Note: The Chambersburg Athletics Hall of Fame will induct its inaugural class of 11 athletes or coaches, plus one team, on Friday, Sept. 20 at halftime of the football game against State College. Stories about each inductee and the team will be published periodically before that date.
Hall of Fame – Steph (Van Brakle) Prothro
In the history of athletics at Chambersburg, there may not have been a player who meant more to her team for her whole career than Stephanie (Van Brakle) Prothro.
Prothro was a dominant softball player for four years, from 1999 to 2002, for the Trojans, who were contenders for PIAA titles in each of her seasons.
Stephanie (Van Brakle) Prothro
Courtesy University of Florida
Prothro will be an inductee in the inaugural class of the Chambersburg Athletics Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame celebration will be held Sept. 20-21 and the inductees – 11 individuals and one team – will be celebrated at halftime of the football game on Friday night.
The other members of the first class are Tim Cook, Marcia Brown, Barry Carter, Mitch Stahl, Dave Myers, Marshay Ryan, Bob Thomas, Tom Brookens, Ron Etter and Lowell “Doc” Schlichter, plus the 1977 girls state champion cross country team.
In Prothro’s four years at Chambersburg, the Trojan softball team compiled an almost unbelievable record of 106-6. The Trojans won District 3 championships in 2000, 2001 and 2002 and were the runners-up in 1999.
In the state tournament, Chambersburg lost once in the first round, the quarterfinals twice and the semifinals once, and three of those defeats were to Neshaminy.
In her senior season, Prothro was named the Gatorade Softball Player of the Year in Pennsylvania.
Her career pitching statistics (Note: some of the statistics did not include her final game, a 3-0 loss to Neshaminy) were astounding. She had a 49-3 record and her earned run average was 0.18. She racked up 676 strikeouts.
She hurled five perfect games and 5 no-hitters in her career and in one game she recorded all 21 outs via strikeout.
At the plate, Prothro was nearly as spectacular. She had a career batting average of .396 with 92 runs batted in and 13 home runs.
In her senior season, Prothro allowed only 21 hits, 17 walks and 6 runs (4 earned) in 123.2 innings, and fanned 276 batters. She also batted .431 with 31 hits, 29 RBIs and 5 home runs.
Prothro also played volleyball and basketball and was the captain of each of those teams.
Her college career at the University of Alabama was also very successful. She made the All-SEC team in all four years with the Crimson Tide and was the SEC Pitcher of the Year in 2006.
Alabama won two SEC Tournaments and one regular season title with Prothro, and the Tide reached the NCAA College World Series three times. She was a second-team All-America honoree in 2005 and 2006.
While serving as the pitching coach for Alabama over 12 years, the Tide won an NCAA title in 2012, three SEC Tournaments and two SEC regular-season crowns.
Prothro was the head coach at Birmingham Southern for two years, at Samford for one year, and at Memphis for two years. She was recently named an assistant coach at the University of Florida. She and her husband Quentin have a son and a step-daughter.
— By Ed Gotwals