Newly hired assistant softball coach Allina Sainz hopes to teach the softball team members what she learned as a player, with the intention of guiding them to a Southland Conference Championship.Hired at the end of September, Sainz said she does not hope to alter any aspects of the program, but wishes for the team members to enjoy what they are doing.
“(They need to) enjoy the game because this is basically it for a lot of people,” Sainz said. “Softball is not just a sport. It teaches you a lot about yourself and life in general.”
Sainz comes to Thibodaux from St. John’s University in Queens, N.Y., where she played first base. Head softball coach Jenny Parsons placed Sainz in charge of the outfielders at Nicholls.
“She told me the outfield was where I would be, and I believe I have enough knowledge to coach any position,” Sainz said. “I’ve been in the outfield before, but it is not my prime position.”
Sainz replaces assistant coach Adam Roorbach, the former outfielder coach who Parsons said left at the end of May to take the job as first assistant softball coach at Western Carolina University. In addition to Roorbach’s departure, Parsons’ other assistant coach, Lauren Koelemay, resigned in July to return to Virginia to resume schooling while interning at the National Museum of Art in Washington, D.C.
“I respect everything they did for me,” Parsons said. “They did a great job. This summer has been tough doing everything on my own, but Allina is helping out a lot.”
Parsons said Sainz has been with the team since the week prior to the start of fall practice and has done a good job managing the office work, outfield and hitting.
Sainz is a native of San Diego in southern California, which Parsons calls “the biggest hotbed for softball.”
Sainz played in the Amateur Softball Association Gold Level for the San Diego Renegades, an 18-and-under gold ball team.
“She was recruited to go across the country and play at St. John’s in a tough conference,” Parsons said. “I think her ability to adapt going from Southern California to St. John’s to here says a lot about her character.”
Sainz said she found out about Nicholls while looking on the NCAA website.
“It’s a little school, and she (Parsons) told me I would get a lot of experience in everything,” Sainz said. “I wanted experience and to hopefully progress from here.”
Senior outfielders Terri Clouatre and Andrea Ground said it has been an easy adjustment to a new position coach.
“She’s real funny and outgoing, and she makes learning easier because she’s a lot of fun,” Clouatre said.
Ground said Sainz has focused on teaching drills to incorporate softball skills, while Clouatre said Sainz has worked with the outfielders on a quicker approach to the ball.
