LEGENDARY VILLANOVA SOFTBALL COACH TO HOLD COACHING SEMINAR AT TOMASSO'S (2023-07-09)

The Sports Reports
WAVERLY — Villanova softball coach Bridget Orchard, who has more than 800 career wins at the Division I level, will conduct a coaching seminar Wednesday, Aug. 2 at Tomasso’s Restaurant.

The seminar, which will be hosted by the Waverly Sports Complex and High Heat West, is from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. There is a dinner to follow. The cost is $50 per person.

Orchard will be conducting a softball camp at East Waverly Park that day, and will have Chelsea Plimpton, the assistant softball coach at Villanova University, on hand as an instructor, along with Villanova softball pitching coach Gabby Luety, former Corning CC and Clarkson University standout Samantha (Mennig) Jilson, and former SUNY Oswego standout Zoe Mennig.

Orchard, a Binghamton native and Villanova grad, has racked up a career record of 865-495-3 in 26 years of college coaching, including a record of 112-76 in her first four seasons back at Villanova.

In 2021, Orchard led Villanova to its first-ever Big East title, a berth in an NCAA region for the first time, and win over UMBC — the first NCAA Tournament win in the program’s 45-year history.

In 2022, Villanova entered the Big East Tournament as the third seed, but went 3-0, taking down UConn in the finals.

This year, as the fourth seed, Villanova edged top-seeded UConn, 4-3, in the Big East semifinals, but dropped a 6-1 decision to Seton Hall in the title game.

Prior to her return to Villanova, Orchard coached at Division I Fordham for 17 years.

At the time of her graduation from Villanova (in 1997), Orchard was the all-time career record-holder with 216 career hits and 110 runs scored. She earned first team All-Big East honors in 1995 and led Villanova to an ECAC title a year later, while ranking as the second-toughest batter to strike out in the nation.

Orchard was a .334 career hitter for the Wildcats, stole 35 bases and played in 205 consecutive games, which remains the second-longest streak in school history.

If you’re interested in attending the coaching seminar, or you would like more information, please email: highheatwest@yahoo.com, or message the Waverly Sports Complex Facebook page.


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