Rounding Third Softball

Ursuline College has named Danielle L’Argent their new head coach. L’Argent joins the DII program after spending last season on the coaching staff at Akron. She also is a former assistant coach in the Arrows conference, the G-MAC, having spent three seasons on the staff at Hillsdale College.

RTS has learned that Rebecca Arbino will be promoted to head coach at Rhodes College. The former Texas A&M and San Diego State standout pitcher was hired as an assistant coach in the summer of 2021. She was elevated to interim head coach during the 2022 season. Before arriving at the DIII member she served on staffs as Minnesota-Crookston, UNLV, and San Diego State.

Tragic news out of Missouri as a young athlete fights for her life. Karli Payne an incoming freshman at St. Pius X High School in Crystal City, Missouri and member of the Louisville Sluggers club team was struck by a car on June 30. The pitcher and infielder was crossing a highway after observing a fireworks display. Payne suffered severe brain swelling and shattered compact fractures involving her leg and elbow.

A gofundme has been established to help the Payne Family during their time of need. Fundraiser by Stacy Coleman Clark : Karli Payne – Louisville Sluggers Clark (gofundme.com)

Veteran Coach Annie Smith has been added to the coaching staff at Minnesota. Smith spent the past three seasons building a perennial Top 10 program as part of the coaching staff at Arkansas. The longtime coaching aid has had stops at Auburn, Mississippi State, LSU, and Missouri. She led the program at Georgia Southern between 2012-17.

Texas has hired Kristen Zaleski as an assistant coach. Zaleski spent the 2022 season on the staff at Oklahoma as volunteer assistant coach. She helped guide the Sooners to a 59-3 record and the National Championship. Before going to OU she led programs at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Temple College.

North Florida has announced Jeff Conrad as their new head coach. Conrad is elevated to the leadership position for the Ospreys after serving on staff at UNF as an assistant and associate head coach the last seven seasons. He assumed the role of interim head coach in June after longtime head coach Marcie Higgs announced her resignation.

Widener has announced the retirement of longtime coach Fred Dohrmann. Dohrmann coached an unheard of 42 seasons with the program, 41 as its head coach. He compiled a record of 697-566 ranking him 22nd all-time in Division III history.

UAB has decided to stay “local” on their next head coach. The Blazers have hired Alabama Native AJ Daugherty as their new leader. Daugherty served as head coach the last six seasons at Wallace State Community College where he compiled a 260-58 record. The Lions won the Alabama Community College Conference Championship four times in 2017, 2018, 2021 and 2022, while also making four appearances in the NJCAA National Tournament.

UCLA will be leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten. News broke Thursday that both the Bruins and USC (which doesn’t sponsor softball) could make the move as early as 2024. Sources are reporting that the move will be based on “finances”, but will also address “competitiveness” and “brand”. The move would put the UCLA Softball Squad in a weaker conference, immediately making them the team to beat in the new look Big Ten. It could also signal a possible recruiting shift as the Bruins would now be required to cross the country to play each road game in the cold weather climates the B10 offers.

RTS has learned that Jimmy Kolaitis has agreed to remain on the staff of new Arizona State Head Coach Megan Bartlett. Kolaitis, one of the top recruiters in the country, has worked with the Sun Devils the past two seasons and was a major cog in their 2022 Pac-12 Championship and run to the Super Regional Round. The veteran coach will be key to keeping the current roster and signees in place for ASU moving forward.