ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: ‘I Knew I Would Thrive Here’ — Badin’s Burger In Year 4 Of Successful Run At Wright State
Wright State University senior midfielder Caitlin Burger, a 2023 Badin High School graduate, looks up the field Aug. 17, 2026, during a women's soccer game against Butler at the Rinzler Student Sports Complex in Fairborn. WSU won 2-1 for its first victory of the year.
In today’s world of revolving-door collegiate athletics, Burger has found success and contentment as she begins her fourth year as a member of Wright State University’s women’s soccer program. She understands that kind of connection is becoming less and less common.
“I wouldn’t be here all four years if I didn’t love it,” said Burger, a 2023 Badin High School graduate. “There’s always things here and there that you’re going to deal with at every school, but ultimately this is the place that I want to be at. It’s what I saw for myself.”
Burger has started every game in her WSU career. That’s 56 starts in 56 contests since she stepped foot on campus.
The latest came Sunday in a matchup with visiting Butler at Alumni Field. It proved to be the Raiders’ first win of the season, a 2-1 decision that followed a season-opening 0-0 tie with Southern Indiana. Burger got to square off against former Badin teammate Ava Hess in that one.
Wright State hasn’t had a winning season since Burger has been in the program, so a 1-0-1 start is promising. The Raiders, who were 6-7-5 in 2023, 5-10-2 in 2024 and 7-7-5 in 2025, want to be part of the Horizon League championship conversation.
“It’s not like we’ve been losing lots of games. We’ve just been tying,” Burger said after Sunday’s triumph, which included goals by WSU freshmen Eva Snyder and Chloe Dunford at the Rinzler Student Sports Complex. “It’s nice to finally break that tying curse. We want that Horizon League championship. That’s what we’re going towards.”
Burger has been a steadying force in the midfield for the Raiders throughout her career. The senior has eight goals and seven assists during her time at Wright State.
Travis Sobers has been the Raiders’ head coach since 2021. He brought Burger into the program and quickly saw something special.
“She made an impression right away from Day 1,” Sobers said. “She came in her first year with the expectation that she might play and she might not, but from the first practice, every time I looked at her I said, ‘I don’t know how we can keep that kid off the field.’
“To see her from her freshman year to now … yes, she’s getting better as a player, but it’s that growth as a leader and as a person that’s been really good to see. She’s kind of grown into that leadership role. Kids follow her. She gives us that energy, and we kind of feed off that.”
Burger recalls her first game, a 4-0 loss to Arizona State on Aug. 17, 2023, in Tempe, Ariz. It was her official introduction to NCAA Division I soccer.
“I definitely knew I could make an impact eventually, but I didn’t think I’d be starting and getting what I did right off the bat,” Burger said. “That first game was really intimidating. Coach told me flat out, ‘Hey, you weren’t supposed to come in and be a starter, but you are starting in our game tomorrow.’ I was like, ‘Woah.’ It was shocking.
“But I feel like I stepped up and filled that role and I play a pretty big role on the team now, which I’m grateful for. But I think it takes the girls around me to provide that strength for me to want to lead them.”
She said years of high-level club soccer and a standout Badin career had her ready to step right into the college game.
Burger was the Greater Catholic League Coed Division Player of the Year as a senior at Badin in 2022. She contributed to a four-year record of 47-17-13 with the Rams, enjoying two GCL Coed titles and a pair of Division II district championships.
“Caitlin’s one of the reasons why we’ve been successful,” Badin coach Chris Slusher said. “She’s a leader, someone that the girls still look up to. She’s a great alum. She usually attends a few games a year, even when she’s at Wright State. You don’t find that a lot out of players.
“She was an all-state player and a captain. She set the tone for us right away, and we haven’t looked back. She just loves Badin soccer. The leadership that she set continues to help our girls out.”
Slusher said he’s not surprised that Burger has been an every-game starter at WSU.
“Not a bit,” Slusher said. “She’s a phenomenal player and consistently brings it. She’s one you can lean on to get goals and lead your team. We’re going to go see her this year. Our girls want to see her play. They love her.”
Burger said she started playing soccer when she was 4 or 5, back when “my shin guards probably covered my whole leg when I was playing.” She played for a couple clubs through the years and eventually finished with Kings Hammer.
Soccer has always been her game.
