Rider Broncs softball

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Rider Broncs
Rider Broncs wordmark.png
University Rider University
Head coachDavon Ortega (7th season)
Conference MAAC
Location Lawrenceville, NJ
Home stadiumHerb & Joan Young Field
Nickname Broncs
ColorsCranberry, white, and gray [1]
     
NCAA Tournament appearances
1997, 2003
Conference tournament championships
NEC: 1995, 1997
MAAC: 2003
Regular-season conference championships
1992 [2]

The Rider Broncs softball team represents Rider University in NCAA Division I college softball. The team currently participates in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), having joined in 1998. From 1978 until 1992, the team was a member of the now-defunct East Coast Conference (ECC). [2] From 1992 until 1997, the team was a member of the Northeast Conference (NEC). [3] The Broncs are currently led by head coach Davon Ortega. The team plays its home games at Herb & Joan Young Field, which is located on the college's campus. [4]

Contents

History

Rider has the unique achievement of having won conference titles in three different conferences. The first conference title came in the 1991 East Coast Conference season, winning the conference with a 10–2 record in conference play. [5] The second and third conference titles came in the Northeast Conference, winning in the 1995 and 1997 seasons. [6] The Broncs fourth and latest conference title came in their current conference, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, winning in 2003. [7] Since the expansion of the NCAA Division I softball tournament in 1994, [8] Rider has qualified for the tournament twice, doing so in 1997 and 2003. Despite winning the NEC in 1995, the Broncs were not automatically qualified for the NCAA tournament because the conference did not receive an automatic bid until 1996. [9]

In the 1997 tournament, Rider faced off against Arizona in their first appearance of the tournament, losing 11–2 via mercy rule in six innings. [10] The Broncs were eliminated from the tournament after losing to Arizona State by a score 12–0, losing again via the mercy rule in six innings. [11]

Rider qualified for the 2003 NCAA Division I softball tournament after defeating Saint Peter's 2–1 in the MAAC tournament championship game. Pitcher Heather Beintema was named MVP of the tournament. [12] The Broncs faced off against Cal State Fullerton in the opening game, losing by a score of 3–0. [13] The team was eliminated from the tournament after losing a 2–1 contest to San Diego State. [14]

In 2015, former head coach Patricia Carroll filed a lawsuit against the university, claiming she was fired for raising awareness about Title IX violations committed by the school's athletic program. [15] The lawsuit claims that men's programs at the university receive larger shares of scholarship and booster money, as well as having larger coaching staffs than women's teams. [16] In a period from 2011 until 2014, Carroll complained about the alleged violations to the school's Associate Vice President for Human Resources and Affirmative Action Robert Stoto. An outside consultant was hired by the university in 2013 and found the school to be in violation of Title IX, although Carroll's complaints continued into 2014. [17] As a result, the lawsuit claims Carroll was informed in 2014 that her contract would not be renewed following the 2015 season. [18]

Coaching history

YearsCoachRecord%
1978–1980 [2] Carol Knapp22–24.478
1981–1987 [2] Laura Darling119–97.551
1988–1994 [2] Leslie Craig Hagan208–102.671
1994–2015 [2] Patricia Carroll401–631–3.389
2016–2017 [19] Jaclyn Timko-Gabelt14–86.140
2017–presentDavon Ortega92–165–1.359

Roster

2024 Rider Broncs roster
 

Pitchers

  • 13 – Anna-Marie Groskritz – Senior
  • 8 – Jadeyn Merrill – Sophomore
  • 1 – Jessie Niegocki – Senior
  • 33 – Kathryn Schmierer – Junior
  • 24 – Fallyn Stoeckel – Sophomore

Catchers

  • 18 – Abby Cruz – Freshman
  • 6 – Kristyn Gardner – Junior
  • 35 – Kendall Reda-Fehsal – Freshman
  • 31 – Amanda Royal – Freshman
 

Infielders

  • 28 – Kiersten Buchanan – Freshman
  • 16 – Olivia Burroughs – Junior
  • 3 – Olivia Smith – Freshman
  • 2 – Kayley York – Freshman

Outfielders

  • 22 – Asiah Bell – Junior
  • 19 – Amanda Cooper – Graduate Student
  • 12 – Shelby Dyer – Freshman
  • 26 – Maddie Luedtke – Sophomore
  • 66 – Tristen Wren – Freshman
  • 11 – Laneya Wright – Senior

Utility

  • 17 – Alina Borota – Freshman
  • 27 – Julia Harsche – Sophomore
  • 40 – Chelsea Weatherford – Junior
 
