Sonoma State Softball’s outstanding season continues as they stack up their accomplishments. They are now ranked eleventh by the NFCA coaches poll, the highest in program history. Alongside this, head coach Jennifer Bridges has reached 500 career wins, over 450 of them being with the SSU Softball team. Lastly, freshman pitcher Charlie Johnson leads the NCAA DII in earned run average at 0.27.

  Bridges has coached at SSU for 14 seasons and accumulated 461 wins, including multiple California College Athletic Association championships and one National Collegiate Athletic Association Regional championship. Previously, she coached at Whittier College accumulating 45 wins and one SCIAC tournament appearance over her two seasons there. 

  Bridges came to coach after her graduation from the University of San Diego after getting an opportunity to coach their high school squad in 2002 and 2003. She continues to coach after a decade-and-a-half-long career because of the joy she gets from seeing her players grow into strong, influential and impactful women. “Knowing what sports gave me, I love being able to help others get those same things,” the head coach said.  

  “Coach Bridges is devoted to helping us grow individually and collectively as a team,” said SSU Junior and outfielder Anna Zoia-Buescher, who received her second CCAA Player of the Week award this season after a 12-hit week. “Not only does she want us to be successful, but she wants us all to see our full potential and pushes us to our personal best,” she adds, doubling down on how much her coach wants to give what she got from the sport back to the community. 

  Bridges mentioned how the job is very inconsistent with how frequent the ups and downs experienced are. “Dealing with adversity and finding ways to overcome them is probably the biggest thing. I feel this job has also taught me resilience, selflessness and patience.” 

  Zoia-Buescher also mentioned how much she enjoys the way coach Bridges can ease the pressure and calm her players’ nerves simply by breaking down and dancing. “I think she does a great job of finding the balance between keeping it loose and fun, and even getting down to business.”  

  Senior day was held last Saturday after the games earlier that day. Here, seniors #5 Cassidy Romano #5 (infielder), Sierra Moffett #9 (catcher), Courtney Jack #11 (infielder), Jordyn Martinez #23 (catcher) and Reagan Hunt #33 (outfielder) got to celebrate their careers with the Sonoma State program. In celebration of senior day, there was free food, t-shirts and school spirit gear. When asked about her best memories throughout her time at SSU, Bridges mentioned “Senior days are always my proudest moments.” She went on to say that this is when she gets to see her players celebrate their accomplishments after ending their collegiate athletic careers.

  Head coach Bridges was reluctant to leave on a heartfelt comment; “I have been blessed to be able to coach truly amazing teams with amazing women… I could not have achieved these wins without their buy-in to the vision of our program and pride in this university.”