Grand Valley State's Softball Coaching Staff Named Regional "Staff of the Year"

Release courtesy of Parker Griffith, Director of Media Relations, Division II Liaison, National Fastpitch Coaches Association

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Head coach Patti Gerckens and assistant coaches Jessica Millsap, Allison May, Nichole Willis and Sara Robinson of the 2011 NCAA Division II National Champions UC San Diego have been named as the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division II National Coaching Staff of the Year, the Association announced on Monday.

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The Tritons went 45-13 overall and 22-9 in the California Collegiate Athletics Conference to clinch the first regular-season league title in program history.  The 45 wins by the 2011 team is a new school record and the .775 winning percentage also broke the program’s previous top mark.

In the postseason, despite finishing second in the CCAA tournament, UC San Diego earned the top seed in the west region and made its fifth overall appearance in the NCAA Division II tournament. After going just 2-8 in their previous five appearances, the Tritons blazed though the regionals and super regionals with a perfect 5-0 record.

After dominating performances in the first two rounds, when UC San Diego got to Salem for its first NCAA Championship appearance, it was more of the same for the Tritons. Gerckens’ team went 4-0 at the final site, including a 10-3 rout of then top-ranked Alabama-Huntsville in the championship game.

Leading the Tritons on the field this season was junior pitcher and 2011 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Second-Team All-American Camille Gaito.  Gaito finished the year at 35-4 with 208 strikeouts, just 28 walks and one of the lowest ERA’s in the nation at 0.75.

For their work this season, Gerckens and staff also earned the West Region Coaching Staff of the Year award.

Midwest Region – Grand Valley State University

Head Coach: Doug Woods

Assistant Coaches: Dana Callihan & Jennifer Mackson

Grand Valley led the nation in offense this season with a .366 team batting average and parlayed that power into a 41-16 record.  The Lakers won their second region title in program history this season, before falling to NCAA Championship qualifier Saginaw Valley in the super regionals. Helping lead the Lakers this season was sophomore designated player Katie Martin. Martin earned 2011 Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America first-team honors this season by leading the potent Laker offense with a .468 batting average and a .898 slugging percentage.