Reference: [20]

Season by season results

Statistics overview
SeasonCoachOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Rider Broncs (East Coast Conference)(1978–1992)
1978Carol Knapp 5–10
1979Carol Knapp 6–10
1980Carol Knapp 11–4
1981Laura Darling 13–6
1982Laura Darling 12–8
1983Laura Darling 11–17
1984Laura Darling 19–21
1985Laura Darling 20–14
1986Laura Darling 20–15
1987Laura Darling 24–16
1988Leslie Craig Hagan 29–14
1989Leslie Craig Hagan 33–13
1990Leslie Craig Hagan 30–16
1991Leslie Craig Hagan 21–1210–21st
1992Leslie Craig Hagan 34–12
Rider Broncs (Northeast Conference)(1992–1997)
1993Leslie Craig Hagan 26–17N/AN/A
1994Leslie Craig Hagan 35–18N/AN/A
1995Patricia Carroll 34–12–1N/A1st
1996Patricia Carroll 24–22N/AN/A
1997Patricia Carroll 24–31N/A1st NCAA Regionals
Rider Broncs (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference)(1997–present)
1998Patricia Carroll 22–247–9N/A
1999Patricia Carroll 19–335–118th
2000Patricia Carroll 26–167–9T–6th
2001Patricia Carroll 25–317–9T–5th
2002Patricia Carroll 18–357–95th
2003Patricia Carroll 24–2511–5T–2nd NCAA Regionals
2004Patricia Carroll 35–2211–52nd
2005Patricia Carroll 16–326–107th
2006Patricia Carroll 24–2810–63rd
2007Patricia Carroll 11–363–11T–8th
2008Patricia Carroll 12–344–129th
2009Patricia Carroll 16–328–86th
2010Patricia Carroll 16–31–18–8T–5th
2011Patricia Carroll 9–372–148th
2012Patricia Carroll 20–33–17–9T–6th
2013Patricia Carroll 8–413–138th
2014Patricia Carroll 6–413–7T–10th
2015Patricia Carroll 12–356–149th
2016Jaclyn Timko-Gabelt 8–425–1510th
2017Jaclyn Timko-Gabelt 6–441–1911th
2018Davon Ortega 17–338–129th
2019Davon Ortega 10–446–1410th
2020Davon Ortega 1–100–0N/A

Season cut short due to COVID-19 pandemic

2021Davon Ortega 17–2016–187th
2022Davon Ortega 28–25–111–94th
2023Davon Ortega 19–319–11T–7th
2024Davon Ortega 0–00–0
Total:856–1,075–4 (.443)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Rider University Graphic Standards Manual and Editorial Style Guide (PDF). Retrieved April 16, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Season-By-Season Records". Rider University Athletics.
  3. ↑ "Northeast Conference - NCAA History". sites.google.com.
  4. ↑ "Facilities". Rider University Athletics.
  5. ↑ "Rider dedicates bullpen to softball Hall of Famer". Rider University. April 4, 2022.
  6. ↑ "NEC Softball History". northeastconference.org.
  7. 1 2 "Softball Standings 1986-2022". maacsports.com.
  8. ↑ "WOMEN'S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES" (PDF). fs.ncaa.org.
  9. ↑ "1996 RS (PDF)" (PDF). Marist College Athletics.
  10. ↑ "1997 Softball Schedule". University of Arizona Athletics.
  11. ↑ Archivist, Times Leader (May 28, 1997). "Rider University Freshman Heather Sonnenberg Has Completed Her Rookie Season On The Broncs Softball Team". Times Leader.
  12. ↑ "Rider Claims MAAC Softball Crown - MAACSports.com - The Official Website of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference". maacsports.com.
  13. ↑ "May 15, 2003 - Cal State Fullerton 3 Rider 0 - NCAA's". Rider University Athletics. 15 May 2003.
  14. ↑ "Softball Defeats Rider University, 2-1". SDSU Athletics.
  15. ↑ "New Jersey Softball Coach Sues University Over Her Dismissal". June 30, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Rider softball coach sues university over her dismissal". The Washington Times.
  17. ↑ NJ.com, Cristina Rojas | For (July 1, 2015). "Fired Rider University softball coach sues school over Title IX violations". nj.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  18. ↑ "Softball coach sues Rider University over her dismissal". Press of Atlantic City. Associated Press. 30 June 2015.
  19. ↑ "Timko Hired as Head Coach". Rider University Athletics. 5 January 2016.
  20. ↑ "2024 Softball Roster". Rider University Athletics.
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