DFW select coach dies at 61. Softball community pays tribute to man who made an impact

After covering a high school basketball game several years ago, Doug Gorsuch walked across the court and to the media table where I was sitting to say hello and chat for a few minutes.

It wasn’t the first time we had met, but it’s still nice to think about all these years later.

It was the second thing I thought about Friday morning when I heard Doug had died at the age of 61.

Funeral services will take place at Dalton and Son Funeral Home in Lewisville at 2 p.m. Saturday. Visitation will be held there at 6 p.m. Friday.

Doug Gorsuch was born in Mount Vernon, Ohio on Feb. 4, 1960. While at Mount Vernon HS, he played football, baseball and basketball. He later attended college at Ohio University.

He is survived by his wife Stacy of 26 years, three children Allen, Maribeth and Charlie, sister Diane and 11 brother and sister in-laws and 15 nieces and nephews.

Doug and I shared the same passion, watching high school softball.

He was a select softball coach and a softball dad. His daughter, Maribeth, was one of the best high school softball players ever to come from Texas.

She was the first thing I thought about.

Maribeth or “MB” as I call her won a state championship as a freshman at Lewisville High School, went to another state title game and is now one of the best pitchers in the country at LSU. Gorsuch threw the first seven-inning perfect game in program history during the 2020 season.

“To my daddy, my person, and my best friend. I am at a lost for words. The amount of joy you brought me was more than I could ever imagine,” said Maribeth, a fifth-year senior at LSU, in a Facebook post. “You touched the lives of so many people. You were the greatest dad, husband, coach, and human. Your heart was so pure. I will miss our morning phone calls. I will miss looking up in the stands and blowing you a kiss every game, but am happy to know that you will have the best seat in that stadium. I will miss your goofy songs that you would sing randomly. I will miss your pregame pep talks.”

LSU took the field Friday against North Carolina State with a DG decal on their helmets.

The Tigers lost 3-1 on Friday, but did win a doubleheader 2-1 and 13-2 on Saturday.

“I will miss walking the puppies with you. I will miss getting to coach with you. I will never understand why this happened, but I am at peace knowing you’re up in heaven with the Lord,” Maribeth continued to say. “I hope you’re up in heaven having the best reunion with grandma, grandpa and uncle Dave.”

Doug was his daughter’s biggest fan, but she wasn’t the only one he impacted as the Dallas-Fort Worth area shared in her mourning on Friday.

Shelby Nelson is a junior at Lake Dallas and has known the Gorsuch family since she was 2.

“I’ve been trying to find the right words all day. But the truth is there will never be enough words to express what I’m feeling,” Nelson said in a Facebook post. “There’s a saying that if it rains the day a loved one dies, he made it to Heaven safely. Although I’m absolutely heartbroken, I know you are looking down on me, always protecting me.”

Nelson had a game that night and she hit a grand slam in Lake Dallas’ 13-3 win over Denton Ryan.

“There was a time in my life where I wanted to quit softball, but you were the reason I fell back in love with the game,” said Nelson, a Tarleton State commit. “I’ll love you forever. This will forever be for you.”

Doug helped coach Glory Adkins when MB was in high school most notably playing for Keith Allen’s 18U gold team. He moved over to Texas Glory when Maribeth became a pitching coach last year.

Texas Glory players Savannah Williams (Frisco Independence) and Sydney Lewis (Prosper) are just some of the tributes to Doug seen on Twitter.

“I will never stop missing and loving you,” Maribeth said. “Thank you for being my biggest fan and loving me unconditionally. My heart is broke, but you are no longer in pain daddy. I love you forever.”