Sparkling shortstop, feared slugger: Lincoln’s Joy Wilde one of Tacoma softball’s gems
Obvious mistakes and middle-middle ‘cookies’ offered to Lincoln slugger Joy Wilde come few and far between in Tacoma, but Lincoln’s star shortstop, despite league-wide consideration as one of the South Sound’s premier players, continues to mash softballs into oblivion.
Some 3A PCL coaches intentionally walk Wilde more often than not. Opposing arms force pitches down or away, hoping for a weak pop-up or chase.
Lincoln’s shortstop rarely obliges.
“A few years ago, the outside pitch was not my favorite,” Wilde said before Tuesday’s game, smiling. “But now I’ve learned to adapt, and still hit it well.
“It’s definitely more difficult. (Pitchers are) throwing in the curveball, the rise-ball, whereas other (hitters) might be getting a fastball. It’s helped my eyesight… but there’s definitely more movement.”
Instead, Wilde waits for cookies. Her name is plastered all over state hitting leaderboards, spanning all classifications. She leads her league in on-base percentage (.707) and slugging (1.526). Wilde’s .684 batting average ranks 10th in Washington and fourth in class 3A.
There isn’t a pitch she can’t hit, or a position she can’t play.
One opposing coach told Lincoln head coach Haylie Tulupan earlier this season: “I (told) my entire dugout, (Joy) is how you approach the plate,” she recalled Tuesday. “With the confidence and the trust in your skill and your preparation to do what needs to be done.
“Lincoln has never been known for being a softball powerhouse,” Tulupan continued. “But having someone that is consistently the best in the league hitting-wise, and arguably fielding-wise… You can’t really put into words what someone like (Joy) does for our program in the sense of having other people be interested in coming here, and raising the bar and the expectations on the field.”
Now clearer than ever, Wilde’s softball career has no ceiling. She is the prototypical role model, the player every program wishes they had.
Recently diagnosed with hypertension and tachycardia, Wilde is “back to 100 percent,” thanks to new medication, stoking a passion for softball that was already ablaze. A Division-I commit to the University of Montana, Wilde’s college career will have to wait – Lincoln’s star is only a junior.
This year’s Abes dynamic differs from typical local softball programs, Wilde says: Tuesday afternoon’s home win over Lakes snapped a five-game losing skid. It was a thrilling, 17-14 finish that featured three Wilde hits and a no-doubt, three-run homer to dead-center in the fourth inning.
If her 3-for-5 performance wasn’t enough, Wilde was a human highlight reel at shortstop. Lakes leadoff hitter Alannah Martinez smacked the game’s first pitch on a line to Wilde, which sparked a flurry of softballs hit her direction throughout a defensive clinic. Lady Lancers supporters soon dubbed Wilde “the vacuum.”
“I’ve gotten better at communication on the field, being able to communicate with my outfielders and infielders,” Wilde said. “When the ball is hit, where we should be going, where we’re transferring. Being able to listen to our catcher and second baseman (for) where I need to go.”
Last sophomore season, Wilde split time as Lincoln’s shortstop and catcher. That’s when Tulupan stretched the boundaries of her best player’s greatness and asked Wilde: Can you pitch?
Yes, Wilde replied. She had pitched before, but never at the high school level.
The solution? Wilde requested additional throwing reps at practice, in preparation for game action, and created arm bands with personal signs for her pitching coach.
“The excellence (Joy) brings to whatever she does is impressive,” Tulupan said.
She’s still fanning hitters inside the circle. In Tuesday’s win over Lakes, Wilde relieved senior starter Alexis Williams and recorded the game’s final six outs, including a clean, 1-2-3 seventh that shut the door. She induced a swinging strikeout for the win and spiked her glove in excitement while Abes stormed the mound around her.
“We can pick each other up,” Wilde said. “Even when we’re losing, we’re having a good time. I think that sportsmanship and bond we have is so strong. That’s what helps us continue to compete.”
ONE OF THE INAUGURAL MARINERS ‘HOMETOWN NINE’
Wilde remembers the nerves on a Zoom-like video call with the Seattle Mariners, awaiting the fate of her Hometown Nine application in 2020. Suddenly, then-Mariner and AL Rookie of the Year Kyle Lewis appeared with sensational news – Wilde was in.
The Hometown Nine is a fellowship program created by the Mariners to “to create access, remove barriers to participation, and build a culture of inclusion by providing mentorship as well as financial and academic support to youth baseball and softball players,” per the club. Wilde joined the Inaugural class of 2025.
It’s a five-year commitment to Wilde and other honorees. Seattle mentors meet with Lincoln’s shortstop on a monthly basis. She attends games at T-Mobile Park regularly, and speaks with players throughout major league warmups.
Mariners Care, Seattle’s official nonprofit foundation, “underwrites the playing fees for elite baseball and softball training, offering Hometown Nine Fellows equitable access to competitive play,” their website writes.
“I was so excited,” Wilde said. “I told all of my coaches. We had a little celebration. It feels amazing to have that support behind you with the mentors, or whether it’s the players on the team. Being able to look up to someone who plays at that high of a level, and who recognizes you and knows your name, is amazing.”
LINCOLN BATS EXPLODE, ABES TOPPLE LAKES ON SENIOR NIGHT
Joined by dozens of friends and family members, Alexis and Alyssa Williams entered the playing field for pregame senior night festivities and earned an ovation from Tuesday’s spectators – together.
Lincoln’s twin sisters and pair of varsity seniors received balloons, signs of support, and candy. And both played critical roles in their ensuing victory.
Alexis entered the circle, Lincoln’s starter, and instantly shut down rival Lakes, retiring the side in order. The Lancers clawed back for runs in the third and fourth frames before Wilde homered and Lincoln piled nine total runs in the home fourth, enough to fend off the Lancers.
Alyssa, meanwhile, went 2-for-5 and scored three runs in Lincoln’s 17-14 home win, played on one of two newly-renovated turf fields at Lincoln High School.
“(It was) a huge moment for us,” Wilde said. “(Alexis and Alyssa) have been with me since my freshman year. They’ve been a big part of our team and helping us win those games, and even when we’re losing, being able to keep up the morale.”
