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College Softball Player Smashes NCAA Record for Stolen Bases

Division III Texas Lutheran's Caelee Clark ran into softball history books.
Nicole Reitz|
Caelee Clark from Texas Lutheran University is the NCAA softball record holder for stolen bases.
Caelee Clark from Texas Lutheran University is the NCAA softball record holder for stolen bases. | TLU Athletics

There’s a new NCAA softball record for stolen bases, and it didn’t come from the Division I level. 

Caelee Clark from Division III Texas Lutheran University etched her name in the history books when she eclipsed 258 stolen bases on March 19 against Bethel University. The senior broke the tie with Georgia’s Nicole Barber, who set the record in 2004. 

The historic stolen base came in the bottom of the third on a 0-1 count. Clark went 1-for-3 in the game with a walk, two stolen bases, and two runs scored. 

Since the unforgettable day, she went on to extend the record to 261, stealing 12 bases across six games with 11 runs scored. Throughout the weekend, Clark hit .533 and maintained a .696 on-base percentage, earning Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Hitter of the Week honors for the fourth time in her career. 

As a sophomore in 2024, Clark had a breakout season, achieving the NCAA Division III record for stolen bases in a single season. She swiped 84 bags across 34 games, which landed her fourth in the league, regardless of division. It was only a matter of time before she grabbed the top spot. 

"Once I get on base - it's a sigh of relief," Clark told ABC13 in 2024. "I did my job." "I tried to not get in my head about it or think about it too much.” 

Through 81 at-bats this season, she holds a batting average of .432 with 36 runs, and still has plenty of time to extend that stolen base record even further, and continue rocking TLU program records. She set the program single-game record and tied the conference record for triples (2) in February. 

The infielder is just as much of a force on defense. Primarily playing second base, Clark posted a career-best .981 fielding percentage in 2025. She recorded 111 putouts, 94 assists, turned 18 double plays, and had only four errors. She’s currently sitting at a .974 fielding percentage with 72 putouts on the 2026 season. 

Ranked No. 5 by the NFCA, the Bulldogs are hot with a 21-3 overall record and a 13-1 conference record. The team finished the TLU Invitational on Sunday with a 5-1 record and picked up its fourth Top 25 victory of the season in the process. In total, the Bulldogs are 4-3 against Top 25 teams so far this season.

The team will now resume SCAC play for a three-game series against Schreiner at Ed Kruse Stadium, beginning March 27. 

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Nicole Reitz
NICOLE REITZ

Nicole Reitz graduated from Indiana University Indianapolis with a degree in sports journalism in 2022 and has been writing about softball and baseball since 2018 .Her work has been published in various publications like Softball America, the Indianapolis Star, and SoxOn35th.

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