Hall of Fame
Samantha (Kastner) Whiting earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Notre Dame, where she excelled as a two-sport athlete. Her primary sport was softball. An outstanding catcher, she became the first player in school history to surpass 100 career hits, finishing with 110 after a senior year that saw her earn second-team All-Colonial States Athletic Conference recognition. She hit .434 with 31 RBI and smashed 13 doubles that season.
At Notre Dame, Whiting holds school records for career hits (110), doubles (27) and at-bats (331). She also ranks third in career batting average (.332) and runs (72).
In addition to her playing career, Whiting served on the NCAA Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and the NCAA Division III Management Council. In 2019, she was elected to serve on the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics (CWA) and the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports (CSMAS).
After finishing her undergraduate degree, Whiting joined the NDMU Athletics Department in 2019, where she was named the athletics operations coordinator and assistant softball coach. Elevated to head coach in 2023, she led the Gators to their most wins in a single season, recruited the program’s largest class ever, and developed five all-conference selections. Notre Dame was even more successful in 2024, shattering the school record for most wins in a single season (20). Whiting guided the team to its first-ever United East tournament appearance and playoff victory last spring.
