Leilani Madrigal joins softball staff as volunteer assistant

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Leilani Madrigal has joined the UNCG softball staff as a volunteer assistant coach for the 2011 season, head coach Jennifer Herzig announced Monday.

Madrigal comes to UNCG after a two-year stint as a graduate assistant coach at her alma mater, Cal State San Marcos.

"I'm pleased to welcome Leilani to my staff," Herzig said. "I like her approach to the game, and she brings with her a wealth of knowledge and a winning attitude. She'll be an asset to our program."

In her two years on the coaching staff, the Cougars went a combined 74-38. In 2010, Madrigal's final year on the staff, the Cougars went 40-15 and finished the year ranked No. 5 in the final NAIA Softball Coaches Top 25. CSUSM won its first-ever Association of Independent Institutions Conference Tournament, earning its first-ever NAIA tournament bid. The Cougars went 2-1 in pool play in their NAIA tourney debut.

A former outfielder herself, Madrigal worked with the CSUSM outfielders.

Madrigal joins UNCG's softball staff after two years as a graduate assistant coach for her alma mater, Cal State San Marcos. (Photo courtesy CSUSM Sports Information)

A two-time team captain for the Cougars, Madrigal was part of the school's inaugural team in 2007. She hit .227 as a junior, tying for second on the team in runs scored, and hit .281 as a senior, helping the program to its first winning season at 27-19.

Madrigal spent the first two years of collegiate career at Los Angeles Valley College, playing both softball and basketball. A .500 hitter in her two years on the softball team, Madrigal was named LAVC's Female Athlete of the Year in 2006.

Madrigal graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology from CSUSM in 2008, then earned her master's in general psychology. She is currently enrolled in UNCG's doctoral program for sport and exercise psychology.

- UNCG -