Courtesy of Boise State Athletics
BOISE, Idaho – Cindy Ball was named head coach of the Boise State softball team, Director of Athletics Mark Coyle announced Friday.
Ball becomes the second head coach in the six-season-old program’s history, replacing Erin Thorpe, who left Boise to take over at UC Davis in July.
“We are thrilled to welcome Cindy Ball as our next Boise State softball head coach,” Coyle said. “Cindy is a strong recruiter and coach who has produced successful results at all levels of college softball. She has recruited and developed All-America and all-region student-athletes at pitching and field positions at both Cal State Northridge and Washington, which speaks to her versatility as a teacher and coach. We look forward to the Bronco softball program taking the next step under Cindy’s leadership.”
“I want to first thank God for this wonderful opportunity, and Mark Coyle and the Boise State Athletic department for allowing me to take on such an amazing role as the head coach of this incredible softball program,” Ball said. “I am excited to start working with this exceptional group of individuals and all the accomplishments we are going to make in our quest for a National Championship. One of the first accomplishments will be interacting and connecting with our Bronco community. Lastly, I want to thank my family and friends for their love and support which has been the driving force to my career. I am looking forward to a great fall and regular season. Go Broncos!”
Ball brings four years of head-coaching experience as well as eight years as a Division I assistant coach with her to Boise. She most recently spent the past two seasons as an assistant at Cal State Northridge, and served on the coaching staff at Washington for the 2011-12 campaigns after serving as head coach at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento, Calif. from 2008-10.
At Cal State Northridge Ball worked primarily with the pitching staff while also assisting with the Matador outfielders. Ball helped develop two NFCA All-West Region selections in 2014, as freshman outfielder Taylor Glover earned a spot on the first team, becoming the first Matador field player named all-region since 2004, and junior pitcher Brianna Elder was tabbed for the third team. Glover and Elder were each named to the All-Big West First Team while Glover also earned a spot on the Big West All-Freshman Team.
In two seasons at Washington, Ball was responsible for the development of a Husky pitching staff which produced second-team All-American Kaitlin Inglesby in 2012. The Huskies went 76-35 during Ball’s two seasons in Seattle and reached a pair of NCAA Super Regionals.
She began her collegiate head-coaching career at Modesto Junior College in Modesto, Calif., where in 2007 she led the program to a 16-win improvement from the prior campaign, going 25-22 and capturing a regional title.
Ball then took the helm at Cosumnes River College, overseeing the restart of the program after a year’s break in 2007. Over three seasons Ball guided the Hawks to a 111-44 record, highlighted by an appearance at the Cal JC State Final Four Tournament in 2010.
Ball began her coaching career in the season following her graduation from the University of Pacific in 2002. While working towards her master’s degree in education, she served on the Pacific staff during the 2003-06 seasons. At Pacific, Ball served as pitching coach while helping scout, assist with practice plans, monitor students academics and promoting and organizing camps. Over her four years in Stockton the Tigers accumulated an overall record of 126-97 with a 41-39 mark in the Big West.
During her four-year playing career at Pacific (1999-2002), Ball was twice named an NFCA All-American (2001-02) and Big West Pitcher of the Year (2001-02) as the Tigers went 162-77 and made three NCAA Tournament appearances (1999, 2001-02). She enjoyed her best season in 2001, going 33-9 while helping lead Pacific to a still-standing school-record 50 wins.
Ball remains the most decorated pitcher in school history, holding nine career-pitching records through the 2014 season: appearances (149), starts (116), innings pitched (883.1), wins (91), saves (10), strikeouts (761), strikeouts per seven innings (6.03), complete games (104) and shutouts (45).
She was just as dangerous at the plate as in the circle, batting .275 over four seasons with 19 home runs, 111 runs batted in and drawing 76 walks. The latter three marks remain top-seven career marks in the Pacific record book through 2014.
Ball also established single-season records in pitching appearances (49, twice), starts (39), wins (33), saves (6), strikeouts (291), strikeouts per seven innings (7.21), complete games (37), shutouts (18) and RBI’s (46). Of those marks, seven still stand through 2014.
On March 3, 2012, Ball was one of the first two players in program history to have her number retired (No. 9) in recognition of her contributions on and off the field to the growth and endurance of the Pacific program.
Ball graduated from Pacific in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in sports sciences and earned her master’s in education in 2006.
She played professionally in Italy in 2002, leading Team Bussolengo to the playoffs while pacing the squad in batting, home runs and earned-run average.
In 2004, Ball played for the Stockton-Sacramento Sunbirds in the National Pro Fastpitch League, and from 2008-10 participated in the Canada Cup where she was an All-Star in 2008.
