Rounding Third Softball

SUNY Potsdam has named Brianna Ferchen head coach. Ferchen spent the last year leading Plattsburgh State. Before joining the Cardinals she was an assistant at SUNY Cortland for two seasons helping guide them to a conference and NCAA Regional title in 2017.

Oklahoma Panhandle State will name Marc Benjamin head coach RTS has learned. Benjamin has spent the past few years in private instruction and as a recruiting consultant. He has had assistant coaching stops at Campbell and Southern Utah and served as head coach at Barton Community College.

Longtime collegiate and professional coach Teresa Wilson has departed Bowling Green State as associate head coach. She will be returning to the State of Washington where she will work with coaches for Envision U a private company that focuses on leadership and culture development. Wilson is best known for building a National Powerhouse at Washington for the Huskies in the early 90s. She had other head coaching stops at Oregon, Minnesota, and Texas Tech while also serving as pitching coach at Arizona for four seasons.

The University of California Riverside could consider discontinuing their athletics program due to a steep funding decline as a result of the Coronavirus Pandemic. The recommendation was made by UCR’s budget advisory committee this week. UCR sponsors 15 Division I level sports including softball.

North Carolina Central has announced that Vashion Johnson has stepped down as head coach and assistant coach Cat Tarvin has been named interim head coach. Johnson spent four seasons leading the Eagles. Tarvin has been with the program since the 2017-2018 season.

After RTS reported last month she had been targeted by San Jose State as a top candidate; Tammy Lohmann has now been named head coach of the Spartans. Lohmann spent 13 seasons on staff at Cal, and what would be her final season in 2020 leading the program as interim head coach.

Texas-San Antonio has announced the hiring of Ronnie Ladines as an assistant coach. Ladines served the 2020 season as an assistant at Utah Valley. She also spent time on staff at Akron. A standout pitcher at Kent State, she posted 20 wins and a 1.82 ERA in her senior season of 2017.

Her family and friends describe Sophia Duong as happy, energetic, good hearted, strong-willed, a fighter, and even a little bit “sassy”. All those character attributes stand to serve Sophia Duong well as she faces down the most challenging time in her young life.  

Earlier this summer Sophia, a sophomore Pitcher/Utility from Eastvale, California, received a diagnosis of muscle spasms in her shoulder. With an MRI and CT Scan after suffering from further symptoms in her leg, the tests determined Sophia was suffering from a glial tumor on her spinal column. A stroke since affecting her spine has gradually caused her to lose feeling from her torso to her toes. 

Sophia is currently at Loma Linda Pediatrics Hospital where she is receiving radiation treatments with a proton beam and has 13-15 treatments left. Surgery is not an option as the tumor is intertwined in her spinal cord column. The immediate expenses projected to get Sophia home are overwhelming for her and her family. Sophia will have needs that will not be covered by insurance. She continues to be strong, in good spirits, a fighter and is ready and willing to conquer all that is in her path on her road to recovery according to her family. A GoFundMe account has been established to help Sophia’s Family with these overwhelming expenses. https://gf.me/u/yvmzbp

Sophia started playing softball with Eastvale Girls Softball Association when she was only 8 years old. She has developed her talents, and is now a member of the California Cruisers-Villalobos elite club team. Sophia enjoys spending time with her friends and family, making tik tok videos, snap chat, watching Netflix, and going to the movies. “Sophia has the passion and goal to keep playing in high school, club ball, and move on to College once she graduates.” her mother Angela Duong told RTS. “Her love and passion for the game goes without saying.”

“Sassy” softball players are sometime known to give opponents (and coaches haha) a bit of a challenge and run for their money. Let’s hope Sophia lays a bit of that sass on what is in front of her. If so, I don’t believe it stands a chance in this fight against her.   

RTS wishes Sophia, her family, her teammates and coaches, and all her loved ones our continuing prayers and well wishes.

Emmanuel College (GA) has named Kevin Fagan head coach. Fagan spent the last seven seasons building a JUCO powerhouse at the College of Central Florida. He amassed a 355-68 record, four conference championships, and an NJCAA National Runner-Up finish in 2019.

Lipscomb has announced that former Bison Laura Dukes has rejoined the program as an assistant coach. Dukes returns to her alma mater after one season down the boulevard at Belmont. She also had stops on staffs at Shepherd and Austin Peay.