March 18, 2009

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – Olivet Nazarene University head women’s softball coach Ritchie Richardson earned his 600th collegiate coaching victory on Friday, March 6th as the Tigers fought through an extra inning ballgame to put away #20 ranked Biola University with a final score of 5-4 at the NAIA/NFCA Lead-Off Classic in Panama City Beach, Fla.

Richardson’s 600th career win brings his current 13+ year record to 607-227 after the team completed their spring break trip in Florida this past week.  Putting together an overall winning percentage of .728 throughout his head coaching career, Richardson has been able to lead his Tigers to seven Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) regular-season championships, eight CCAC Tournament Championships, five NAIA Region  VII titles, and five NAIA World Series appearances (1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2008).  In 2003, Richardson coached the Tigers to a World Series 3^rd place finish.  The program has finished in the NAIA’s top 25 eight times during this same span.  ONU has also claimed five National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) national championships under Richardson’s helm.

Richardson has coached 31 CCAC All-Conference players, 12 CCAC players of the year, 11 NAIA All-Americans, and 10 NAIA All-American Scholar Athletes.  Throughout his coaching career, six of Richardson’s former players have become either head or assistant coaches, and one has played at the professional level.

Each of Richardson’s 100-win milestones highlights outstanding achievements throughout his career. Richardson became head coach in 1995. By 1997, he had already earned his 100th victory. The Tigers finished that season with a record of 52-13, a turnaround of 38 wins in just two years. It was in this same year that ONU made its first appearance at the NAIA World Series.  In 1999, the 200-win milestone was reached with a 50-18 season, including Richardson’s third straight appearance at the National Tournament. Richardson’s 300th win came in 2002, after returning to ONU from a one-year stint as an assistant coach at the University of Illinois in 2001.  That double-header against Robert Morris not only gave Richardson his 300th win, but the following 10-inning game secured the Tigers a tie for the CCAC conference title that year. The Tigers finished the year with an overall record of 46-13. Richardson won his 400th game in 2004 after leading the Tigers to 61 wins and a World Series appearance in 2003 and 53 wins in 2004. The 500-win marker was reached in 2006, as the Tigers finished the season with a record of 45-22. Once again the double-header against Robert Morris was suspenseful. The first game gave Richardson his 500th win, and the second game gave ONU a tie for the CCAC conference title with St. Xavier. Throughout his coaching career, Richardson has been able to average more than 46 wins per year at the reins of his squad. Even before reaching his 500-win milestone, Richardson was inducted into the CCAC Coach’s Hall of Fame in 2005 for his outstanding accomplishments.