Story by Olivet Nazarene athletics

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – On March 8, 2013, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) recognized Head Softball Coach Ritchie Richardson for his 800th career win. Just over two years later, on Wednesday, March 18, Richardson earned his 900th career win. The Tigers downed Purdue University-Calumet (Ind.) 13-3 in five innings to earn the win for their coach.

Richardson, who began coaching at Olivet in 1994, has amassed a career record of 900-301-1 (.749), making him second winningest active coach in the NAIA. His teams have made 10 NAIA National Tournament appearances and have captured 11 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletics Conference (CCAC) Regular Season titles and 12 Tournament titles.

As a coach, Richardson was inducted into the CCAC Hall of Fame in 2005 and the ONU Hall in 2011. He was also inducted into the Lincoln Memorial University Hall of Fame as a baseball player in 2009. He has been named the CCAC Coach of the Year 12 times, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year 10 times and received the National Christian College Athletics Association National Coach of the Year honor five times.

During his tenure, Richardson has had 28 players earn NAIA All-American honors and one NAIA Player of the Year. He currently has five former players coaching at the collegiate level and one who played professionally.

In his 20 year reign as the head coach of the Tigers, the fewest wins came in the first year with 14. In 2003, he led the Tigers to a 61 win season. In 2014, the Tigers strung together a 43-game winning streak, coming just shy of breaking the NAIA record of 44. From May 2011 through May 2014, the Tigers went 112 consecutive games without being shutout.