderful.
Peter G. Mehas: There are a lot of young people that turn on the television set and they see just the
awards and accolades and they don't know behind the scenes all the hard work, sweat and tears and
effort that went into it. What would you advise young people who are thinking of having the sports
experience, what advice would you pass on to them?
Wendy Ward-Lourenco: I would tell any child if you get, the chance, play any sport you like or all of
them. Um, I just feel that sports is everything, you know, especially growing up. I mean you just learn
confidence and, and you have to be on time to things and you have to do good in school to play your
sport and um, I just think sports is everything. I just can't say enough about sports.
Peter G. Mehas: What did it mean to Wendy Ward Lourenco to be inducted in the Fresno Athletic Hall of
Fame along with the Rafer Johnson's and the Tom Flores and uh, the great softball greats of the genie
con tells?
Wendy Ward-Lourenco: Sarah Miller, can I jump up and down? That's how it feels. I think at the press
conference, I had said incredible, awesome, unbelievable and a true honor and I think you really have
the times that by a million, it's just been the most wonderful feeling to be remembered and to be
honored and it's just a beautiful day.
Peter G. Mehas: Your father is quite a legend and quite a cowboy. Uh, I mean he is legendary in terms of
what he does. How is that in terms of, how did your father influence your life growing up the legend that
he is.
Wendy Ward-Lourenco: Well, growing up here, here's some little things that I've been told do the
impossible. Um, when you're playing ball see it and make it happen, see it before it happens and make it
happen. And there's one other one, oh imagination, you got to have imagination and those were things
that he was always coaching us with and besides, you know, the technique on stuff, but lots of
encouragement and just wonderful.
Peter G. Mehas: You have a long, long life ahead of you. But when everything is said and done and
they're going to record the history of Wendy Ward Lourenco, what would you like people to remember
about you? What would you like them to say about you?
Wendy Ward-Lourenco: I think I'd like them to say that, that I'm a good person. That I, knowing that I've
worked hard. I put my heart and soul into it which that's how I felt when I was at school playing for
Fresno State, it was just everything to me and um I don't know just that I, I guess that I was a good
ballplayer I guess.
Peter G. Mehas: And lastly the open-ended question, anything you want to add anything I should have
asked you that I didn't ask you that you just want to add for the record that uh we can remember you by
in years to come.
Wendy Ward-Lourenco: Gee I think we kind of covered it all. I think that's it.
Peter G. Mehas: Well Wendy on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Fresno Hall of Fame, we are so
honored and proud to have you as one of our inductees of the class of 1998 and uh congratulations for
all you've achieved and the excellent role model you set for our youth. Congratulations.
Wendy Ward-Lourenco: Well thanks Pete.
Many people say a legend in softball in Fresno State, one of the stadium builders. For the record named,
year and place of birth.
Wendy Ward-Lourenco: My name is Wendy Ward Lourenco, and I was born in Bakersfield, California on
June 3, 1961.
Peter G. Mehas: Tell us about growing up now. Where did you grow up? How did you get introduced to
sports?
Wendy Ward-Lourenco: I grew up in Porterville, my younger years, um grammar school years and we
lived on a 600-acre ranch. My dad ran some cattle, and he was, he had a horse training stable and he is
he, my father loved sports, competition, and so all of us kids did too and my mother as well and we, we
had foot races, we had a basketball hoop, we played catch um rode horses. Um and my dad even had a
high jump pit that he built for us at one time and we even had some wooden starting blocks as well. We
practiced our running quite a bit and uh we just had a wonderful childhood from all the space and sports
and so forth.
Peter G. Mehas: So, do you think that rural upbringing in terms of around horses and on the farm
contributed to your athletic success?
Wendy Ward-Lourenco: Oh, I think so. I, I was never, I never thought any different being a girl. I just,
that's just what we did. It wasn't, I would never thought of myself as a tomboy. That's just how we lived,
you know, I just, it was a marvelous way to grow up.
Peter G. Mehas: How do you feel you benefited from sports in your sports experience?
Wendy Ward-Lourenco: Sports has totally enriched my life. Um you learn, you learn about life playing
sports. I use my sports life for my everyday life and if my husband has a comment on, he needs help in
the business, I kind of go to my sports, my sports world and uh we try to figure it out that way.
