| Cindy Ball - Head Coach | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Former University of the Pacific standout Cindy Ball has been named the new head softball coach at Cosumnes River College. Coach Ball began her duties at CRC in June of 2007.
Cindy graduated from Camarillo High School in 1998 and accepted a scholarship to play softball at the University of the Pacific where she was a two-time All-American, two time Academic All-American and two-time Big West Pitcher of the Year. Coach Ball concluded her career at UOP as the program's career leader in innings pitched (883.1), wins (91), saves (10), strikeouts (761), shutouts (46), and RBI (111). She earned a BA in Sports Medicine in 2002 and began serving as a part-time graduate assistant coach while attending graduate classes in Pacific's Benerd School of Education. She was promoted to full-time assistant coach in 2004 and finished her Master's degree in 2005.
Coach Ball was the Head Softball Coach at Modesto Junior College for the 06'-07' season where she was responsible for turning around a program that won only nine games last year. In her first season at the helm, her squad has won over 20 games and is in 2nd place in their conference. Coach Ball plans on duplicating that feat when she gets to CRC. "There is no reason why CRC can't be a top five team every year," she said. "I will work very hard this spring and summer to recruit student/athletes that will be successful both in the classroom and on the softball field." With her experience as a player and a coach, she was on teams that won the most games in any 4-year span in the history of UOP softball; it is no surprise that a winning tradition will follow her to CRC. "We will be competitive from day one," Ball added. But that's not what is most important to Coach Ball. "I want my players to graduate and move on to the next level, that's my number one priority."
Coach Ball is confident she can return CRC softball to a program that expects to win championships, but she knows she can't do it alone. "In order for a program to be successful it needs to be supported," she said. "CRC offers that support. The people here are amazing." Ball feels right at home at CRC because the atmosphere and environment mirror that of UOP. Both schools are the smallest schools in their respective conferences and Coach Ball is very familiar and comfortable playing the role of the underdog. If history is any indication, don't expect the Hawks to be underdogs for long.