Cal State San Marcos Athletics

Interested recruits please email softball@csusm.edu.

Laurie Nevarez was appointed the fourth head coach in Cal State San Marcos softball program history in August 2013.

In the last three years, Nevarez has coached 29 CCAA All-Academic and 19 CCAA Spring All-Academic honorees including a program-best 12 in 2018.
 
Nevarez helped mentor two All-CCAA honorable mention honorees outfielder Robyn Alvara in 2016 and pitcher/third baseman Karen Roman in 2018.

The 2015 squad put together a 34-16 campaign, the program's seventh consecutive season of 30-plus victories. The Cougars beat three ranked teams, including No. 3 Concordia (Calif.), and reached as high as No. 8 in the NAIA Top 25. Six players were named All-Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.) Conference and Naomi Amu was selected as a NAIA First Team All-American. In addition, Nevarez took home Co-A.I.I. Coach of the Year.

In her first season at the helm in 2014, Nevarez led the Cougars to a 39-9-1 overall mark and an appearance in the NAIA Opening Round. Seven players were named All-A.I.I. Conference and she tutored A.I.I. Pitcher of the Year and NAIA Honorable Mention All-American Katie Wilkinson.

In addition, the Cougars were named a NAIA Scholar Team for boasting a cumulative team GPA of 3.20.

In 13 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Nevarez holds a career record of 402-177-2 (.694).

Nevarez came to CSUSM after 10 years as head softball coach at the University of Redlands, a NCAA Division III institution competing in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC). In her final year at Redlands in 2013, the Bulldogs tied the school record for wins in a season en route to a stellar 36-12 showing and a 22-6 conference clip. In addition, Redlands won its ninth straight SCIAC title and qualified for its ninth consecutive trip to the NCAA Division III Championships.

During her time at Redlands from 2004-13, Nevarez posted a .733 (319-116-1) overall winning percentage and an .836 (194-38) winning percentage in the SCIAC.  Under Nevarez’s leadership, the Bulldogs produced five All-Americans, 40 all-region athletes, 70 all-conference athletes, four Rookies of the Year and five SCIAC Players of the Year.

Redlands won 30 or more contests in nine of her 10 seasons.

In addition to being the head coach, Nevarez also served as the Eligibility and Compliance Coordinator for seven years, where she regularly ran NCAA rules seminars and maintained NCAA eligibility rules and regulations. Nevarez also sat as the SCIAC League Chair, was a Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) advisor, and was a committee member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA).

Prior to becoming the head coach at Redlands, Nevarez was an elementary school teacher in the San Bernardino City Unified School District from 2001-05. In 2000, she got her first head coaching experience at Rio Hondo Community College. Nevarez played her collegiate ball from 1995-98 at UCLA, where she was a four-year letterwinner and a member of the 1995 national championship squad. Nevarez compiled a career .301 batting average, hit over .300 in her final two seasons and was named All-Pac 10 in 1997 and 1998. 

After her eligibility expired in ’98, Nevarez joined the 1999 Bruin coaching staff as an undergraduate assistant coach while finishing her Bachelor of Arts in History. The ’99 squad would go on to win the program’s ninth national title on the heels of a school-record 63 victories.

Nevarez and her husband, Sonny, have two daughters, Gabriela and Giuliana.
 

Head Coaching Record Team Year Record Postseason/Honors/Notes CSUSM 2018 14-38 CSUSM 2017 12-36 CSUSM 2016 10-36 NCAA DII & CCAA Debut CSUSM 2015 34-16 NAIA First Round, AII Co-Coach of the Year CSUSM 2014 39-9-1 NAIA First Round, AII Runner-Up Redlands 2013 36-12 NCAA DIII First Round, SCIAC Champions Redlands 2012 32-13 NCAA DIII First Round, SCIAC Champions Redlands 2011 36-11 NCAA DIII First Round, SCIAC Co-Champions Redlands 2010 32-14 NCAA DIII First Round, SCIAC Co-Champions Redlands 2009 30-12 NCAA DIII First Round, SCIAC Champions Redlands 2008 34-12 NCAA DIII First Round, SCIAC Champions Redlands 2007 30-12 NCAA DIII First Round, SCIAC Champions Redlands 2006 31-13 NCAA DIII First Round, SCIAC Champions Redlands 2005 30-8 NCAA DIII First Round, SCIAC Champions Redlands 2004 28-9-1 SCIAC Runner-Up Total 15 seasons 428-251-2 (.630)

 

Playing Career Team Year Record Postseason/Honors/Notes UCLA 1998 18-27 All-Pac 10 Honorable Mention UCLA 1997 49-14 NCAA DI Runner-Up, All-Pac 10 Second Team UCLA 1996 47-11 NCAA DI College World Series Finalists  UCLA 1995 43-6 Total 157-58 (.703)