Canisius College (D1-NY)

Head Coach:
Mike Rappl

University and Division:
Canisius College NCAA Division 1

Years on the job:
Started the Softball Program in 1980
28th year with the team.

Assistant coaches names and something about them:
Pete Scott, Kim Dodson, Jody Tassone
Pete was a very successful coach at Depew High School and Section VI chair for years. Kim played at St. Bonaventure and was a volunteer assistant at Canisius for a year before becoming the graduate assistant. Joy was 4 time All-conference and two time MAAC Player of the Year at Canisius. She was the head coach at Medallie College and Head coach at St. Mary's High School before coming back to join the Canisius staff.

Describe your coaching style:
I look for players that are self motivated in the classroom and on the field. I look for players that want to add to the tradition and leave their mark on Canisius Softball while pursuing their academic goals.

What would be a statement that your players would say about you?
I think the players would say that I'm very organized, firm but fair with them.


Why would a player find it special to play for you?
Players continue to come back after graduation. They are all part of the Softball Family at Canisius and know they are part of everything we do. Once a Griff always a Griff.

What positions are you looking to recruit athletes for:
2007 H.S. Grads? finished recruiting. Walk-on tryouts each fall.
2008 needs: P, SS, 2B, OF, C
2009 needs: P, 3B, C, OF


What would you state about your University that makes it a place that an athlete would want to attend?
Canisius offers a top notch academic curriculum, and a chance to play a competetive schedule with a chance to play in the NCAA tourney. We've advanced to the NCAA's 8 time in the last 13 years. The team has played in Italy in the summer of 2001, 2005, and are scheduled to play again in the summer of 2009.
Past players have played professionally in Australia, France, and Italy.

What are your ‘general’ academic requirements to gain entry to your universities?
Applicants need close to a 1000 SAT with a 88-90 GPA for admissions.

Campbell University (NC)

University Name and Division:

Campbell University/ NCAA D1

Coaches Name:

Drew Peterson

Years on the job:

17 (7 at CU)

Assistant coaches names and something about them:

Nicole Fox, graduate of Marist university, pitching coach, raised in Southern California, Christian.

Kelli Hall, Graduate assistant, graduate of Marshall University, Outfield coach and hitting instructor, raised in Huntington, WV, Christian.

Describe your coaching style:

Sharp attention to details, no run for partying or disrespect, expect best effort and attitude, want team players who are coachable and competitive, require girls to act with high morals and ethics, overtly Christian, aggressive running bases, like a mix of long ball hitters and slappers, play sound fundamental defense, pitchers who compliment one another in pitch repertoire and speed.

What would be a statement that your players would say about you?

Fair, respectful, caring, wants the best for us in all areas of life, helps us reach our potential, strong Christian.

Why would a player find it special to play for you?

I put their interests before my own.

What positions are you looking to recruit athletes for:
2007 H.S. Grads? Pitcher
2008 H.S. Grads? Short stop (pitcher?)
2009 H.S. Grads? first base, outfield, DP

What would you state about your University that makes it a place that an athlete would want to attend?
Family oriented, small safe environment, warm climate, easy access to the state capitol and the beach, people willing to help.

What are your ‘general’ academic requirements to gain entry to your universities? 950 SAT reading and math, 20 ACT, 2.7 GPA.

Up Next

I've been working on getting information from Universities that goes beyond what you might find on websites. What I'm trying to do is give the athlete and families some 'personality' of varying coaches throughout the Mid-west, South and Coastal regions.

I'm hoping to begin posting these in the next week or so. Check back and see who's filling us in on their schools and some interesting information we've posed for them to reply to.

QDSS--what's next

We are now 143 days from the QDSS - here on the 11th of April. The calendar looks like this:
At the 120 day +/- point we will be sending out to all applicants the long profile to fill out.
This profile will be due back as instructed but normally within 7 - 10 days after you receive it.
At or just about the 100 day point, the staff of the QDSS will select the athletes to participate in this event.
Each selected athete must send in the fees and appropriate release forms within the days prescribed (normally about 1 week) or that athlete will be replaced.
At about the 75/80 day point prior, we will begin our marketing instruction and campaign which will culminate at the QDSS in Rock Hill, SC at Winthrop University on Sept 1 and 2!

Winthrop Camp Queen of Diamonds Weekend

This camp (held Sept 1st) will sell out in the next couple of months, months in advance of the event. If you want to be a part of Winthrop Showcase Camp . One of the top few actual 'showcase' camps in the country. This camp gets the weekend started, the Queen of Diamonds finishes this high profile weeked.
Any comments welcome!

Kfastpitch update

Just to let all of you know, the kfastpitch site had some code errors in the QDSS and QDSN forms from the 6th of April to the 10th of April.
This error has been corrected, so for those of you who need to re-fill the preliminary profile out, the application is now ready again.