KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has named Jessica Pistole of Southern Oregon as the 2025 NAIA Softball Coach of the Year. Pistole earns the honor for the fourth time in her career after leading the Raiders through the elimination bracket at the NAIA Softball World Series to capture the program’s fourth national title.

Her previous Coach of the Year awards followed national championships in 2019, 2021, and 2023.

Under Pistole’s leadership, Southern Oregon posted a 55-9 overall record and went 23-4 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play this season. The Raiders finished the 2025 campaign on a seven-game winning streak, powered by a team batting average of .350, an on-base percentage of .399, and a slugging percentage of .462. SOU scored 415 runs and hit 21 home runs.

Pistole also coached this year’s NAIA Pitcher of the Year, freshman Ayla Davies, marking the fourth time a player under her guidance has earned national player or pitcher of the year honors. Three additional Raiders earned All-America recognition in 2025, bringing Pistole’s total to 10 All-Americans during her tenure.

Southern Oregon consistently ranked at the top of the NAIA Coaches’ Rating, holding the No. 1 spot for three consecutive releases.

Nationally, SOU led the country in total hits (649) and at-bats (1,855). The team also ranked in the top five in triples (28), total bases (857), sacrifice hits (70), shutouts (22), and opponent at-bats (1,628), among other top-10 national statistical categories.

The NAIA Softball National Coach of the Year is selected through a vote conducted after the World Series, involving all NAIA softball head coaches. The ballot includes representatives from each conference, the Continental Athletic Conference, and the World Series quarterfinalists.