Chris Jensen was taking a break from coaching at Enid High School in early 2020. He had great success assisting Coach Gore with Plainsmen baseball. He coached the Enid Majors, the summer league team, as an assistant to Bill Mayberry in 2005 when Enid won the Connie Mack National Championship. Plus, he was the head coach for two Connie Mack State Championship teams in 2015 and 2016 before stepping away in 2019. In May, 2020, he was named the head coach of the EHS Pacer softball program. He knew he had a rebuilding project ahead of him. The Pacers had won only 13 games the previous three seasons.
Coach Jensen decided to create a vision, develop a culture, work hard, stress hustle, good effort and bringing it every day. He is building his program on sound defense, throwing strikes and learning to play small ball. He wants his players to be motivated to come to the ballpark every day, practice well and have fun. The process has begun. The Pacers won nine games his first season, twelve games his second season and he looks to get to 20 wins this season.
Coach Jensen will rely on three seniors Mady Withy, Desiree Sutton and Saherena Williams. They all have their roles on the team. Camryn Patterson, Katelyn Bezdicek and Chloee Robinson lead a solid junior class. Coach Jensen is excited about his younger players and thinks that several sophomore girls will impact the team and perhaps one or two freshmen.
The Pacer softball program is getting a boost from many improvements at Pacer Field in Meadowlake Park. They now have a turf field (2019), new scoreboard, new lights, new backstop netting and new chain link fencing. A new indoor facility will break ground in October.
Coach Jensen is pleased the administration has the vision to give the softball program a great opportunity to be successful.
Coach Jensen is married to Kellie and has three children Blake, 15, and twins Loren and Sarah (12). And yes, coaching is a family thing with the Jensen’s who are often at games.
Look for the Pacers to take another step forward this season. Coach Jensen eventually wants to host a regional and make the state tournament. One corner at a time! Pacer softball has turned “a” corner headed for “the” corner!
