Minutewomen give Sortino her 800th victory

by Bart K. Feller, special to the Chronicle

Sortino: Focused on current season.

ead softball coach Elaine Sortino moved into a new spot in the NCAA record books March 28 as the softball team swept a doubleheader at La Salle University 4-0 and 11-2, giving Sortino her 799th and 800th career wins. She is the 16th softball coach in NCAA history to achieve 800 victories.

     "It's a tremendous accomplishment for Elaine and the team," said Ian McCaw, Athletics director. McCaw said Sortino consistently performs as "an outstanding coach who attracts high quality student athletes with great skills and character who play with tremendous pride."

     After a double-header victory over Fordham Monday, Sortino had increased her total to 802 wins and a winning percentage of .697. Both rank her 10th among active softball coaches.

     Since winning her first game as coach on April 1, 1980, Sortino has had a history of success. Last year Sortino was voted Atlantic 10 Conference coach of the year for the 7th time, which is the most for any coach in any sport in the conference. The team has won the A-10 championship 15 of the last 17 years, including the last eight. Under Sortino's leadership, the Minute-women have been to the NCAA Regional Tournament 12 times and have been to the College World Series three times.

     Assistant softball coach Danielle Henderson, who is in her fifth year coaching with Sortino and played for her from 1996 to 1999, remembers Sortino's 500th win during her freshman year. Henderson said Sortino's achievement is due to "all of her hard work."

     "She picks the right kids and gets the best out of every single player," Henderson said.

     Henderson said the team's success under Sortino begins with her recruiting.

     "She has a nose for talent," said Henderson, adding that Sortino doesn't necessarily look for the best athlete, but rather someone with "raw talent, [who is] hard working, a good student and a good person."

     "She treats her players with a lot of respect and gets that respect back," Henderson said.

     "The program means the world to her; it's like her family."

     Sortino may care about her players, but she expresses no interest in numerical milestones, winning streaks and other such statistics.

     "Who cares?" she said about her 800th victory. Sortino said she would much rather focus on her team's short-term goals, like winning their upcoming games and this year's A-10 tournament, which UMass hosts May 8-10.

     Sortino attributes the team's sustained success over the last 24 years to the quality of the young women in her program.

     "They typify the term 'student-athlete,'" she said. "They are blue-collar workers. [They] work hard in life, in the classroom, and on the field."

     Her squad is off to a good start this season. As of Tuesday, they had a 17 and 10 record overall, 4 and 0 in A-10 games, an eight-game winning streak, and a 40-game home winning streak. The team has played nine schools ranked in the top 25, four of which are in the top 10, winning four of those nine games.

     Their next contest at the softball complex is April 4 against Saint Joseph's in a double header beginning at 3 p.m. They play Temple Sunday, April 6, in a double header that begins at noon.

     Sortino will be honored for her 800 wins at a ceremony before the Boston College game on April 16 at 5 p.m. at the softball complex.