Many individuals can claim credit for Furman softball's resurgence over the last decade, but 2018 graduate Lindsey Bert sits near the top of the list when talking about those who helped the Paladins become a winning program and Southern Conference contender.
 
Over her four-year career, Bert guided the Paladins to four consecutive winning seasons, a 136-91 overall record, 41-28 SoCon mark, and the 2017 SoCon regular season title – Furman's first regular season crown in over two decades. The significance of these accomplishments become even more impressive when considering that, prior to her arrival, Furman had not won a league regular season title since 1995 and had posted just two winning seasons in the previous 14 years.
 
"Lindsey Bert was a fierce competitor," according to Kyle Jamieson, who served as Bert's head coach during her first three seasons at Furman before becoming the associate head coach at Clemson. "In a world concerned with pitch counts and innings pitched, she wanted the ball every game and had a rubber arm."
 
A product of North Florida Christian School, the Tallahassee, Fla., native was a three-time Florida Athletic Coaches Association AAA District I Player of the Year choice. She fashioned a 78-33 record and 1.25 earned run average in the circle while guiding the Lady Eagles to five consecutive regional playoff appearances and a pair of district titles. Bert saved her best for last posting a 19-4 record and 0.86 ERA as a high school senior en route to earning second team AAA all-state honors.
 
As a college freshman in 2015, Bert captured first team All-SoCon honors in the circle, second team accolades as a utility player and was named to the SoCon All-Freshman squad. The lefthander became the first Furman pitcher in 20 years to win 20 games as she posted a 22-14 record and 2.58 ERA. On March 7 at Winthrop, Bert hurled the first of two career no-hitters, blanking the Eagles, 3-0. At the plate, she batted .282 on the season with four homers and drove in 24 runs.
 
Bert continued to collect honors as a sophomore earning second team All-SoCon laurels as a pitcher and utility player. She went 20-17 in the circle while hitting .324 with 12 extra-base hits and 17 RBIs. The sophomore claimed a pair of wins in the SoCon Tournament, including a shutout of UNC Greensboro, to guide the Paladins to the championship round and capture all-tournament honors.
 
"She had an uncanny ability to get more swings and misses than any other any other pitcher I've coached thanks to that rise curve of hers," said Jamieson. "Nothing fazed her. It didn't matter how big the game or how good the hitter, she truly believed she was going to win that matchup." 
 
In 2017, Bert keyed the Paladins to a 31-23 record and the school's first SoCon regular season title since 1995. She earned first team All-SoCon honors and was named SoCon Pitcher of the Year after going 18-12 in the circle with a 2.10 ERA. On the strength of nine complete-game shutouts, Bert earned a spot on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-South Region Third Team.
 
Her senior year proved to be a fitting culmination to a record-setting career as Bert propelled Furman to one of its most successful seasons in school history before being selected as the Edna Hartness Furman Female Athlete of the Year. The Paladins compiled a 41-15 record and finished third in the SoCon with a 10-6 mark. The senior earned her second straight SoCon Pitcher of the Year citation and first team all-league honors by pacing NCAA Division I softball with a SoCon-record 353 strikeouts in 259 innings of work. She went 28-9 in the circle with a 1.51 ERA and recorded 14 complete-game shutouts on her way to earning Fastpitch News Honorable Mention All-American honors and third team NFCA All-South Region accolades for the second straight year.
 
"It's hard to put into words how good Lindsey was, but I will summarize it by saying there are still numerous times during games or situations I wish I could call on number five," said Jamieson. "She's the best pitcher in Furman history and one of the most feared pitchers in the history of the Southern Conference. Her hall of fame induction is well deserved."
 
Bert completed her four-year career as the Southern Conference's all-time leader in career victories (88), strikeouts (915), and shutouts (32) while holding the league record for single-season strikeouts with 353. She established school single-season records for victories (28), complete games (34), and shutouts (14) as a senior in 2018. Her 12 SoCon Pitcher of the Week awards and four SoCon Pitcher of the Month citations also stand as league records.