Sometimes you have to go for things, sometimes you have to have patience and I just love having sports
in my life, and competition makes me feel alive and I just can't say enough about sports.
Peter G. Mehas: I know you're a modest person, but don't be modest on me now. What do you feel was
your greatest sports accomplishment?
Wendy Ward-Lourenco: Um the greatest accomplishment was, well my sophomore year at Fresno State,
Rosie Garcia broke her ankle. So, I ended up being the only pitcher and I pitched an awful lot of games
and we, it seemed like we won, we'd lose one to nothing. I mean a lot of games, it was devastating. So,
the next year I'd write Nationals, Nationals, Nationals, I wanted to go to the College World Series next
year. And uh, lo and behold there we were with the University of Pacific to go to the College World
Series, Unbelievable moment in my life.
Peter G. Mehas: Your life has been filled with many memorable moments uh in your young age as well.
What do you consider to be your most memorable moment in sports and your biggest disappointment?
Certainly people of your stature have experienced many wonderful moments, but also many
disappointing moments and so share with us what was your moment most memorable?
Wendy Ward-Lourenco: That would have, that's kind of all in one. There we are at the College World
Series in the championship game against UCLA and there we are, that was just fantastic. We're so happy
to be there and then the disappointment would be not beating them and I think had we not been quite
so happy just to be there and maybe been there to win I think, I think we could have beat them, you
know, but we were just so happy to be there, and I think that's all kind of rolled in one and it's not really
a disappointment. It's, it's pretty amazing and wonderful.
Peter G. Mehas: There are a lot of young people that turn on the television set and they see just the
awards and accolades and they don't know behind the scenes all the hard work, sweat and tears and
effort that went into it. What would you advise young people who are thinking of having the sports
experience, what advice would you pass on to them?
Wendy Ward-Lourenco: I would tell any child if you get, the chance, play any sport you like or all of
them. Um, I just feel that sports is everything, you know, especially growing up. I mean you just learn
confidence and, and you have to be on time to things and you have to do good in school to play your
sport and um, I just think sports is everything. I just can't say enough about sports.
Peter G. Mehas: What did it mean to Wendy Ward Lourenco to be inducted in the Fresno Athletic Hall of
Fame along with the Rafer Johnson's and the Tom Flores and uh, the great softball greats of the genie
con tells?
Wendy Ward-Lourenco: Sarah Miller, can I jump up and down? That's how it feels. I think at the press
conference, I had said incredible, awesome, unbelievable and a true honor and I think you really have
the times that by a million, it's just been the most wonderful feeling to be remembered and to be
honored and it's just a beautiful day.
Peter G. Mehas: Your father is quite a legend and quite a cowboy. Uh, I mean he is legendary in terms of
what he does. How is that in terms of, how did your father influence your life growing up the legend that
he is.
Wendy Ward-Lourenco: Well, growing up here, here's some little things that I've been told do the
impossible. Um, when you're playing ball see it and make it happen, see it before it happens and make it
happen. And there's one other one, oh imagination, you got to have imagination and those were things
that he was always coaching us with and besides, you know, the technique on stuff, but lots of
encouragement and just wonderful.
Peter G. Mehas: You have a long, long life ahead of you. But when everything is said and done and
they're going to record the history of Wendy Ward Lourenco, what would you like people to remember
about you? What would you like them to say about you?
Wendy Ward-Lourenco: I think I'd like them to say that, that I'm a good person. That I, knowing that I've
worked hard. I put my heart and soul into it which that's how I felt when I was at school playing for
Fresno State, it was just everything to me and um I don't know just that I, I guess that I was a good
ballplayer I guess.
Peter G. Mehas: And lastly the open-ended question, anything you want to add anything I should have
asked you that I didn't ask you that you just want to add for the record that uh we can remember you by
in years to come.
Wendy Ward-Lourenco: Gee I think we kind of covered it all. I think that's it.
Peter G. Mehas: Well Wendy on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Fresno Hall of Fame, we are so
honored and proud to have you as one of our inductees of the class of 1998 and uh congratulations for
all you've achieved and the excellent role model you set for our youth. Congratulations.
Wendy Ward-Lourenco: Well thanks Pete.