Joe Abraham Named New Head Softball Coach at Hillsdale

Release courtesy of Brad Monastiere, Hillsdale College Sports Information Director

Hillsdale, Mich. -- Hillsdale College is pleased to present Joe Abraham as the Chargers’ new head softball coach. Abraham starts in his new position immediately.

Abraham comes to Hillsdale from Division III Whitworth University, located in Spokane, Washington, where he was the head coach for four seasons (2008-2011). His teams improved  steadily throughout his tenure at Whitworth, finishing with a 21-19 record in 2011, finishing in third place in the Northwest Conference, the team’s best finish in five years. His 2011 squad was predicted to finish in fifth place in the conference, but ended up in third, while fielding a lineup that often consisted of as many as six freshmen. The NCAA Division III national champions in softball, Linfield, also competed in the Northwest Conference.

Assistant coach Erin Porter will be retained as the team’s top assistant coach for the 2012 season. Abraham becomes the first male to coach the Chargers since Jay Jondro’s final season in 2004.

Abraham said the opportunity to work and coach at Hillsdale College fulfills a long-term goal he has had, personally and professionally.

“My number one goal is to do my part to fulfill Hillsdale's mission,” Abraham said. “That might sound like just the politically correct thing to say, but I fully believe in the mission and believe its practice yields the best college education in the country.

“As far as what to expect on the diamond, I like to have teams play aggressive, but smart, and I prefer the big inning over playing for one run. Maybe in 1998 softball teams could play for one run and win a lot of games 1-0 or 2-1, but those days are long gone. In 2011 you have to rake. ”

Hillsdale College Athletic Director Don Brubacher said Abraham has the coaching style and personal philosophy that make him a perfect fit with the school and the program.

“We are pleased to add Joe Abraham to our coaching staff,” Brubacher said. “He brings a wealth of coaching experience and a huge passion for the game to the Charger softball program. I am excited about the leadership he will provide for our softball team and the contribution he will make to the athletic department and the college itself.”

While at Whitworth, Abraham took the program to previously unreached levels of success, both as a team and for its individual players. Before the 2009 season, no player from Whitworth had ever earned All-Region honors, and Abraham’s players racked up three such honors between the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Two players also picked up Academic All-District awards following the 2011 season, and the team’s won-loss record in the Northwest Conference improved from 11-15 in 2009 to 17-11 in 2011. Seven Whitworth players – three of them freshmen - earned First or Second-Team All-Northwest Conference recognition in the 2011 season.

“Joe did a very good job putting our team in position to have future success,” said Whitworth University Athletic Director Warren Friedrichs as part of a press release on that school’s athletic website.

Prior to moving to Washington, Abraham founded the Buckeye Heat travel softball team, in 1999. He spent 10 seasons coaching at various age levels of his travel program, and put together an overall record of 428-115, gaining statewide and nationwide respect as one of the Midwest’s fastest-improving travel programs. He sent dozens of players to college teams around the country, and coached his teams to a top-25 percent finish at ASA National Tournaments.

Abraham also served as a coach for the United States softball team at the International Cup team, which competed in Holland from 2004-06. He coached Ohio’s top players in the Ohio vs. West Virginia All-Star Games from 2005-08, and has conducted many clinics for players in the Central Ohio area. He began his coaching career at Thomas Worthington High School, where he led the program to a record of 103-52 from 2002-08. He led the program to three league championships in a six-year span, and helped the team to its first-ever top-10 ranking in the state of Ohio in 2005. In 2007, his team was district champions for the first time in school history.

Abraham is a native of Columbus, Ohio, and earned his bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University in 1988, with majors in print journalism and political science. He went on to Capital University Law School, where he graduated cum laude in 1996, eventually becoming an attorney, specializing in family law.

Right after graduating from OSU, Abraham worked for the Chillicothe Gazette, where he worked as a city government reporter before being promoted to sports editor.

“We will respect the game, honor the game and its customs and be students of the game,” Abraham said. “Not only do I believe in those things, but they fit Hillsdale's mission. We will also represent Hillsdale with class, whether it is in the team hotel, at a restaurant, or anywhere else we find ourselves.”