Rounding Third Softball

At the conclusion of this year’s Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association has announced the class of 2022 to be inducted next December in San Antonio, TX.

Those honorees include:

Jenny Allard, Harvard University

Kerri Blaylock, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Sandy Montogomery, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville

Mary Jo Truesdale, Sheldon High School

RTS will be onsite this week at the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) National Convention. Check back starting tomorrow for reports and updates on all the happenings and goings-ons on Twitter and Facebook as the Softball World descends on Las Vegas.

The USA Softball U-18 Junior Women’s National Team went undefeated in Barranquilla, Colombia this past week to lay claim to the 2021 Junior Pan American Games. The JRWNT defeated Mexico in the final with a 10-0 run rule victory in four innings. USA dominated the Junior Pan American Games, shutting out all six of their opponents while scoring a combined total of 71 runs. The junior squad hit .460 with 63 hits including 13 home runs.

Cedarville has announced that the program’s all-time winningest coach Wes Rowe will be stepping down at the end of next month. Rowe, the CU graduate, coached the Lady Jackets to 369 victories in 14 years. An interim head coach will be appointment for the 2022 season before a national search is conducted next summer.

USA Softball has announced the list of athletes invited to participate at the 2022 Women’s National Team (WNT) Selection Trials. The trials will be held January 1-6 at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, FL. Those athletes who accepted the invitation and will be selected for a spot on the 18-player roster will compete at the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, AL next summer.

A complete list of the invitees can be found at https://www.teamusa.org/usa-softball/team-usa/women

Retirement seemingly didn’t sit well with veteran coach Michelle Frew. Just over two months after calling it a career as head coach at Rollins College, Frew agreed to take charge of the program at the University of Charleston. Frew has earned 1,009 victories in 29 seasons as a head coach. 857 of those victories came at Rollins which ranks her as the 16th winningest active Division II coach.

Darrick Brown has been named to the coaching staff at Toledo. Brown, the former field manager of the Chicago Bandits professional team, had agreed to join the coaching staff at Stetson earlier this fall. He will now head up the pitchers and work with hitters for the Rockets.

Alex Flores has been named the new head coach at Warner Pacific. Flores takes the reins of the Knights after a brief stint in 2020 as an assistant at Mt. Hood Community College. The former Portland State Viking player also has experience coaching on the club level.

RTS is saddened to report the passing of longtime California coaching fixture Steve Harrington. The collegiate, high school, and club coaching veteran of 30 years succumbed to a heart attack on Friday. Harrington made collegiate stops at Santa Clara University and University of Antelope Valley. He also had successes coaching at Chaminade College Prep, El Modena, and La Habra on the high school level and raised each to national prominence. His club coaching endeavors included stops with the Southern California Stealth, Orange County Batbusters, and most recently with the Firecrackers Organization.

RTS has learned that West Alabama assistant Angel Brown has departed the Tigers and will join the coaching staff at conference rival Alabama-Huntsville. Brown served on staff at UWA the last two seasons. From 2016-2019 she served as head coach at Bevill State Community College.