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West Xtra: Robert Morris University's Coleman collects win No. 500
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Robert Morris University softball coach Craig Coleman, who doubles as the Colonials athletic director, recently won his 500th game at the university.
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Robert Morris University softball coach Craig Coleman reached a coaching milestone in a March 27 doubleheader at Fairleigh Dickinson University, but the 21-year veteran was more impressed with his Colonials' sweep of defending Northeast Conference champion Long Island the following weekend.
"Absolutely. The walk-off wins against Long Island were clearly more meaningful," said Coleman, who collected his 500th coaching victory during the Fairleigh Dickinson doubleheader.
"It's a great honor to have coached all the incredible student-athletes I've encountered at Robert Morris. I may have reached the 500-win milestone, but I don't have a single RBI. I have to give the credit to all the kids who have played in our program."
Coleman turned a perennial loser into a program that annually competes for the Northeast Conference title. Prior to his arrival as head coach in 1991, the Colonials had a record of 19-45 in the previous three seasons. In the 21 years since Coleman's hiring, the Colonials have compiled a 508-455-4 record and have won six NEC tournament titles. The play host to Sacred Heart Sunday for a doubleheader.
Coleman is the first head coach in any sport in Robert Morris history to reach the 500-win milestone.
"We knew for a couple of weeks that we were approaching coach Coleman's 500th win, but he had no idea [exactly how close they were]," junior captain Jessica Calderone said.
"Seeing the surprise on his face was great, especially when he said, 'Let's make it 501'. My teammates and I were very excited to be a part of his 500th victory and proud to say we have played under RMU's winningest coach."
Coleman was a little embarrassed with the attention given to his milestone win. He would rather talk about the two walk-off victories against Long Island.
"Long Island is the defending conference champion," he said. "They came from behind to beat us in the seventh inning in the conference final last year. These wins were pretty sweet."
A walk, two hit batters, an error and a wild pitch sparked an eighth-inning rally in an 8-7 win in game one. The Colonials won 3-2 in game two, with Allie Patton driving in the winning run with a walk-off single with two outs in the seventh inning. Patton, a junior outfielder from Poland, Ohio, who leads the team with a .378 average, also scored the winning run in game one.
Robert Morris is 17-22 overall this season, but more importantly 8-4 in the Northeast Conference.
"Our record is deceiving," Coleman said. "We play a very strong non-conference schedule. We've actually done well in those non-conference games. We played Florida when they were ranked No. 1 and only lost, 5-1. We also played the Dutch National Team in an exhibition and lost, 4-3."
Eight members of Coleman's roster are from WPIAL high schools, while another is from the City League.
"The biggest strength of our team is pitching," Coleman said. "We're pretty deep. We have three quality pitchers, and two are from WPIAL high schools."
Freshman Geena Badolato, a Mt. Lebanon graduate, and junior Alexa Bryson, a Greater Latrobe grad, have each started 17 games. Badolato has an 8-10 record, a 2.79 earned run average.Bryson has a 7-8 record and a 3.14 ERA.
"We have a lot of local ties on this team," Coleman said. "And we're very young. We only have two seniors."
Montour graduate Sarah Capp, Brashear grad Kayla Crooks and Riverside graduate Chelsea Evans have split the catching duties.
Shaler graduate Chelsa Siar and Connellsville grad Cassie Show have become starters in their freshman year. Siar is playing first base and Coleman calls Show "a defensive wiz" at shortstop. Both are struggling at the plate. Show has a .220 average, while Siar is hitting ..239.
Chartiers-Houston graduate Jaci Timko is a center fielder for the Colonials, but she's been out two weeks with a concussion.
"I'm not sure when or if she will be back," Coleman said of Timko, who ranked third on the team with a .288 average. "Allie has moved from right to center to fill in for Jaci."
Robert Morris University softball coach Craig Coleman, who doubles as the Colonials athletic director, recently won his 500th game at the university.
First Published April 14, 2011 12:00 am
