TACOMA, Wash. — GoLutes.com is highlighting the six individuals from the 2025 Pacific Lutheran University Athletics Hall of Fame Class that will be inducted on April 12 as part of the 34th induction class. Today's installment features softball's Gretchen (Ruecker) Hoog who was one of the most prolific hitters in PLU history.
PLU was already a household name for the Hillsboro, Oregon native, hearing stories from her uncle about his time playing football for Frosty Westering in the 1970s. A combination of his great experience, a softball team that was in its prime, and the idea of being a two-sport athlete, sold Hoog on coming to PLU.
Hoog hit the ground running as a first-year, securing First Team All-Northwest Conference and First Team NFCA All-West Region honors. The infielder had 42 RBIs for the Lutes, helping the team to a 32-3 record that including a school record 25 wins in Northwest Conference play, winning the league crown with a 25-1 mark.
There was no sophomore slump for Hoog in 2004, earning the first of two straight NWC Player of the Year honors while also securing First Team All-NWC, Third Team NFCA All-West Region, CoSIDA Academic All-District, and NFCA Scholar-Athlete honors. Hoog set still standing single season records for batting average (.525), RBIs (62), slugging percentage (.992) and on-base percentage (.614).
As a junior, Hoog continued to dominate the competition, securing Second Team NFCA All-American laurels, CoSIDA Academic All-American honors, and was one again the NWC Player of the Year. Hoog was First Team NFCA All-West Region, CoSIDA Academic All-Region and for the third consecutive year a First Team All-NWC player.
Hoog capped off her decorated career in 2006, landing CoSIDA Academic All-American honors for the second straight season while earning CoSIDA Academic All-District for the third year in a row while also securing First Team NFCA All-West Region and First Team All-NWC honors.
Over her four years on campus, Hoog helped the Lutes win 106 games while rewriting the record books setting still standing school records for career RBIs (187), slugging percentage (.816), and walks (101) while sitting second all-time in career batting average (.455), third in home runs (33), and fourth in both hits (198) and doubles (42). Hoog also played two seasons on the Lute volleyball team before focusing her final two years on campus only on the diamond.
Countless individuals had an impact on Hoog's career at PLU but arguably the two biggest were Head Coach Rick Noren and best friend Leia (Connors) Brown.
"Rick was an incredible influence on me. He's tough and he showed me the value of not expecting anything less than my best. My best friend Leia was my softball teammate and roommate all throughout and after college. She was my biggest cheerleader and source of confidence when I was struggling."
Hoog graduated with a degree in social work and currently works in downtown Seattle for the law firm Ryan Swanson where she is a trial attorney that focuses on commercial litigation. Hoog married Jeremy, also a PLU graduate, and have three children— Harlan, Millie, and Eddie.
"My greatest achievement is being a mother and a wife. I have three great kids and a husband who makes me laugh daily. But beyond family, I'm very proud of my career. I took a lot of what I learned as an athlete at PLU into law school, and the same work ethic and commitment to excellence expected from Coach Noren, I now expect of myself in my law practice."
