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Raider softball coach celebrates 700 wins

Thursday, Apr 7, 2011
Kendall Litton Jensen

Coach Courtney Miller

Seminole State College of Florida Head Softball Coach Courtney Miller earned her 700th career victory with a 3-1 win over conference foe Florida State College at Jacksonville on March 26. 

Miller, in her 17th season with the Raiders, is 636-387-3 at Seminole State and 704-446-3 overall. Since establishing the College's fastpitch softball team in 1995, she has built a nationally recognized program that has produced 123 All-Conference, 29 All-State and 16 All-American athletes.

Last year, Miller celebrated one of the most successful seasons in Seminole State history, leading her team to a second-place finish in the Mid-Florida Conference (MFC) as well as the Florida College System Activities Association (FCSAA) Region VIII Atlantic District Tournament. Her team also finished sixth in the state and 18th in the nation, and the MFC named starting pitcher Hope Bitzer its Female Athlete of the Year.

This season, Miller's squad stands at 35-16 (13-3 MFC) and is second in the MFC and seventh in the state coaches' poll.

Her teams also excel in the classroom, with 126 players earning Academic All-Conference honors, 71 earning Academic All-State honors and 53 earning Academic All-American honors. The Raiders were 13th in the nation academically in 2010, and second baseman Natalie Beach was named MFC Scholar Athlete of the Year.

"Courtney strives for success in every aspect of her job," says Assistant Athletic Director Mike Nicholson. "Wins are great, but shaping these students' lives and helping them achieve academic excellence are equally important to her."

In addition to leading the Raider softball program, Miller is a full-time professor, teaching courses in wellness, health and college success. She also serves as the academic advisor for all student-athletes at Seminole State.

Miller is the Mid-Florida Conference chair for softball and a member of the Florida Softball Committee. Before coming to Seminole State, she served as head softball coach at St. Cloud University in Minnesota, where she guided the Huskies to the 1992 NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Tournament and a top-10 national ranking.

Up next for the Raiders is a home doubleheader against conference leader Santa Fe College on April 9. Game times are 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., and admission is free for Seminole State students, faculty and staff with a valid Seminole State ID. For more information, please visit the Raider softball home page.