Riptide announce coaching staff
May 16, 2008 - National Pro Fastpitch (NPF)
New England Riptide News Release
Lowell, MA - The New England Riptide is pleased to announce its coaching staff for 2008. Taking the helm this year, following the three year tenure of legendary coach Sharon Drysdale, is national champion University of St. Thomas assistant coach Brad Horstman. Joining Horstman will be experienced NPF player and Quinnipiac University head coach Germaine Fairchild, and Boston University assistant coach Jen Deering.
Brad Horstman has been at the University of St. Thomas the last seven seasons and has worked under one of the nation's top mentors and technicians in John Tschida. The St. Thomas coaching staff received National Coaching Staff of the Year honors in 2004 and 2005 and the same regional honor in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006. Under Horstman, St. Thomas won the national championship in 2004 and 2005, placed second in 2006 and fifth in 2002.
Horstman has been a part of St. Thomas teams that have the best winning percentage in Division III softball this decade and among the best in ever. In his seven seasons St. Thomas is 291-38 (.884%), including a 164-5 record (.970%) vs. conference opponents. St. Thomas' 37-7 postseason record in Horstman's tenure includes a 15-0 all-time record in conference playoffs. St. Thomas broke the Division III record for consecutive wins in 2004-05 with 43, and currently have a 57-game conference win streak.
A great hitting technician, Horstman made an immediate impact on the St. Thomas offence. The Tommies broke the all time NCAA Division III record for home runs in a season with 72 in 52 games in 2006. The 2008 Tommies hit the second most ever by a Division III team with 60 in 47 games.
Horstman will be joined this year by former player and 2007 St. Thomas graduate, Carrie Embree, only the second Division three player ever to play in the league, following an unmatched career at St. Thomas under Horstman.
An accomplished player in his own right, Horstman has spent the last six summers playing Men's Majors fastpitch softball. When not playing or coaching softball, Brad runs Applied Athletics, a well known strength and conditioning program.
Assisting Horstman will be National Pro Fastpitch veteran player Germaine Fairchild. Germaine Fairchild graduated from the University of Tulsa as one of the university's most accomplished softball player in school history. Fairchild continued her playing days in the old WPF and WPSL leagues for the Georgia Pride and the Virginia Roadsters. When the WPSL disbanded, Fairchild played for the Stratford Brakettes, winning two national championships in the process. She continued her professional career with the beginning of the NPF in 2004 winning championships rings with the NY/NJ Juggernaut in 2004 and then with the Washington Glory in 2007. As a player, Fairchild will always be considered one of the best catchers to play the game.
As a coach, she has been the head coach at Quinnipiac University for the past six years, a post she rose to after serving as an assistant. Fairchild has taken the program to new heights during her tenure, taking on a ineffective program in 2001 and reaching the Northeast Conference tournament finals in 2003 and 2004. Fairchild now moves into the ranks of National Pro Fastpitch coaching following a successful four year playing career in the league.
Rounding out the Riptide staff will be Boston University assistant coach Jen Deering. Deering has just finished her second season as assistant softball coach at Boston University. Prior to her appointment at BU, Deering served as the head varsity softball coach at Piedmont High School, in Piedmont, Calif.
Deering has already made an impact on the program, where she has worked primarily with the pitching staff. In her first season at Piedmont, Deering led the 2006 softball team to its first Bay Side Athletic League championship in thirteen years. The team also earned its first-ever North Coast Sectional first-place seeding. Deering was named the "East Bay Coach of the Year" by the Oakland Tribune after the team went 19-4 in her tenure.
In addition to her responsibilities as the head coach at Piedmont, Deering co-founded the 18U Berkeley Bears, an elite summer travel team, from 2005-06.
A former pitcher at Cal Berkeley, Deering was a member of the 2002 NCAA national championship team and made three appearance in the College World Series. In four years, Deering compiled a 53-5 record in 78 appearances. A multi-sport athlete at Berkeley, Deering was also a member of the Cal-Berkeley women's basketball team during the 2000-01 season, playing in 15 games as a freshman.
National Pro Fastpitch Stories from May 16, 2008
- Riptide announce coaching staff - New England Riptide
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