| La Salle Explorers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | La Salle University |
| Head coach | Sarah Prezioso (1st season) |
| Conference | Atlantic 10 |
| Location | Philadelphia, PA |
| Home stadium | West Campus Field |
| Nickname | Explorers |
| Colors | Blue and gold[1] |
| Conference Tournament championships | |
| 1987, 1989, 1990, 1992[2] | |
| Regular Season Conference championships | |
| 1989, 1990, 1992 | |
The La Salle Explorers softball team represented La Salle UniversityinNCAA Division I college softball from 1973 until 2021. From 1986 until 1992, the team was a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). From 1993 until 1995, the team was a member of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference (MCC). From 1995 until the school's final season in 2021, they were a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10). The Explorers were most recently led by interim head coach Sarah Prezioso. The team formerly played its home games at West Campus Field, which is located on the college's campus.[3]
On September 29, 2020, it was announced that the school would be cutting seven athletic programs, including the softball team, citing enrollment and financial issues that were accelerated by the COVID-19 Pandemic.[4][5] The team played its final season in 2021.[6]
After joining the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in 1987, La Salle found significant success throughout their tenure, winning three regular season championships and four MAAC tournament championships. The Explorers defeated Fairfield to win the tournament in 1989, Army to win in 1990, and Canisius to win in 1992.[7] In 1990, head coach Rick Pohlig was named MAAC Coach of the Year.[8] In 1990 and 1992, pitcher Andrea Huck was named MAAC Player of the Year.[9] For her career accomplishments, Huck was named to the MAAC's 40th Anniversary softball team, along with former teammates Kelli McGahey, Kerri McGahey, and Mary McGrath.[10]
In 1991, it was announced that La Salle would be leaving the MAAC to join the Midwestern Collegiate Conference in an attempt to shift the conference from a regional one to a national one.[11][12] In 1995, it was announced that La Salle would again be switching conferences, this time to the Atlantic 10 Conference.[13] In 1997, catcher Debbie Klawiter was named A-10 Rookie of the Year. In the same year, head coach Ray Perri was named A-10 Coach of the Year, the team's only coaching award during their tenure in the Atlantic 10 Conference.[14] In 2001, infielder Amanda Clark was named A-10 Rookie of the Year.[15][16]
On September 29, 2020, it was announced that the school would be cutting seven athletic programs, including the softball team, citing enrollment and financial issues that were accelerated by the COVID-19 Pandemic.[4][5] The program cuts drew criticism from student-athletes in addition to threats of a Title IX lawsuit.[17][18][19]
Prior to the start of the program's final season in 2021, Brooke Darreff was replaced as head coach by interim Sarah Prezioso.[20] The Explorers finished their final season in 2021 with a 0–30 record, ending the softball program's 48 year history with three regular season championships, four conference tournament championships, and no appearances in the NCAA tournament.
| Years | Coach | Record | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973–1975 | Elanor Snell | 2–17 | .105 |
