University of Minnesota Athletics
Softball Tabs Marten, Merchant as Assistants
8/31/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
"I am extremely excited to add Jessica to and keep Piper in the Minnesota softball family," Allister said.
In four years as an assistant at UMass, Merchant helped guide the Minutewomen to a 164-47-2 cumulative record, winning the Atlantic 10 championship and advancing to the NCAA tournament all four years. Prior to joining the UMass staff, Merchant spent one season as a volunteer assistant at her alma mater, the University of Michigan.
"Jessica brings a wealth of knowledge to our softball program. She was an All-American player in the Big Ten Conference and a member of Michigan's national championship team," Allister said. "I have played and coached against Jessica for many years and have always been impressed with her character, her work ethic, and her ability to get the best out of her players. She has competed and coached at the highest levels, and knows what it takes to get there. All of this, combined with her mid-western roots, makes Jessica a perfect fit for the University of Minnesota."
A two-time NFCA All-American shortstop, Merchant captained the Wolverines to the 2005 NCAA Championship - the first national title in program history. The Wayland, Mich. native finished her collegiate career as the school's career home run leader (46) and still owns the record for home runs in a season (21). Merchant also ranks third all-time in career starts (252) and fourth in both career RBI (155) and doubles (48). In 2006, Merchant was a member of the USA Softball Elite Team that won the Intercontinental Cup title and was selected as the Most Valuable Player of the event after hitting .500 with eight RBI and a home run.
Merchant, a 2005 Michigan graduate with a degree in Sport Management and Communication. She played two seasons with the Connecticut Brakettes of the National Pro Fastpitch League and most recently with the New England Riptide. She was also invited to the Women's National Team selection camp in 2006.
"I am thrilled to be to joining the University of Minnesota Softball program, and I would like to thank Coach Allister for giving me such a great opportunity to be on her staff," Merchant said. "I'm so excited to meet the team and start building on the great tradition that the University of Minnesota and Gopher softball have established."
Marten, meanwhile, will remain with the program as an assistant working with the Golden Gophers pitching staff after serving in the same capacity for four years under Lisa Bernstein and Julie Standering, whose contracts were not renewed following the 2010 season.
"It is a great privilege to continue to coach at the University of Minnesota. This is my alma mater, and I can't wait to help make this a great program," Marten said. "I am excited about the new coaches, I believe they will bring great energy and experience to the Minnesota softball team."
The Minnesota alum tutored Briana Hassett to one of the best seasons in program history in 2009. Hassett set program records by racking up 414 strikeouts and pitching 39 complete games. Her strikeout mark was more than 100 better than the previous record set in 2004 by Marten. Hassett also pitched 307.0 innings in the circle in 2009, becoming just the second Golden Gopher ever to pitch over 300 innings in a season. Hassett thrived in two seasons under Marten and finished among the top-five in six career pitching categories, including a record 88 complete games.
Marten also guided Hassett to a record-breaking 2008 season in her first year in charge of Minnesota's pitching staff. Hassett went 21-8 with a 1.82 earned run average during the year. At the time, Hassett's 276 strikeouts were the third-most in a single season in Minnesota history, trailing only Marten's totals of 311 during 2003 and 301 during 2002.
During her four-year playing career with the Gophers (2001-04), Marten became one of the most accomplished pitchers in program history. She currently holds the Minnesota career records for strikeouts (1,122), innings pitched (921.1), games (173), wins (88) and shutouts (33), while ranking second for complete games (85). Her career strikeout mark ranks third all-time in the Big Ten and 14th in NCAA history. Marten threw five career no-hitters for the Gophers, including two perfect games.
Marten earned All-Big Ten honors all four years at Minnesota, including a first-team selection in 2003 when she posted 11 shutouts and what was then a single-season record 311 strikeouts. She also garnered NFCA All-Mideast Region accolades three times during her career and led the Gophers to the NCAA Regional Tournament two times (2002 and 2003).
Prior to joining the Golden Gopher staff, Marten served as the pitching coach at the University of Northern Colorado for the 2006 season and was an assistant at North St. Paul High School during 2005. After graduating from the University in 2004 with a degree in kinesiology, she played and coached for one season in an international league in the Netherlands. Marten also played one season in the National Pro Fastpitch League for the Texas Thunder, posting a 3-0 record with a 0.64 ERA.
"Piper is one of the best players to ever wear the maroon and gold. Her knowledge of the University of Minnesota will help us make a smooth transition as we get ready for the season to come," Allister said. "She is highly regarded as a pitching coach in the Big Ten Conference and has a great track record of success in developing young pitchers. Her passion and enthusiasm for the University of Minnesota will be a valuable tool as we work to build Minnesota Softball into a Big Ten and national contender."
