| Rider Broncs | |
| University: | Rider University |
| Conference: | Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference |
| Conference Short: | MAAC |
| City: | Lawrenceville |
| Stateabb: | NJ |
| State: | New Jersey |
| Coach: | Davon Ortega |
| Tenure: | 7th |
| Stadium: | Herb & Joan Young Field |
| Nickname: | Broncs |
| Ncaa Tourneys: | 1997, 2003 |
| Conference Tournament: | NEC 1995, 1997 |
| Conference Champion: | 1992[1] |
The Rider Broncs softball team represents Rider University in NCAA Division I college softball. The team currently participates in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), having joined in 1998. From 1978 until 1992, the team was a member of the now-defunct East Coast Conference (ECC).[1] From 1992 until 1997, the team was a member of the Northeast Conference (NEC).[2] The Broncs are currently led by head coach Davon Ortega. The team plays its home games at Herb & Joan Young Field, which is located on the college's campus.[3]
Rider has the unique achievement of having won conference titles in three different conferences. The first conference title came in the 1991 East Coast Conference season, winning the conference with a 10–2 record in conference play.[4] The second and third conference titles came in the Northeast Conference, winning in the 1995 and 1997 seasons.[5] The Broncs fourth and latest conference title came in their current conference, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, winning in 2003.[6] Since the expansion of the NCAA Division I softball tournament in 1994,[7] Rider has qualified for the tournament twice, doing so in 1997 and 2003. Despite winning the NEC in 1995, the Broncs were not automatically qualified for the NCAA tournament because the conference did not receive an automatic bid until 1996.[8]
In the 1997 tournament, Rider faced off against Arizona in their first appearance of the tournament, losing 11–2 via mercy rule in six innings.[9] The Broncs were eliminated from the tournament after losing to Arizona State by a score 12–0, losing again via the mercy rule in six innings.[10]
Rider qualified for the 2003 NCAA Division I softball tournament after defeating Saint Peter's 2–1 in the MAAC tournament championship game. Pitcher Heather Beintema was named MVP of the tournament.[11] The Broncs faced off against Cal State Fullerton in the opening game, losing by a score of 3–0.[12] The team was eliminated from the tournament after losing a 2–1 contest to San Diego State.[13]
In 2015, former head coach Patricia Carroll filed a lawsuit against the university, claiming she was fired for raising awareness about Title IX violations committed by the school's athletic program.[14] The lawsuit claims that men's programs at the university receive larger shares of scholarship and booster money, as well as having larger coaching staffs than women's teams.[15] In a period from 2011 until 2014, Carroll complained about the alleged violations to the school's Associate Vice President for Human Resources and Affirmative Action Robert Stoto. An outside consultant was hired by the university in 2013 and found the school to be in violation of Title IX, although Carroll's complaints continued into 2014.[16] As a result, the lawsuit claims Carroll was informed in 2014 that her contract would not be renewed following the 2015 season.[17]
| 1978–1980 | Carol Knapp | 22–24 | ||
| 1981–1987 | Laura Darling | 119–97 | ||
| 1988–1994 | Leslie Craig Hagan | 208–102 | ||
| 1994–2015 | Patricia Carroll | 401–631–3 | ||
| 2016–2017[18] | Jaclyn Timko-Gabelt | 14–86 | ||
| 2017–present | Davon Ortega | 92–165–1 |
| 2024 Rider Broncs roster | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Pitchers
| Infielders
Utility
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| Reference:[19] | ||||
Season cut short due to COVID-19 Pandemic [6]