TEMPE ? The Arizona State University softball program and head coach Craig Nicholson announced the hiring of Letty Olivarez to join the Sun Devils this season.?
Olivarez’s coaching efforts will focus on the team’s pitching staff along with other administrative duties.
“Letty is an exceptional up-and-coming talent in the coaching world and her efforts at CSUN and Stanford speak volumes,” Nicholson said. “She brings a wealth of energy to our program and a desire to help us maintain our standard as one of the elite programs in the nation. We are very excited to have her on board.”
Olivarez spent the past season at CSUN, helping lead the Matadors to an NCAA Tournament appearance while coaching Zoe Conley to one of the most impressive freshman campaigns in Matador history.
"I am very thankful for this opportunity to become part of the Arizona State University family. It is every little girl's dream to be a member of such a successful softball program.” Olivarez said. “I am extremely excited to be able to work with Coach Craig Nicholson and Coach Robert Wagner as their knowledge of the game is extensive. I look forward to help contributing to the continued success of our student-athletes both on and off the field and I cannot wait to experience softball as a Sun Devil.”
Under the guidance of Olivarez, Conley was the first CSUN pitcher to earn First Team NFCA All-West Region honors since Amy Windmiller received the honors in the 1994 season. Conley also was the Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year and earned First Team All-Big West honors.
Conley finished the season at 19-7 with a 1.84 ERA and 134 strikeouts in 156.1 innings of work. She won three Big West Pitcher of the Week honors and was named one of 25 finalists for the NFCA?Freshman of the Year.
In total, the CSUN pitchers posted an impressive 2.42 team ERA under Olivarez, good for the 24th best tally in the country.
Help us welcome our new pitching coach, Letty Olivarez! And welcome back @dalpal12 and Haley Steele as Grad Managers! http://t.co/yCCIUoQjSx
? Sun Devil Softball (@ASUSoftball) August 20, 2015Originally from Northern California, Olivarez played her collegiate softball for the Wisconsin Badgers of the Big Ten Conference. She excelled both in the circle and at the plate, earning Third Team All-Big Ten Honors after her senior season.?
Following her graduation, she remained with Wisconsin as a student assistant coach and then spent three years as an assistant coach, two as a volunteer, at Stanford with former Cardinal head coach John Rittman. Stanford made two NCAA Tournaments in Olivarez's three seasons on the Farm.?
In her second season at Stanford as a volunteer coach with the pitchers, Stanford posted a combined 2.76 ERA and a 39-21 record (13-11 Pac-12) en route to an appearance in the 2013 NCAA Tournament
She worked with Teagan Gerhart, sister of current Sun Devil baseball and football student-athlete Coltin Gerhart, led the ace to a 21-13 record and a team-leading 2.58 ERA in the potent Pac-12 Conference. She earned All-Pac-12 and NFCA All-West Region honors in her career and finished in the top 10 in several Cardinal pitching categories.
In one season as the pitching coach, the Stanford lineup battled significant injuries throughout the season but true freshman Madi Schreyer shouldered the workhorse load with 242.1 innings pitched and was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team and also earned All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention accolades.
Olivarez will join the Sun Devils in Tempe along with her boyfriend, former third baseman for the Seattle Mariners Triple A affiliate team, Jim Davenport.
Additionally, Nicholson has also announced that former Sun Devil standouts Dallas Escobedo and Haley Steele will join the program as graduate managers.
Escobedo finished her career as one of the most decorated Sun Devils in any sport, with one national championship and three trips to the Women’s College World Series under her belt.
Escobedo had a 115-26 all-time record (.815 winning percentage) and a 2.01 career ERA. She came three wins shy of matching Katie Burkhart’s school record of 118 victories.?
She finished with 1,222 strikeouts, good for second in ASU history, and became just the 14th player in Pac-12 history to accomplish the 1,000-strikeout feat. Escobedo reached the 300-strikeout plateau in three different seasons and holds the fourth, fifth and sixth highest strikeout totals for a single season in program history.
One of the most prolific hitters in Sun Devil history, Steele finished her Sun Devil career third in RBI (209), fifth in homers (48), tied for 10th in hits (234) and fourth in doubles (49).
As a senior this past season, Steele finished with a .330 clip and a team-leading 69 RBI ? good for the third-highest single season total in ASU history
The Sun Devils kick off the 2015 Fall Ball slate on Wednesday, Oct. 7 before getting the 2016 regular season underway on Feb. 11 with the annual Kajikawa Classic.