Rounding Third Softball

Fordham has named Jen Lapicki associate head coach. Lapicki joins the Rams after serving as head coach at Holy Cross for the past five years. During that time she compiled a 49-127 record leading the Crusaders.

Post University has announced the hiring of Julie Meyer as its new head coach. Meyer joins the Eagles for her first head coaching assignment after spending the last seven seasons as the assistant and eventual associate head coach at Hofstra. She had also made stops on coaching staffs at Memphis and Ole Miss in her career.

Sources have confirmed to RTS that Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Head Coach Kristen Zaleski will step down from her position to join the coaching staff at Oklahoma as volunteer assistant. Zaleski was named head coach of the Islanders in June of 2019 and led the program to a 24-46 overall record in two seasons. She previously had spent nine highly successful seasons as head coach at Temple College.

Dixie State has named Michael Garoutte assistant coach. The veteran to the coaching ranks joins the Trailblazers after spending the last four seasons as head coach at Big Bend Community College in Washington. While at BBCC Garoutte posted a 77-53 record.

Former Ole Miss and Chicago Bandit standout Taylor “RT” Cantillo has been named JO Commissioner for Memphis, Tennessee by USA Softball. Cantillo will work in developing the sport in the Greater Memphis area by hosting tournaments and clinics while promoting the Junior Olympic Fastpitch Brand to local leagues and associations. Before arriving in the Bluff City, the California native spent time throughout the country on the collegiate and club levels coaching while also working on the development and training side of the sport. Cantillo will also coach the Virginia Unity Club Program and their franchise based in the West Tennessee and Mississippi area moving forward.

RTS has learned through sources that Kenneth Bellamy will join the coaching staff at DII Georgia College as an assistant. Bellamy spent the 2021 season on staff at Mercer. He joined MU after eight years as the head coach at USC Salkehatchie where he turned the JUCO into a regional and national competitor.

Megan Valente has been named the new head coach at the College of the Redwoods. She replaces longtime head coach Maggie White, who announced last month that she was stepping down after 25 years leading the program. Valente returns to Redwoods after serving as an assistant coach in 2019 and 2020. She spent the 2021 season as an assistant at Adams State.

Former Division I Player of the Year Abbey Cheek has joined the coaching staff at Limestone University. Cheek spent the 2020 season playing overseas in the Japanese Softball League (JSL) for Hitachi. Prior to Japan, the former Kentucky Wildcat standout spent a year playing for the Chicago Bandits of the now defunct National Pro Fastpitch league after being selected in the third round of the 2019 draft.

Valerie Arioto a longtime member of the USA Softball Women’s National Team has announced her retirement. Arioto has been a member of the WNT for the last decade, helping the U.S. to four World Cup Gold Medals, three Pan American Games Gold Medals, and two World Championship Golds. One of the top hitters with Team USA, she also helped the squad to the Silver Medal in the Tokyo Olympic Games this summer.

Aaron Longenecker has joined the coaching staff at Louisville as volunteer assistant. Longenecker spent the past three seasons as an assistant at Central Baptist College. During his time with the Mustangs he helped lead the program to more than 80 wins and two NAIA National Tournament appearances, while working with the hitters and outfield and serving as recruiting coordinator.