Rounding Third Softball

Franciscan University has named Chris McKnight their new head coach. The position with the Barons will be the first collegiate appointment for McKnight. He has spent most of his coaching time on the club level before making the jump to college.

Grinnell College has named Lexy Determan their new head coach. Determan has led the program at Waldorf College the last six seasons where she amassed 70 wins. Before coming to WC she was head coach at MacMurray College in the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

Reports have surfaced that Rachel Balkovec is expected to be named the new manager for the New York Yankees Low-A affiliate, the Tampa Tarpons. The hire will be the first appointment of a woman to a managerial role in Minor League Baseball. Balkovec, a former catcher for the University of New Mexico softball program, has served as a hitting coach in the Yankees Organization since 2020.

Stanislaus State has appointed Aja Scheuber to direct their program. Scheuber is a former All-American that competed at both Merced College and Fresno State. The Turlock, California native was an assistant coach for the Warriors from 2016-2018.

USA Softball announced today the 18 athletes who will represent the United States as members of the 2022 USA Softball Women’s National Team (WNT). The 15-player roster and three replacement athletes will compete at the 2022 World Games this July in Birmingham, AL. The full roster and details of the team selections can be viewed at USA Softball announces 2022 Women’s National Team World Games Roster (teamusa.org)

RTS has learned that Garrett Nickel will join the coaching staff at Stetson. Nickel had most recently served on the staff at Arizona State as a Graduate Manager. He also worked on staff at Tennessee, with Athletes Unlimited, and coached on the club level. The former USA Junior Men’s National Training Team member is expected to direct the Hatters Pitching Staff.

RTS has learned that Savannah State Head Coach Jose Gonzalez has departed the program. Gonzalez was the all-time winningest coach in Tiger Softball History. He led the program for 14 seasons while transitioning SSU from Division I to Division II.

RTS is saddened to report the recent passing Georgian Court University pitching great and New Jersey Softball Hall of Famer Lauren Anderson. Considered one of the best ever out of the Garden State, Anderson owns GCU team records for career wins (77), shutouts (39), strikeouts (857), and ERA (0.77). The two-time Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Player of the Year was only 41 years old.

RTS has learned that longtime Howard Payne University Head Coach Jose Mata has resigned for family reasons. Mata spent 17 years leading the Yellow Jackets over two separate stretches. He was hired to build the program in 1999 and collected 243 wins at the DIII school since that time.

The U-18 Women’s National Team (WNT) defeated Chinese Taipei on a walk-off 1-0 to win the 2021 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 World Championship last weekend in Lima, Peru. The win marks the fourth-straight World Championship Gold Medal from the USA Softball Junior Women’s National Team (JWNT) program, having won the previous three World Championships in 2015, 2017 and 2019. Team USA dominated with an 8-0 record on the way to the gold led by stellar pitching with a 0.46 ERA with 78 K’s.