Rounding Third Softball

Softball America has released their Division I Preseason Top 25. To no surprise the back-to-back-to-back defending National Champion Oklahoma Sooners sit atop.

1	Oklahoma	61-1
2	Tennessee	51-10
3	Florida State	58-11
4	Stanford	47-15
5	Clemson	49-12
6	Georgia	42-15
7	Texas	45-15-1
8	Arkansas	40-19
9	Duke	48-12
10	UCLA	52-7
11	Baylor	40-18
12	LSU	42-17
13	Utah	41-16
14	Oklahoma State	47-16
15	Nebraska	36-22
16	Oregon	38-17
17	South Carolina	40-22
18	Virginia Tech	39-20
19	Texas A&M	35-21
20	Auburn	43-19
21	Alabama	45-22
22	Washington	44-15
23	Louisiana	50-16
24	Florida	38-22
25	San Diego State	39-17

Rachel Balkovec is expected to be named farm director for the Miami Marlins. Balkovec, the first female to manage a minor league team, has worked in professional baseball the past decade. She spent the past two years managing the Tampa Tarpons, the New York Yankees’ Single-A affiliate. Balkovec played collegiate softball at the Creighton University, before transferring to the University of New Mexico where she was a catcher for the Lobos.

Cal Poly Humboldt has named Megan Corriea their new head coach. The Lumberjack Alum returns to the program after serving in the same capacity at Southwestern Oregon Community College since 2007. She compiled a record of 486-207 leading the Raccoons. Corriea was also an assistant at Cal Poly Humboldt from 2001-2003 under legendary head coach Frank Cheek.

RTS Dobbins’ Dandies presented USA Preps and Dobbins Softball Consulting & Development.

Longtime coach, consultant, and media personality Lee Dobbins will be onsite in Las Vegas, Nevada January 12-14 at the USA Preps Best of the Best Showcase event to evaluate and recognize standout Prospective Student-Athletes throughout the weekend as they and their teams excel on the field. Follow Rounding Third Softball and Dobbins Softball Consulting & Development on all Social Media platforms as we profile the next Collegiate Superstars!

Laura Heberling has been named the new pitching coach at Kansas. Heberling joins the Jayhawks after spending last season in the same role at Maryland. She spent 2020-2022 as associate head coach at Utah State. Heberling also served five seasons as head coach at USC-Beaufort.

From the decaying PAC-12 to high-end ranks of Private Texas High School.

Former Oregon State Pitching Coach Jamie Southern-Wiggins is headed to take the Varsity Assistant/Pitching Coach position at Hyde Park High School in Austin, TX. The former four-time All-American and Olympic Gold Medal winner spent the 2023 season with the Beavers after coaching stops at Idaho State, Abilene Christian, and her alma mater Fresno State.

Ashley Ercolano has been promoted to Associate Head Coach at Charleston Southern. The pitching coach for the Buccaneers is in her third year with the program. Prior to her time at CSU she worked on staffs at University of Colorado-Colorado Springs and Cal State San Marcos.

Samantha Henderson has been tabbed the permanent head coach at Oakland. Named to the interim spot in September after the departure of former head coach Lauren Karn to Maryland, she had been on the Golden Grizzlies Staff as an assistant since 2020.

Chris Steiner-Leak has been named the new head coach at Southern Union State Community College. Steiner-Leak spent the past two seasons on the high school level in Alabama at Brewbaker Tech. She returns to the collegiate level after previously leading programs at Reinhardt, Auburn-Montgomery, Alabama State, and Florida International.

South Mountain Community College has hired Kelley Montalvo as their new head coach. The position will be the first leadership role for Montalvo after having assistant coaching stops at Bethune Cookman, Middle Tennessee State, and Barry. The former Alabama Crimson Tide All-American takes over a SMCC program that went 54-10 in 2023, while winning the ACCAC Championship and advancing to the NJCAA Division II World Series.