Texas Softball Set To Hire Second Assistant Coach | Wednesday 2:15 PM

[THookem]

 

[THookem]

Bio:

https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/amber-freeman/6231

[THookem]

As a player:

https://thesundevils.com/sports/softball/roster/player/amber-freeman

[Blake Munroe]

As first reported by Softball America, Texas Softball is set to hire Arizona's Amber Freeman to fill it's second coaching vacancy.

Freeman was hired at Arizona in August 2024 as an assistant coach, working primarily with the Wildcats’ hitters and catchers.

In her first season, Arizona had the best offense in the Big 12, leading the conference in batting average, home runs, on-base percentage, RBI, scoring, slugging, total runs and triples. In 2026, she helped Arizona hit .340, a mark that ranked third in the Big 12 and 10th in single-season program history.

Before Arizona, Freeman had stops at Georgia, Cal and Vanguard, and is part of the USA Softball coaching pool. At Georgia, she helped the Bulldogs go 43-19 and reach a Super Regional while producing one of the nation’s top power offenses, and before that she helped Cal reach the NCAA Tournament after going 35-21-1. 

Freeman is the second hire this offseason for Head Coach Mike White, as White hired Rick Fremin just a little over a week ago.

 

[Horns Wn]

Sounds like a tremendous hire and addition to staff.  Now we have Coach Fremin and Coach Freeman-Carrington.

Edited 2 hours ago by Horns Wn

[Blake Munroe]

I love this hire and I'm a huge fan of the Fremin hire as well.

Fremin and Freeman. I bet that won't get confusing 😄

[.45s]

Is that the same Vanguard that is an investment company?  🤣  I have heard of the company.

[UTexas]

Looks like another great hire by Coach White.

[HookemDTX]

It could be a coaching 3peat.

[Buck Travis]

For those who like to geek out on teaching hitting technique, here you go:

Amber Freeman shares practical hitting drills primarily through The Art of Coaching Softball (where she contributed content around 2020 while at Vanguard University) and coaching education platforms like Coaches Insider. Her drills align with her philosophy of simplifying swings, generating power through proper mechanics (especially extension), building individualized plans, and understanding swing planes.Here are the main hitting drills directly associated with her:

1. Extension Drill (Her Daily Staple)

Purpose: Develop full arm extension through contact for maximum power and to drive the ball to the gaps or over the fence. Freeman emphasizes that “extension is power” and calls this a hitting staple she uses with athletes every single day.

How to perform (based on her video demonstration):

• Hitter starts in their normal stance and goes through their full swing sequence/load/stride/rotation as usual.
• Instead of following through completely, stop/freeze at the point of full extension right after contact.
• At the freeze point, the barrel should be pointing directly at the pitcher (or straight ahead through the hitting zone).
• Focus on staying long through the ball rather than cutting the swing short.
• Repeat for reps, emphasizing controlled power and proper sequencing.

Key coaching points from Freeman: Getting to full extension helps hitters develop power. It counters the misconception that a big, loopy swing is needed for distance—simpler, extended mechanics work better.Where to see it: Search Facebook for “Extension Drill - The Art of Coaching Softball” (video posted March 2020 with Freeman demonstrating).

2. Swing Planes Drill / Awareness (Uppercut vs. Flat)

Purpose: Help hitters understand and optimize their natural swing plane to match pitch locations and maximize contact/power.Key concepts Freeman teaches:

• There are uppercut swingers and flat swingers.
• Uppercut swingers generally perform better on pitches down in the zone.
• Flat swingers generally perform better on pitches up in the zone.
• The goal is to stay in the right plane for the situation rather than forcing one style.
• She demonstrates with video examples and explains specific hitting drills tailored to each type of swinger to reinforce the correct plane.How it’s typically practiced:
• Hitters take swings (tee, soft toss, or machine) while focusing on plane awareness.
• Coaches or hitters analyze whether the swing is naturally uppercutting or flattening out.
• Drills adjust hand path, launch angle, or contact point to reinforce the desired plane for different pitch heights/locations.

Where to see it: Search “Understanding Swing Planes with Amber Freeman” on Coaches Insider or Instagram (softballcoachesinsider account). It includes video breakdown and drill recommendations.

3. Separation Drill (Swing Breakdown)

Purpose: Isolate and strengthen the early phases of the swing, particularly engaging the backside (loading/separation) before the front side fires. This helps hitters feel proper sequencing and prevents front-side dominance.How it works (from descriptions in the same coaching series):

• Break the swing into phases.
• Focus on the load/separation portion: Create separation between the upper and lower body, engaging the back hip/shoulder while keeping the front side quiet initially.
• Hitters often start with a paused or controlled movement to feel the backside leading the swing.
• Progress to full swings or live reps while maintaining that feel.

