TOP ATHLETE OF THE PAST 30 YEARS: BRANDI SCHUELER (BARTLESVILLE)

By Mike Tupa

Jan. 20, 2026

BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT

During his nearly 30 years of covering area high school sports for either the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise or the Bartlesville Area Sports Report, Mike Tupa has enjoyed the opportunity to observe some incredible athletes.

This is an ongoing series highlighting, each few days, one of those athletes from the 1996-97 school year through the present. The list is not in chronological order. The athletes are presented in random sequence.

Today's Spotlight

BRANDI SCHUELER (Bartlesville)

Softball (mid 2000s)

Brandi Schueler established herself as one of the most vibrant and talented warriors to ever play Lady Bruin fastpitch softball.

Not that she didn’t have a strong cast around her.

This was a golden stretch in Bartlesville softball history — three consecutive years of qualifying for the state tournament — from 2008-10.

To put it in perspective, a brief course in pre-2000 Bartlesville softball history is necessary.

From the year Bartlesville High started, in 1992, through 1998, Bartlesville qualified for state in 13 of 17 seasons, won two state championships (1982, 1984) and played in the state championship game eight times.

In other words, Bartlesville qualified for the state final almost once every two years during that 17-season stretch (1982-98).

But then the program fell from the consistently elite. In the nine seasons from 1999 through 2007, Bartlesville went to state just twice and failed to make the final either time.

That’s when Schueler & Co. came on the scene for coach Jonathan Sheffield.

It proved to be a serendipitous mix of players and coaching — as well as a fortuitous opening of the new softball complex in East Bartlesville.

Schueler excelled at third base, at the plate and on the basepath. She helped make the players around her better — even if many of them were already top-notch talents — and provided that ethereal kind of leadership that boosts a team’s dynamic psyche.

From the first day she appeared in the varsity lineup, Schueler made a difference.

She was one of a quartet freshmen in 2007 that would start all four years. The others included Sadie Jacobs, Jerelyn Long and Sadie Reed. Rounding out the six seniors that suited up in 2010 and made major contributions were Caitlin Day and Macy Johnson.

After enduring a 14-23 record their freshman season, they would lead the way to three-straight regional championships and state tourney appearances the next three campaigns.

During Schueler’s senior season she chased Bartlesville’s single-season homer record.

With a two-run blast in the 2010 home finale in a 8-2 win against Collinsville, she reached nine dingers — just one shy of the record of 10 shared by Morgan Hudsonpillar and Kayla Johnson, both of whom played Division I softball at Oklahoma and Arkansas, respectively.

In her final regular season home game in 2010, Schueler spanked a two-run homer in the first inning to energize Bartlesville to an 8-2 win against Collinsville.

Schueler also could control a game defensively from her third-base spot.

During a rugged 2010 regional playoff tussle against Putnam City North — won by the Lady Bruins, 5-2 — Schueler turned a crucial doubleplay in the first inning, stopping a grounder, getting the force at third and rifling the ball across the diamond to first baseman Macy Johnson to complete the twin-killing and end the inning.

The Bruins then played Tulsa Union for the regional crown. After Union surged ahead, 3-0, Schueler belted a two-out-two-run hit to bring the Lady Bruins most the way back. Schueler then scored the tying run on Jerelyn Long’s power single and an Union error.

Schueler and her teammates went two-and-out at the 2010 state tourney but finished with an impressive 27-13 record. No one could predict then that Sheffield would be coaching elsewhere the next season and Bartlesville wouldn’t return to state for more than a dozen years.

Schueler was also a member of the elite Oklahoma Booyahs traveling competitive softball team, which was coached by Corey Shivel. Teammates included Caney Valley High School standouts Paige Eden, Shelby Eden, Lindsey Shivel, Malorie Madden and Maci Jo Wright; Barnsdall's Shelby Tucker and Heather Lanphear; and Dewey's Jessie Burch. Schueler also went on to play for Conners College.

As for Schueler, she remains one of the most impactful warriors in Lady Bruin softball history and one of the leaders of this thundering pack.

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Brandi Schueler

This series has featured the following athletes, listed in no particular order.

-Jena’ Williams, Bartlesville

-Eric Rolfs, Bartlesville

-Chris Smith, Caney Valley

-Jill Bryan, Copan

-Barron Tanner Jr, Bartlesville

-Hailey Tucker, Bartlesville

-Jeremy Dunkle, Dewey

-Whitney Metcalf, Bartlesville

-Tim Hamilton, Bartlesville

-Danielle Koster, Bartlesville

-Carson LaRue, Dewey

-John Hamman, Wesleyan Christian

-Jamie Elam, Caney Valley

-Sam Mitchell, Bartlesville

-Karissa Jones, Dewey

-Noah Hartsock, Bartlesville

-Tiffany Paper, Copan

-AJ Parker, Bartlesville

-Tiffany Eden, Caney Valley

-Henry Williams, Bartlesville

-Markell Carter, Bartlesville

-Rebecca Schluter, Wesleyan Christian

-Adam Hibdon, Barnsdall

-Tishuana Hunter, Nowata

-Nate Alleman, Bartlesville

-Jessie Burch, Dewey

-Joey McNair, Caney Valley/Bartlesville

-Michael Thompson, Bartlesville

-Kate Steward, Bartlesville

-Jarrett Rouse, Community

-Amanda Warehime, Bartlesville

-Trey Osborne, Dewey

-Heather Lanphear, Barnsdall

-Erin Epperson, Bartlesville

-Levi Wyrick, Caney Valley (Kan.)

-Spencer Magana, Dewey

-Jackie Jo Chaney, Copan

-Haley Downey, Bartlesville

-Cooper Fogle, Caney Valley

-Amanda Brown, Copan 

-Rachel Smith, Pawhuska

-Casey Cassity, Barnsdall

-Stacy Cornforth, Bartlesville

-Gabby Higbee, Dewey

-Kirby Schoenthaler, Bartlesville

-Tyler Kay, Barnsdall

-Colton Penrod, Bartlesville

-Erin Herchock, Dewey

-Lindsey Collins, Caney Valley

-Nathan Hughes, Bartlesville

-Aaron Hunt, Copan

-Calan Crowder, Bartlesville

-Colby Kohlmeyer, Caney Valley

-Allison Hunt, Copan

-Stephen Garrett, Dewey

-Brett Turowski, Bartlesville

-Hayley Bryan, Copan

-Kaitlyn Ritchie, Bartlesville

-Caroline Courtney, Bartlesville

-Preston Bartley, Copan

-Chris Turner, Bartlesville

-Michael Wolfe, Bartlesville

-Caleb Hawes, Barnsdall

-Austin Beck, Nowata

-Kortney Bridges - Dewey