Hofstra University Softball Camp Staff
Courtney Oliver
Assistant Softball Coach |
Former Hofstra pitcher/designated player Courtney Oliver ('08) is entering her first season an assistant coach with the Pride in 2011.
Oliver replaces Ryan Realmuto, who stepped down after four seasons to accept a similar position at Rutgers University. She will assist the Pride with both pitching and hitting, after having a standout career in both areas during her playing days at Hofstra.
Since graduating from Hofstra in 2008, Oliver spent the last two seasons in the coaching profession, serving one year as an assistant coach at Monmouth in 2009 and one year at Boston University in 2010. While at Boston University, she helped the Terriers to a 35-22 record, an America East Conference championship and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament, which saw the Terriers capture a 10-4 upset win over nationally ranked Massachusetts. Her Monmouth team in 2009 also finished with a 26-18-1 record, after finishing 19-22-1 the previous year.
A native of Swansea, Massachusetts and a graduate of Coyle and Cassidy High School, Oliver had a big impact in her playing days at Hofstra, as she helped the Pride to four straight CAA championships and NCAA Tournament berths. She had numerous big hits in her career, including a pinch-hit RBI single in the CAA title game against Towson as a freshman, a three-run homer in the CAA title game against Georgia State as a sophomore (when she also earned the pitching victory), and a towering walk-off two-run homer in the 11th inning of the CAA championship round against James Madison as a senior.
In addition, Oliver helped the Pride to a dramatic 5-4 win over Penn State in the 2006 NCAA Regionals at Hofstra Softball Stadium, when she had two doubles and three RBI, including the game-winning RBI double in the eighth inning. The Penn State game was the first regional contest that Hofstra had hosted since the 1993 campaign.
During her senior season, Oliver showed her dominance as both a hitter and a pitcher, as she led the CAA in conference games in both RBI (27) and earned run average (5-0, 0.24). Her performance helped the Pride complete its run of 11 straight conference championships, which is an NCAA Division I record for softball. She ended her senior season with 40 RBI overall and a 10-3 record and a 1.12 ERA in the pitching circle.
A two-time first-team All-CAA selection, Oliver currently ranks ninth in school history in career runs batted in with 117 (despite not becoming a full-time starter until her sophomore season). She also won 32 career games in the pitching circle, including two no-hitters, and ranks seventh in school history with 258 strikeouts. One of her two no-hitters came in a road game against LIU, which snapped an 18-game winning streak for the Blackbirds.
In addition, Oliver and the Class of 2008 remain the winningest class in school history, finishing with a four-year record of 166-64. The 45 wins the Pride earned in 2008 also remains tied for the school record for a single season with the 2010 team.