One of the best softball pitchers all-time, former Gatorade winner promoted at Eaton
Brittany Barnhill, one of the best pitchers in high school softball history, was promoted to head coach at Eaton on Monday. She had been an assistant coach, primarily working with the pitchers for the past three seasons.
Barnhill replaces Lynn Rottman, who started the Eaton softball program in 2016.
Rottman turned the program into a state contender once it started varsity in 2017. The Eagles made the playoffs during their first three varsity seasons and went at least three rounds deep every time.
The Eagles reached the regional semifinals in 2018 and regional final in 2019, which went 31-4 and had at least 10 players committed or signed to play college softball.
Rottman posted a 105-42-1 record in five varsity seasons, 82-20-1 from 2017-19.
Barnhill, a former Texas Gatorade player of the year, put together one of the most impressive high school careers in softball history. Barnhill graduated from Justin Northwest in 2007 and took the Texans to the UIL state softball tournament in back-to-back seasons (2005, 2006)...the only times the team has reached state.
Northwest lost 1-0 to Dripping Springs in the 2005 Class 4A state semifinals and 2-1 to Brenham in the 2006 Class 4A state championship game.
Barnhill was a three-time district superlative award winner, including MVP in 2005 and offensive MVP in 2006. She was named both the Star-Telegram and Dallas Morning News all-area player of the year as a senior in 2007 after posting a 29-3 record with a 0.06 ERA while hitting .488.
She would end her career with 1,715 strikeouts, the most in state history. Barnhill also went 23-7 with a 0.34 ERA and 427 strikeouts in 2006.
She also starred on the Northwest basketball team earning defensive MVP.
Barnhill would go on to play at the University of Texas and Mississippi. In two seasons with UT, the Longhorns reached the NCAA tournament both times. She led the team her final season with a 26-14 record and 2.70 ERA, and a team-high 170 strikeouts in 236 innings while getting first team All-Big 12 honors.
As a freshman in 2008, Barnhill was named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week after throwing a no-hitter in a game against Texas A&M Corpus Christi.
She is the cousin of another all-time pitching great, former Florida Gator Kelly Barnhill.
Barnhill also spent time at Saginaw High School and spent one season as head coach before moving to Eaton.