| 1976–1991 | Rick Pohlig | 284–214–2 | .570 |
| 1992–1998 | Ray Perri | 182–171 | .516 |
| 1999–2002 | Carla Camino | 29–116 | .200 |
| 2003–2008 | Joe DiPietro | 87–171–1 | .337 |
| 2009–2012 | Brianne Brown | 36–127 | .221 |
| 2013–2017 | Ron Shoemaker | 85–132 | .392 |
| 2018–2020 | Brooke Darreff | 24–77 | .238[15] |
| 2021 | Sarah Prezioso | 0–30 | .000[6] |
| 2021 La Salle Explorers final roster | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Utility
|
|||||||
| Reference:[21] | ||||||||
| Season | Coach | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Salle Explorers (Independent) (1973–1985) | |||||||||
| 1973 | Elanor Snell | 0–5 | |||||||
| 1974 | Elanor Snell | 0–7 | |||||||
| 1975 | Elanor Snell | 2–5 | |||||||
| 1976 | Rick Pohlig | 5–1 | |||||||
| 1977 | Rick Pohlig | 5–3 | |||||||
| 1978 | Rick Pohlig | 7–5 | |||||||
| 1979 | Rick Pohlig | 13–1 | |||||||
| 1980 | Rick Pohlig | 9–2 | |||||||
| 1981 | Rick Pohlig | 23–13 | |||||||
| 1982 | Rick Pohlig | 19–11 | |||||||
| 1983 | Rick Pohlig | 18–11 | |||||||
| 1984 | Rick Pohlig | 23–19 | |||||||
| 1985 | Rick Pohlig | 29–22 | |||||||
| La Salle Explorers (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) (1986–1992) | |||||||||
| 1986 | Rick Pohlig | 16–22–1 | [N 1] | [N 2] | |||||
| 1987 | Rick Pohlig | 22–20 | 3rd | ||||||
| 1988 | Rick Pohlig | 14–27 | 2nd | ||||||
| 1989 | Rick Pohlig | 23–24 | 1st | ||||||
| 1990 | Rick Pohlig | 29–15–1 | 1st | ||||||
| 1991 | Rick Pohlig | 29–18 | 3rd | ||||||
| 1992 | Ray Perri | 33–16 | 1st | ||||||
| La Salle Explorers (Midwestern Collegiate Conference) (1993–1995) | |||||||||
| 1993 | Ray Perri | 25–25 | 6–6 | T–4th | |||||
| 1994 | Ray Perri | 25–23 | 2–8 | T–5th | |||||
| 1995 | Ray Perri | 26–35 | 6–12 | 6th | |||||
| La Salle Explorers (Atlantic 10 Conference) (1996–2021) | |||||||||
| 1996 | Ray Perri | 23–26 | 9–7 | 4th | |||||
| 1997 | Ray Perri | 31–18 | 11–5 | 3rd | |||||
| 1998 | Ray Perri | 19–28 | 5–11 | 8th | |||||
| 1999 | Carla Camino | 11–32 | 5–11 | 7th | |||||
| 2000 | Carla Camino | 9–46 | 1–15 | 9th | |||||
| 2001 | Carla Camino | 9–38 | 5–16 | T–7th | |||||
| 2002 | Carla Camino | 12–36 | 3–18 | T–7th | |||||
| 2003 | Joe DiPietro | 15–28 | 5–9 | 7th | |||||
| 2004 | Joe DiPietro | 10–31 | 2–10 | 8th | |||||
| 2005 | Joe DiPietro | 12–32–1 | 2–10 | 9th | |||||
| 2006 | Joe DiPietro | 12–33 | 2–18 | 11th | |||||
| 2007 | Joe DiPietro | 16–23 | 8–11 | 7th | |||||
| 2008 | Joe DiPietro | 22–24 | 8–12 | 8th | |||||
| 2009 | Brianne Brown | 9–29 | 6–13 | 9th | |||||
| 2010 | Brianne Brown | 13–30 | 2–18 | 11th | |||||
| 2011 | Brianne Brown | 5–38 | 2–16 | 10th | |||||
| 2012 | Brianne Brown | 9–40 | 3–17 | 11th | |||||
| 2013 | Ron Shoemaker | 16–31 | 3–19 | 12th | |||||
| 2014 | Ron Shoemaker | 18–24 | 9–9 | T–5th | |||||
| 2015 | Ron Shoemaker | 15–22 | 9–11 | 5th | |||||
| 2016 | Ron Shoemaker | 16–28 | 7–14 | 9th | |||||
| 2017 | Ron Shoemaker | 20–27 | 7–16 | 9th | |||||
| 2018 | Brooke Darreff | 12–34 | 3–19 | 10th | |||||
| 2019 | Brooke Darreff | 12–33 | 5–17 | T–9th | |||||
| 2020 | Brooke Darreff | 0–10 | 0–0 |
Season cut short due to COVID-19 Pandemic | |||||
| 2021 | Sarah Prezioso | 0–31 | 0–20 | 10th | |||||
| Total: | 729–1,055–3 (.409) | ||||||||
|
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
| |||||||||
|
| |
|---|---|
| Academics |
|
| Athletics |
|
| Historic buildings |
|
| Student life |
|
| Alumni |
|
| |
