Author: jmcleod
If you’re visiting this website for the first time since the Thanksgiving holiday, you might notice that a few things look a bit different. First and foremost, there’s a new URL in your address bar. Welcome to justinsworldsb.com. Now, don’t worry – if you’ve got justinsworldofsoftball.com bookmarked in your browser, there’s a handy link on that site that will lead you right here so that you don’t miss anything. While you’re here, though, go ahead and update that bookmark! We’re here to stay. If you were on our mailing list already, you still are. Get ready for a fresh new…
Jordan Richwood has been named the pitching coach at Bucknell. Richwood had been the volunteer assistant coach at Memphis in 2018 and ’19, and was set to fill that role once again in 2020 before joining the Bucknell staff. Prior to joining the staff at Memphis, Richwood was a graduate assistant coach on staff at Christian Brothers, a Division II school also in Memphis. She served as the Lady Bucs’ pitching coach and held a variety of administrative roles, including the team’s travel and academic progress. A former Memphis pitcher, Richwood earned twenty-six wins and four saves during her Tigers…
The 10-member committee that selects and seeds the NCAA tournament in May has two new members in preparation for the 2020 season. A group of coaches and administrators from both the school- and conference-levels make up the selection committee, with members serving 4-year terms. The committee’s 2020 iteration will consist of two head coaches; one conference administrator; two athletic directors; and five school administrators. Rotated off the selection committee with the end of the 2019 term are Colorado State administrator Shalini Shankar & former softball player and Rutgers administrator Sarah Baumgartner; new to the committee are Stephanie Simmons of Kentucky…
Keep up with all the head coaching moves across NCAA DI softball.
Late last week, Louisiana Tech held a press conference to reveal architectural plans for a new softball stadium. The Lady Techsters’ previous field was one of several university facilities that were decimated by a tornado in the spring. The baseball, softball, and soccer facilities on Louisiana Tech’s campus received extensive damage from the tornado, including to such extents that the Lady Techsters’ softball squad had to play their last home series of the season at the home field of Interstate 20 neighbor Louisiana-Monroe. Thursday’s announcement included architectural renderings for construction on each of the facilities, as well as detailed analysis…
The 2019 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Congress was held last week in Sakai, Japan, and among other happenings, five new national federations joined the WBSC. Benin, Bangladesh, Palestine, Egypt, and Kosovo made up the quintet of new members, all of whom earned unanimous votes to join the WBSC. All five nations joined the WBSC in both baseball and softball, while two other countries joined in only baseball. Following the WBSC Congress, the number of member federations is at an even 200, with an additional thirteen associate members. The five new federations that sponsor softball represent three continents, with Benin…
Kenzie Fowler wasn’t far removed from her playing career at Arizona when she jumped head-first into a media role. Her alma mater needed a knowledgeable voice to add to their live-streaming offerings available through the internet, and she was the choice. Since that time, Fowler has quickly become one of the game’s top rising stars in the broadcast booth, earning rave reviews for her even tones, expert analysis, and general softball knowledge. A quietly effective pitcher during her days in uniform for the Cats, even during her playing days, Fowler knew that she would wind up on the other side…
Longtime Wisconsin Lutheran College head coach Bill Curtis passed away on November 20th at the age of 61. Curtis spent eight years as the head coach at Division III Wisconsin Lutheran, stepping down from his post at the conclusion of the 2019 season. He led the Warriors to a 23-17 record during that year, shepherding the squad to their second-consecutive conference tournament berth. The team’s twenty-three wins were the second-most in program history. Named the 2014 Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference’s Co-Coach of the Year, Curtis collected 147 career victories, with eighty-one conference wins. After stepping down as head softball coach,…
The NCAA on Tuesday upheld the previously-announced sanctions against the football; baseball; and softball teams at Missouri, sanctions that include scholarship reductions; recruiting limits; and a one-year postseason ban for the softball team, in addition to similar penalties for the other sports. After the infractions were initially handed down in January of this year, Missouri appealed the case and a hearing was held in July. The appeals committee’s decision was the one handed down on Tuesday, after a nearly four-month wait following the summer hearing. The case centered around a school tutor who, in 2015 and ’16, provided improper assistance to…