Tess Soefje - Softball
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach
- Email Address:
- samhoustonsb@shsu.edu
- Alma Mater:
- UTSA
- Graduation Year:
- 2016
- Phone:
- 936 294-4166
| COACHING EXPERIENCE | |
| Seasons | School - Position |
| 2020-Present | Sam Houston - Assistant Coach; now Associate Head Coach |
| 2019 | Illinois - Volunteer Assistant |
| 2017-18 | Ole Miss - Graduate Assistant |
| PLAYING EXPERIENCE | |
| Years | Team/School |
| 2019 | Barracudas (Denmark) |
| 2014-16 | UTSA |
| 2013 | Houston |
| POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE | |
| Year | Accomplishment |
| 2019 | NCAA Regional - Illinois |
| 2018 | NCAA Regional - Ole Miss |
| 2017 | SEC Tournament Champion; NCAA Regional Champion; NCAA Super Regional - Ole Miss |
Tess Soefje enters her eighth season on the Sam Houston softball staff in 2027, serving as associate head coach, hitting coach and recruiting coordinator. She joined head coach Garrett Valis’ staff in August 2019 ahead of the 2020 season.
Soefje helped guide a Bearkat offense that hit .281 with 50 home runs, 74 doubles and 79 stolen bases in 2026. Veronica Harrison set a program single-season record with 17 home runs, led CUSA in homers and earned CUSA Newcomer of the Year and first team all-conference honors. Harrison finished with a .335 average and 46 RBI.
Bella Perez and Sophia Lundstrom joined Harrison on the All-CUSA first team in 2026, while Lundstrom and Peyton Helmly earned spots on the CUSA All-Freshman Team. Lundstrom was also named a Top 25 finalist for NFCA Freshman of the Year.
Before arriving in Huntsville, Soefje spent the 2019 season as a volunteer assistant at Illinois, working with the Fighting Illini pitchers and catchers. Illinois earned a berth in the NCAA Lexington Regional that season.
Soefje previously spent two seasons with the Ole Miss softball program in 2017 and 2018, assisting with pitchers and catchers and helping players with mental preparation and the transition to college softball. Her responsibilities also included apparel and equipment management, team travel, game-day operations and recruiting events.
Ole Miss won the 2017 SEC Tournament and NCAA Oxford Regional championships, advancing to the Los Angeles Super Regional. The Rebels returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2018 and reached the Tempe Regional final.
A former collegiate catcher, Soefje played at Houston in 2013 before transferring to UTSA, where she was a three-year starter from 2014-16. She hit 20 home runs in 152 career starts and finished her playing career as the NCAA record holder for hit-by-pitches per game. She earned NFCA Scholar-Athlete recognition and was named to the CUSA Honor Roll at both Houston and UTSA.
In 2019, Soefje played for the Barracudas of Denmark at the European Cup in Dupnitsa, Bulgaria, helping the club earn a bronze medal. She hit .500 with six doubles, led the tournament with a .696 on-base percentage and posted a .929 slugging percentage.
A native of Frisco, Texas, Soefje earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from UTSA in 2016 and a bachelor’s degree in integrated marketing communications from Ole Miss in 2018.
