Katrisha Arocha – Lake Weekly

Softball coaches named ATEC/NFCA Regional Staff of the Year

The ATEC/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) has named OLLU as one of six NAIA programs selected by their peers as the 2024 ATEC/NFCA Regional Coaching Staffs of the Year.

Congratulations to Head Coach Bruce Lenington, assistant coaches Jody Armijo and Gilbert Alvarado, student assistant Rebecca Duran and pitching assistant Katrisha Arocha.

Representing each of the NAIA’s six regions, are these coaching staffs: Georgia Gwinnett College (Region I), Our Lady of the Lake University (Region II), Oklahoma City University (Region III), Jessup University (Region IV), Central Methodist University (Region V) and University of the Cumberlands (Region VI). They are now eligible for the ATEC/NFCA NAIA National Coaching Staff of the Year award, which will be announced on June 12.

All six programs won their respective Opening Round pods and qualified for 2024 NAIA Softball World Series at the South Commons Complex in Columbus, Ga.

OLLU softball recognized for one of top coaching staffs in region

The OLLU softball coaching staff is one of six NAIA programs selected by their peers as the 2023 ATEC/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Regional Coaching Staffs of the Year, the Association announced on June 1.

OLLU represents Region II. The Saints made their first trip ever to the World Series as the No. 2 seed. The team was led by the award-winning coaching staff of Head Coach Bruce Lenington and Assistant Coach Jody Armijo. Oher assistant coaches include Katrisha Arocha, Jim Bray and Gilbert Alvarado. Lenington and Armijo began their tenure in 2019. Lenington has compiled a record of 134-53 at OLLU.

Other team winners include: Georgia Gwinnett College (Region I), Midland University (Region III), Park University Gilbert (Region IV), Baker University (Region V) and the University of the Cumberlands (Region VI).

All six teams are now eligible for the ATEC/NFCA NAIA National Coaching Staff of the Year award, which will be announced on June 12.

Softball welcomes new Assistant Coach Katrisha Arocha

The softball team is proud to announce the hiring of Katrisha Arocha as an assistant coach. Arocha graduated from OLLU in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology after playing two seasons for the Saints.

Head Coach Bruce Lenington commented, “I am very excited to welcome one of the most decorated Saints pitchers back home to the Lake! Her unique experience and mental toughness, both as a player and now a coach, will help all of our players as we pursue a championship.”

Arocha is a San Antonio native. She attended NCAA D1 Mississippi Valley State University and NCAA D2 Texas A&M University – Kingsville before transferring to OLLU for the 2014 season. She was the first softball player to earn NAIA All-American honors, and she did so in 2014. Her other awards include National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) NAIA All-Region Second Team in 2014 and First Team in 2015; NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete in 2014-2015; Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) All-Conference in 2014 and 2015; RRAC Pitcher and Newcomer of the Year in 2014; five RRAC Pitcher of the Week awards in 2014 and three in 2015; and RRAC Scholar-Athlete recognition in 2014 and 2015.

She holds the following Saints records: career ERA (1.79); season ERA (1.54), season shutouts (7), season wins (26), seasons pitched (191) and season strikeouts (247); and most innings pitched in a game (12) and most strikeouts in a game (19).

Arocha led the Saints to their first RRAC Regular Season and Tournament Championships in 2014; the team competed in nationals, where they played in the opening round. She also led her team to its first-ever NAIA Scholar Team recognition in 2014.

After her playing years, Arocha has coached pitchers of multiple ages, several high school sports, and travel softball.

Arocha said, “I am thrilled to be able to contribute to the success of the current softball program by sharing my knowledge and experience with the Saints student-athletes.”

The Saints will begin their 13th season in the spring of 2022 but will play a handful of scrimmages during the fall. Home games will be played at the OLLU Softball Field, which recently has received a multitude of upgrades and renovations throughout the complex.

Brittany Stone named conference ‘Player of the Week,’ while Katrisha Arocha receives ‘Pitcher of the Week’ honors

Brittany Stone was selected as the Red River Athletic Conference Softball Player of the Week for March 10-16, and OLLU’s Katrisha Arocha was the recipient of the RRAC Softball Pitcher of the Week award for the same dates. This is the sixth set of awards for the 2014 season. Stone, a junior third baseman from Helotes, Texas, drove in three runs to boost the Saints to a 3-1 week. She had a run-scoring single in a 2-0 win to open a doubleheader against Schreiner University, and she scored twice in the second game as part of a 9-1 OLLU rout. After the Saints dropped the first game of a two-game set with Texas Wesleyan University later in the week, she went 2-for-3 in the second game with two RBIs to spark a 4-3 victory. For the week, Stone was 4-of-12 at the plate with three runs scored and a double as the Saints improved to 2-0 in conference play and 13-5-1 on the season. This is Stone’s first Player of the Week honors this season. Arocha, a junior pitcher from San Antonio, Texas, earned two of the Saints’ victories with 16 strikeouts in 10 2/3 innings of work. She held Schreiner hitless in the 9-1 win, allowing just one unearned run. Arocha also was the winning pitcher in the 4-3 game against Texas Wesleyan. She surrendered only two earned runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings. This is Arocha’s third Pitcher of the Week award. Read full article online.