Lindsey (Davis) Nittler is remembered as one of the best to ever pitch at Cowley

There have been a lot of great players to come through the Cowley College softball program, but what Lindsey (Davis) Nittler did during her time at the school remains to be marveled at. The right-handed pitcher will be forever immortalized when she is inducted into the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame on February 1, 2025.

Davis-Nittler joins her mother, Deb (Davis) Nittler, aunt Linda (Davis) Hargrove), and uncles Ed Hargrove and John Woodworth in the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame.

She began playing softball at age five and spent hours pitching to her father, Randy.

She attended Arkansas City High School, where she was a Second Team all-conference selection as a sophomore and junior before being named a First Team all-league pitcher as a senior.

She was also strong at the plate, finishing second on the team in runs batted in her final three years at ACHS.

Coming out of high school, Davis-Nittler was recruited by multiple schools. However, at Cowley, she had an opportunity to play for her uncle, Ed Hargrove.

"At the time, I thought I had pulled a recruiting coup by getting a commitment from Lindsey," Hargrove said. "I knew there were several factors working in my favor, but I also knew she was one of the most highly recruited high school pitchers in Kansas her senior year. I felt very fortunate to sign her to a Letter of Intent."

As a freshman, she helped the Lady Tigers go 44-10 and win the conference title. She was even better as a sophomore as Cowley finished 42-6 and advanced to its first-ever national tournament berth in Orlando, FL.

"My fondest memory during my time at Cowley was after we had won the region tournament and clenched a spot to go onto to nationals in Florida; instead of dowsing our coach with a cooler of water, we dowsed Coach Ed with a cooler full of Florida oranges. Playing for Coach Ed was rewarding as an athlete and a student. I had tremendous growth while at Cowley. Coach Ed always had a way of cultivating a winning culture, so that became the norm and expectation, not just an option. With this, it made all of us continue to step up and push harder than we ever thought we could."

Following her sophomore season at Cowley, she was selected as the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission Junior College Female Athlete of the Year.

At the time of her induction, Davis-Nittler ranked first in Cowley softball history in single season earned run average (0.50), career earned run average (0.68), most strikeouts in an extra inning game (17), lowest batting average against in a season (.142), lowest batting average against in a career (.143) and was second in career strikeouts (531).

"We had some very good pitchers before Lindsey, including three already in the Cowley Hall of Fame, but she was the first to take Cowley to the National Softball Tournament in Orlando, Florida," Hargrove said. "She and the other players on that team, along with assistant coach Mandy Gaylor Cole, will always hold a special place in my heart because of that."

After Cowley, she pitched at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where she was awarded the Newcomer of the Year and Pitcher of the Year as a junior. She repeated as Pitcher of the Year as a senior as she was an all-conference and all-region selection both years at the school.

After only two seasons, she led the UMKC softball program in total strikeouts and is still in the top 10 in all individual pitching season records and most career records.

Following her time at UMKC, Davis-Nittler returned to Ark City to be closer to family. She found herself back at Cowley College, earning a cosmetology certificate in 2009. She has held numerous management positions since then and is currently working at GRAND Mental Health in the Business Services Department, where she has been employed for the past three years.

Davis-Nittler and her wife, Kristen Sharpton, reside in Ponca City, OK. However, her memories range from wearing a Cowley cheerleading outfit to home basketball games at the age of four to walking the halls of each building selling Girl Scout cookies to attending camps in middle school and high school.

"Cowley wasn't just a place my mom worked – to me, Cowley is Family – Cowley is Home – Cowley is my Roots," Davis-Nittler said. "So this experience is beyond what any words could say. I feel very honored and humbled to be selected for this induction. As you can see by those who have been inducted before me, I have been surrounded by hard work, dedication, and loyalty to Cowley my entire life. This honor is one that helps me feel complete. I feel like it has all gone full circle."