Head Coach Lisa Carey

Lisa Carey, former University of Oklahoma three-time All-American and National Champion begins her fifth season as the Lady Blues’ head coach. She was named the program’s 13th coach Aug. 14, 2002.
Through four seasons, Carey has accumulated a 132-86 (.606) overall record. During the 2006 season, Washburn was ranked as high as No. 23 in the NFCA National Coaches Poll and received the school’s second at-large bid to the NCAA National Tournament on the heels of a 36-21 record.
In 2005, the Lady Blues under Carey received its first national ranking in three seasons reaching as high as No. 23 in the NFCA Coaches Poll. In four seasons, she has coached 25 Lady Blues to all-MIAA honors, three all-region team member, and 19 MIAA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll members.
In her first season as the Lady Blues’ head coach, Carey posted a 34-14 record and a second place finish in the MIAA and a seventh place regional ranking.
Carey was the starting first baseman on Oklahoma’s 2000 National Championship and Big 12 Championship teams as a junior. That same season she was selected as the Big 12 Player of the Year and First team All-America honors after leading the Sooners in batting (.405), hits (90), home runs (20), RBI (77), total bases (173) and slugging percentage (.779) in 74 games.
As a senior, Carey was named All-American for the third time after leading the Sooners to the College World Series after batting .400, scoring 50 runs with 76 hits in 59 games.
While at Oklahoma, Carey was a member of three Big 12 Championship teams. She also made her mark in the classroom making the Big 12 all-academic team following her freshman, junior and senior seasons and a member of the Dean’s Honor Roll as a sophomore.
At Washburn Rural High School, she was a 1996 High School All-American as a junior while hitting .478 with 10 doubles, one triple, two home runs and 25 RBI. On the mound she was 48-3 with a 0.31 ERA and 130 strikeouts during her high school career. During her four-year run for the Junior Blues, she was 87-4 winning the state championship as a sophomore.

Assistant Coach Joe Dee Tarbutton

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Joe Dee Tarbutton begins his second season as an assistant coach for the Washburn softball team. He comes to the Lady Blues from St.Mary’ s High School, where he had a record of 107-24. Tarbutton will work primarily with the outfielders for the Lady Blues will assisting with all pregame planning for Washburn.
Tarbutton was head coach for four years and assistant for two years. As a head coach he led the Lady Bears to three consecutive State Championships, two in Class 3A and one in Class 2A.
Tarbutton also coached highly competitive summer teams to 4 Class A State titles and numerous qualifiers. In 2004 his team placed fourth in the 18-and-unders World Series and first in the 2005 18 and over World Series.
Tarbutton lives in Maple Hill and is married to Beth and they have two daughters, Aimee and Lady Blues junior outfielder Mandy.