Callista Jo Balko (born April 4, 1986) is an American, former collegiate right-handed hitting pro

softball Softball is a Variations of baseball, variation of baseball, the difference being that it is played with a larger ball, on a smaller field, and with only underhand pitches (where the ball is released while the hand is primarily below the ball) ...

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catc ...

and additionally played second base during her collegiate career. She played for the

Arizona Wildcats softball The Arizona Wildcats softball team represents the University of Arizona in NCAA Division I Softball. Having claimed eight national championships (second only to UCLA Bruins softball, UCLA), the team is one of the most successful in the history of ...

team from 2005 to 2008 and won back-to-back National Championships for the Wildcats. She is the

Pac-12 Conference The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the Western United States. It participates at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I level for all sports, and its Co ...

career leader in

putouts In baseball statistics, a putout (PO) is awarded to a defensive player who (generally while in secure possession of the ball) records an out (baseball), out by one of the following methods: * tag play, Tagging a runner with the ball when he is no ...

. She is currently a college athletics administrator.

Career

Born in

Tucson, Arizona Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...

, Balko graduated from

Canyon del Oro High School Canyon del Oro High School (CDO) is a comprehensive public high school in Oro Valley, Arizona, located north of Tucson, Arizona, Tucson at the base of Pusch Ridge in the western foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains. Established in 1964, C ...

in nearby

Oro Valley Oro Valley, incorporated in 1974, is a suburban town located north of Tucson, Arizona, United States, in Pima County. According to the 2020 census, the population of the town is 47,070, an increase from 29,700 in 2000. Dubbed the "Upscale Tech ...

in 2004. At the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it ...

, Balko played at catcher for the

team from 2005 to 2008. Balko debuted on February 4, 2005, against the Tulsa Hurricanes, collecting a hit and walk in her first game. As part of the team that won the 2006 Women's College World Series, Balko helped the Wildcats into the finals by helping drive in a run off National Player of The Year

Cat Osterman Catherine Leigh Osterman (born April 16, 1983) is a retired American softball player and currently the general manager of the Volts for the inaugural 2025 season of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL). Osterman pitched on the United Stat ...

on June 2. In the championship finale on June 6, Balko had two hits including a double and drove in 2 RBIs for the school's sixth title. For the

2007 Women's College World Series The 2007 NCAA Division I softball tournament was held from May 17 through June 4, 2007. 64 NCAA Division I college softball teams met after having played their way through a regular season, and for some, a conference tournament, to play in the N ...

finale, Balko tallied a hit against 2007 National Player of the Year

Monica Abbott Monica Cecilia Abbott (born July 28, 1985) is a retired American professional softball player. Abbott was an All-American pitcher for the Tennessee Lady Volunteers in college before starting a professional career in the NPF and in the Japan S ...

as the Wildcats defeated Tennessee 5–0 on June 6. Balko singled in her last appearance on May 31, 2008, in a loss to the

Alabama Crimson Tide The Alabama Crimson Tide refers to the college athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic varsity teams that represent the University of Alabama, located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide teams compete in the Na ...

at that year's World Series. In January 2008, Balko was named to the watchlist for USA Softball National Player of the Year. Balko is also a World University Games member and an Olympic Camp Tryout Invitee. Balko was signed as an undrafted

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

by the

National Pro Fastpitch National Pro Fastpitch (NPF), formerly the Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL), was a professional women's softball league in the United States. The teams battled for the Cowles Cup. The WPSL was founded in 1997 and folded in 2001; the NPF revive ...

team Washington Glory, and had her debut for the team in June 2008.("University of Arizona stand-outs Pitcher Taryne Mowatt and Catcher Callista Balko, and utility stand-out player Cambria Miranda, formerly of Oregon State University, don their Washington Glory uniforms for the very first time at home tonight, as the Glory face the Venezuelan Olympic Team") After a few months on the term, she returned to Tucson. In January 2012, Balko became Alumni Letterwinners Development Assistant with the University of Arizona athletics department. She later became Senior Director of Regional Development.

Personal life

In 2015, Balko married Ricky Elmore, an NFL defensive end who played college football at

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

Statistics

, +

Arizona Wildcats The Arizona Wildcats are the sport, athletic teams that represent the University of Arizona, located in Tucson, Arizona, Tucson. The Wildcats compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I (NCAA Divis ...

References

External links

* 1986 births Living people Arizona Wildcats softball players Softball players from Arizona Sportspeople from Tucson, Arizona Washington Glory players {{US-softball-bio-stub