Freeman breaks down the swing this way to help hitters understand and own each part of their mechanics. Where to see it: Related content appears in The Art of Coaching Softball videos (search “Separation hitting drill” on their Facebook page).

Additional Methods from Freeman’s Approach

• While not always named “drills,” these are core to her hitting instruction (drawn from her interviews and success developing power hitters like Sydney Stewart):
• Machine Work (eHack or similar): Program specific pitchers into hitting machines and take full at-bats. This builds pitch recognition and approach in a controlled environment.
• Zone/Targeting Work: Identify each hitter’s strengths/weaknesses and “particular zone.” Practice hunting pitches in their hot zones with a specific plan (count leverage, pitch selection).
• Simplified Mechanics Reps: Focus on clean, repeatable swings rather than complex movements—especially for power hitters.

These drills and methods contributed to major offensive improvements at Arizona (top Big 12 offense with multiple high-average/power hitters).

Tips for implementation:

• Start with the Extension Drill daily—it’s simple, effective, and reinforces power.
• Film swings to check planes and extension.
• Individualize: Not every hitter needs the same emphasis (e.g., power hitters vs. slap hitters).

Most of Freeman’s content is video-based for visual learning. Search the titles above on Facebook, Instagram, or Coaches Insider for the demonstrations. Her content is also part of broader The Art of Coaching Softball libraries (some behind membership).

[texcoyote15]

44 minutes ago, Blake Munroe said:

As first reported by Softball America, Texas Softball is set to hire Arizona's Amber Freeman to fill it's second coaching vacancy.

Freeman was hired at Arizona in August 2024 as an assistant coach, working primarily with the Wildcats’ hitters and catchers.

In her first season, Arizona had the best offense in the Big 12, leading the conference in batting average, home runs, on-base percentage, RBI, scoring, slugging, total runs and triples. In 2026, she helped Arizona hit .340, a mark that ranked third in the Big 12 and 10th in single-season program history.

Before Arizona, Freeman had stops at Georgia, Cal and Vanguard, and is part of the USA Softball coaching pool. At Georgia, she helped the Bulldogs go 43-19 and reach a Super Regional while producing one of the nation’s top power offenses, and before that she helped Cal reach the NCAA Tournament after going 35-21-1. 

Freeman is the second hire this offseason for Head Coach Mike White, as White hired Rick Fremin just a little over a week ago.

 

I think Mike White made two home run hires 

[Wentwood]

Interesting they both sound like offensive type coaches??

 

 

[Dawson Yarbrough]

Win the Natty. Sign #1 portal player. Hire a coach while sitting on a Hawaiian beach. Coach White is on an all time heater right now. 

[Stuey22]

seems like a banger softball coach...Can she recruit linebackers???

[HonkEm]

10 minutes ago, Stuey22 said:

seems like a banger softball coach...Can she recruit linebackers???

If she can teach a riseball hitter to stay on plane, she can probably teach a linebacker to stay in his gap.

[HonkEm]

Many thanks for that post @Buck Travis.... From what you laid out, it’s pretty simple: Texas just added a legit swing technician. Freeman isn’t a vibes‑only hitting coach - she fixes sequencing, extension, and plane awareness, which is exactly why Arizona’s offense blew up.

Fremin runs the system, Freeman builds the hitters, and PRT handles the arms. That’s balance, not duplication.

White wins a natty, lands the No. 1 portal bat, and hires two elite assistants from a beach. Yup, man’s on a heater. 😀

Edited 42 minutes ago by HonkEm

[LonghornFan4Ever]

I know Pattie Ruth Taylor is the pitching coach, but who coaches the rest of the defense out of the three assistants?

[HookemDTX]

4 minutes ago, LonghornFan4Ever said:

I know Pattie Ruth Taylor is the pitching coach, but who coaches the rest of the defense out of the three assistants?

Fremin with Freeman coaching the catchers.

[HonkEm]

3 minutes ago, LonghornFan4Ever said:

I know Pattie Ruth Taylor is the pitching coach, but who coaches the rest of the defense out of the three assistants?

Good question,  @LonghornFan4Ever PRT is obviously the pitching coach, but the rest of the defense gets handled by the other two assistants. Fremin has run full defensive systems before, and Freeman has coached catchers and defensive units at multiple stops, so between them the infield/outfield work, positioning, and team defense are covered. White oversees all of it anyway, so the lanes stay pretty defined.

 

[GoHorns1]

43 minutes ago, Wentwood said:

Interesting they both sound like offensive type coaches??

 

 

Coach Fremin is big infield play.

[Horns Wn]

Coach Freeman-Carrington is due to give birth in September so will probably miss fall ball.