COACH DEAN JOHNSON LEADS COUGAR SOFTBALL TO ANOTHER NCAA REGIONAL
RESIGNS AS SOFTBALL COACH, REMAINS AS HEAD MEN’S BASKETBALL COACH, ASSOCIATE ATHLETICS DIRECTOR
It was quite a year for Dean Johnson, who for three decades has been an integral part of the Caldwell Athletics Department in various capacities. When he was asked to take over the helm of the softball team in 1995 following the departure of the previous coach, Johnson probably didn’t think he’d rack up 29 years and 924 wins before finally turning over the keys to the batter’s box. And that the team’s 16th NCAA Regional appearance in 19 years at the Division II level would come weeks after he led the men’s basketball team to its second such trip in his first year as head coach, one seat over from the assistant coaching chair he occupied under Mark A. Corino for nearly three decades.
And while the softball team’s magical 2023 run ended with a heartbreaking defeat in the East Regional, the squad’s 35-19 mark—which included a landmark 900th win, an 18-0 whitewashing of CACC foe Dominican on March 29—was a fitting conclusion to the softball coaching career of the 2019 Caldwell Athletics Hall of Famer.
“For nearly three decades I have had the privilege of coaching so many outstanding young women who have made this program so successful,” said Johnson. “It was by no means an easy decision, but I feel that this is the right time to allow someone else to take the reins. I look forward to watching the team continue to reach great heights moving forward.”
and Maya Rodriguez
plan strategy between
innings at the NCAA
East Regional
“Dean Johnson’s legacy at Caldwell is far-reaching throughout the softball world and the collegiate athletics community,” said Corino, who serves as assistant vice president and director of athletics. “His commitment to Caldwell softball studentathletes and to the University at large has made a huge difference in hundreds of young women in his program. We are pleased that his efforts in men’s basketball and the entirety of the athletics program continues in his roles as men’s basketball coach and associate athletics director.”
Johnson’s final softball squad had plenty of offense, hitting a combined .328, good for 28th in the country, and averaging 5.5 runs per game. All-Region selection senior 2B Courtney Grundhauser led the squad at .395. Her six triples (28th in the NCAA) and the 19 doubles by sophomore SS Ashleigh Tavaska (15th in the NCAA) both ranked in the top 30. Grundhauser’s 14 career triples are 16th among active players, and senior 1B Maya Rodriguez, in addition to securing the national Rawlings Gold Glove award, finished her Cougar career 11th among active players in batting (.373), 12th in at-bats (705), 29th in games played (218) and 33rd in RBI (145).
But it was the pitching that really shined, as the foursome of graduate Madison Burns (1.78 ERA, 52nd in the NCAA), freshman Olivia Kennedy (1.81, 55th), senior Mariah Culver (1.85, 61st) and graduate Kayla Daly (1.91, 69th) ranked in the top 70, helping the Cougars to a No. 14 ERA ranking. The team also finished with a composite 1.12 WHIP (walks + hits per inning), good for 20th in the country, paced by Kennedy’s stellar 0.95 mark, which was 26th best individually.
New head coach Lindsay Mayer takes control, coming to us from Arcadia University in Pennsylvania after a standout career at Fordham and three Division I assistant coaching stops. Read more about her in the article on Page 22. 🟥
— Jerry Milani