“I played it year-round,” Burger said. “I do have some regret of not trying other sports growing up, but I knew I was good at this, I liked this, and I wanted to pursue this long term. Other sports didn’t really matter to me because I knew this is what I wanted to do.”
Burger said she committed to Wright State in the winter of her senior year. It helped that club teammate Zara Graff was headed to WSU as well.
How did Burger come in contact with Sobers?
“We were in a showcase and played his club team,” she said. “He kind of just pulled me aside and said, ‘Hey, do you have any plans? Let’s start talking.’ From that showcase, I went on a visit and just loved it. I loved Coach Sobers, the atmosphere and the environment. And the apartments were nice.”
Burger also had an offer from Ashland, but Wright State just seemed like it was the right place for her.
“I feel like I fit in well here,” Burger said. “I get minutes. I get good schooling. I get a good social aspect of things. It’s local, and I always wanted my family to come and support me. I knew I would thrive here.”
As for her streak of starts with the Raiders, Burger said she’s been lucky to avoid major injuries and stay on the field.
“I’m very grateful to have done that,” she said. “I’m very blessed. We have a great training facility and a team-specific trainer (Ryan Eddy) to get us back on the field.”
Sobers said a lot of what WSU does on the pitch goes through Burger. Her role as an attacking midfielder keeps her busy.
“She keeps possession,” Sobers said. “She doesn’t score a lot of goals, but she gets us forward and plays the balls to the kids that are going to do that stuff. As a midfielder, that’s perfect for us because we know what we’re going to get every day. She’s that calm in the chaos that can organize and lift the team up when we need to get lifted.”
Burger tallied one goal as a freshman, adding three as a sophomore and four as a junior. She admitted she hasn’t been thrilled with her performance in the first two games this year.
“Each year you get more used to the level of play, but you’ve still got to press the gas pedal,” Burger said. “I think these past few games I’ve just kind of played it safe. I need to be more aggressive and attacking right off the bat. I need to be able to turn players instead of playing it backwards and playing it safe.”
Burger went through the offseason preparing herself for one final ride at the collegiate level. She’s been strong in the classroom and is on track to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in business marketing in the spring.
But this might not be her last season.
The NCAA recently ruled that athletes now have a five-year window to play five seasons. Suddenly seniors like Burger have a choice to make.
“It is shocking,” she said of the policy change. “It’s a lot to think about.”
Burger said she’s undecided about whether she’ll return next season. She said she’s leaning toward playing one more year while admitting that decision is still very much up in the air.
“It’s always on the table for me,” Burger said. “I’ve got to consider if I want to go back to school for my master’s. I’m in a very serious relationship, so that plays a part in it. It also depends on this season, how we do and if I’m hungry for more. We’ll just have to see where it goes for me.”
Sobers said he’d love to have Burger back for a fifth year, but he understands it’s not a decision that should made without considerable thought. Sobers said playing at the next level might be an option for Burger as well.
“The women’s game is blowing up,” Sobers said. “You have all these options in Europe. There’s also two women’s pro leagues here in the U.S., and there’s one in Canada. She’s shown that she’s capable, so there are opportunities out there.”
Burger recognizes the possibilities, though she admitted the idea of playing soccer beyond college isn’t as appealing to her as it might be for others.
“Being at a mid-major, I know there’s always options, but I don’t know if I would go beyond college,” Burger said. “That sucks to say, but in reality for me, I just feel like this might be it. That’s why I’m leaning toward a fifth year. The next level might not be for me, but do I want this to be over yet? I have to make a decision.”
Burger will celebrate her 22nd birthday on Nov. 1. She lives in the Colerain area and gets home quite a bit, and her nickname has evolved through the years. It started as “Big Mac” in reference to her last name, switched to “Biggie” and has now been shortened to “Bigs.”
A lot of athletes will tell you that playing a sport in college is like a job because of the dedication and time commitment that it requires. Burger said it can be a grind, yet she’s been able to find a good balance at Wright State.
“I think I chose right to where I’m being pushed, but I’m not overworking myself and overdoing it and stressed,” Burger said. “I think I put myself in a perfect position where I knew I would thrive and be happy and be OK under this sort of pressure.
“I would recommend it to anybody. You just have to find your right situation and I found mine, and I’m lucky to have done that. It’s hard to find and there’s always the transfer portal, but I think it’s worth a shot for everybody.”
