St. Thomas softball coach John Tschida coached his 1,000th career NCAA game April 30 as part of a Tommie sweep against Bethel in a doubleheader.

Tschida was quick to credit his current and former players for his long-time success.

“Any time you can last 1,000 games, your players have to be good,” Tschida said. “If the players don’t show up every day, they get rid of the coach. I’ve been lucky enough to have players who bring it every day.”

Tschida’s coaching career began at St. Mary’s in Winona, Minnesota, his alma mater, where he served as the head coach for six seasons from 1995-2000.

He led the Cardinals to MIAC championships in 1997, 1998 and 1999 before winning a national championship with them 2000. Tschida was hired by St. Thomas following the 2000 season.

He guided the Tommies to back-to-back national championships in 2004 and 2005.

Tschida is the first NCAA softball coach to win national titles at multiple schools and has been named NFCA Division III National Coach of the Year twice.

Aside from the two national championships during his time at St. Thomas, Tschida led the Tommies to the College World Series on three other occasions, finishing fifth in 2002, second in 2006 and third in 2014.

The Tommies have finished with at least 35 wins in all but one of the seasons Tschida has been at the helm.

Tschida reached 800 career victories in 2015 and is the all-time NCAA leader in winning percentage at .846.

“Part of getting to (1,000 games) has been the fact that winning attracts winners,” Tschida said. “A lot of the kids that we recruit have (athletic) scholarship offers to bigger schools, and you think you are getting a good player who wants to win if they choose St. Thomas.”

Senior Danielle Tschann feels that Tschida’s leadership both on and off the field has helped him continue to reach milestones.

“Coach Tschida is the best thing that I could’ve experienced during my four years here at (St. Thomas),” Tschann said. “He’s molded me into the person I am today. He not only pushes you physically but also mentally.”

Tschann said that mutual trust is a big factor of how the Tommies have performed during Tschida’s tenure.

“Not only has he created the winningest program in the nation but also has a support system willing to back him and trust in his decisions,” he said.

Tschida is happy that he has reached 1,000 games but joked that he wants more.

“One thousand games simply means that you’ve lasted 1,000 games,” Tschida said, laughing. “1,000 wins, I’d take that.”

St. Thomas won both the MIAC regular-season and playoff titles this year and will look to add a third national title during Tschida’s tenure in the coming weeks.

The Tommies opened NCAA tournament play May 13 against UW-Whitewater in Lake Forest, Illinois.

Taylor Smith can be reached at smit9660@stthomas.edu.