Strong Named Seton Hill University Softball Coach
Seton Hill University President Mary Finger has announced the hiring of Jessica Strong as the school's head softball coach. Strong replaces Jessica O'Donnell who left to take the head coaching position at Division I St. Francis (PA).
Strong spent the past season as an assistant coach at PSAC member Shippensburg where she assisted the head coach with all of the day to day operations of the Raider program. She managed the team's offense in addition to being in charge of the outfielders and catchers. The Raiders advanced to the PSAC playoffs in Strong's only season. Shippensburg featured six All Conference players, including the Freshman of the Year, two All Region selections and an Academic All District selection.
Prior to Shippensburg, Strong spent two seasons at Division III Moravian College, a squad that posted a combined 73-12 record in her time on the staff. Her primary coaching focuses were with the team's outfielders and catchers – a group that included 2017 Diamond Sports Division III Catcher of the Year Janae Matos. In her two seasons, Strong helped coach 10 All-Conference performers and three National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region performers. The 2016 Moravian squad won the Landmark Conference Championship and reached the NCAA Regional Finals.
Before coaching at Moravian, Strong spent two seasons coaching at her alma mater, Armstrong State University. The 2013 Armstrong squad finished the season ranked No. 3 in the NFCA Division II poll, posting a 44-10-1 record while winning a Peach Belt Conference (PBC) championship, NCAA regional championship, and two games at the NCAA Division II Softball Championships. She and her colleagues were named the 2013 NFCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year at Armstrong. In 2014, the Pirates won 36 games, another NCAA regional championship, and finished the year ranked No. 5 in the NFCA Division II poll.
On the field, in three seasons playing at Armstrong State, Strong posted a .330 career batting average, slugged 13 home runs and totaled 95 RBIs. Strong earned 2009 Academic All-America honors at the conclusion of a season in which she received All-PBC honors as an outfielder and was named her team's Co-MVP. In the classroom, Strong was a 2009 PBC All-Academic Team selection after twice earning PBC Presidential Honor Roll designations.
A native of Fountain Valley, California, Strong earned her bachelor's degree in Mathematical Sciences from Armstrong State in 2009, graduating summa cum laude, before earning her master's degree in Education, Curriculum and Instruction in 2012.
