"One of the best softball players in school history, Nelson was a dominant performer in the mid-to-late 1990s. A four-time All-Mid-Continent Conference honoree from 1996-99, Nelson's offensive numbers are unmatched at Valparaiso. She is Valpo's all-time career leader in hits with 165 and doubles with 35. Nelson also ranks 2nd in home runs with 10 and runs scored (87), and stands 5th in RBIs (60) and triples (9). As a first baseman and shortstop during her career, she set the school record for putouts (964).

Nelson produced one of the finest individual seasons in school history, setting Valpo's single-season mark for batting average (.423) in 1998. In 1999, her senior season, Nelson belted six home runs, the second most in school history. She had a penchant for hitting doubles as she holds the top two single-season school marks of 11 in 1998 and 10 in 1997.

Nelson has developed a successful coaching career, serving as assistant softball coach at Portage (Ind.) High School during its 2000 State Championship season. She continued her coaching career at Washington Township (Ind.) High School for two seasons, helping to guide Washington to the Final Four in the Indiana State Girls Basketball Championship in 2003. Nelson returned to her alma mater in 2003 as an assistant softball coach for a team that made its first appearance in the Mid-Continent Conference Championship Game in 2004.