Troy University Athletics
Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2019
One of the top sluggers in program history, Tamra Howren rewrote the Troy softball record books in her distinguished, four-year career.
A native of White Rock, British Columbia, Canada, Howren still holds five career batting statistic records, as well as two single-season records. The program’s top career slugging percentage (.637), hit total (273), double total (67), home run total (52) and runs batted in total (202) all still belong to Howren. She is also one of just 35 players to ever be selected to three All-Atlantic Sun teams in her career and her 52 home runs rank 133rd all-time in the history of NCAA Division I softball.
“Her numbers speak for themselves,” former Troy head softball coach and Troy University Sports Hall of Fame member Melanie Davis said. “But, she also brought an unprecedented competitive spirit and work ethic to the program. She helped to continue to instill the values we tried to implement from the beginning of the Division I era to where our program is now. She brought intangibles to the table that reinforced what we were trying to do; competing to be the best we could be.”
Her 2005 senior campaign was arguably the best season by any Trojan softball player in history. She was named first team All-Atlantic Sun, to the all-conference tournament team and to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association South All-Region second team. In 209 at-bats, she batted at a .364 clip with a school record 23 home runs, along with 17 doubles, 76 hits, 47 runs and a .775 slugging percentage – a school record at the time. Howren drove in 65 runs on the season, another program record that still stands today.
“She was a leader and very big part of our last year (2005) in the Atlantic Sun,” Davis said. “The conference always had powerhouses like UCF and FAU at the top. Tamra’s class was the first group to dethrone FAU – who had dominated the league for several years. We had two great pitchers that year, coupled with Tamra – the ‘Canadian Sensation’. She’ll always be a big part of that memory of winning the championship. That year was very significant in the realms of Troy softball.”
The 2005 season was memorable for Troy softball, as a whole, as the Trojans won 44 regular season games en route to their second-ever conference championship. Howren made her mark on the championship-clinching game at UCF, driving in two of Troy’s three runs on a solo homer and a sacrifice fly. The Trojans took the game, 3-1, to win the outright regular season Atlantic Sun crown.
“Her nickname was ‘The Canadian Sensation’. That was real representative of her tremendous work ethic with a bat in her hand, behind the plate and off the field. Back in those days, the batting cage was open – a concrete slab with netting. It didn’t matter if it was 40 degrees and raining, Tamra would still be in the cage getting her cuts in.”
Following her senior year, Howren was selected as an alternate on the Canadian National Team that competed at the Pan American Championship in Guatemala City, Guatemala and at the World Cup of Softball. In the 2006 World Cup, she doubled in the go-ahead run in Canada’s 3-1 victory over China helping the Canadians to a third-place finish at the tournament.
“There’s no doubt that she has been one of the most accomplished players in the history of the Troy softball program,” Davis said. “In 22 years, it’s hard to remember everything. But I do remember how hard Tamra worked day in and day out. Her power numbers will remain in the record books for as long as records are kept. I’m proud of her selection for such a prestigious honor; no one deserves it more.”
