University of Minnesota Athletics
Softball
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- krietkov@umn.edu
- Phone:
- 612-626-5594
Katie Rietkovich was named to the Gopher softball staff on July 3, 2018 following a three year stint as a volunteer coach and camp coordinator at Ole Miss. She just finished her second season after helping lead the Gophers to new heights in 2019.
Rietkovich is in charge of the Minnesota offense and helped the Gophers reach the Women's College World Series for the first time in program history in the NCAA era. Along with head coach Jamie Trachsel and pitching coach Piper Ritter, Rietkovich was part of the 2019 NFCA Great Lakes Regional Coaching Staff of the Year. Under her watch the Gophers smacked 72 home runs (second most in single season program history), took 225 walks (third most in program history), recorded 87 doubles (fifth most in program history) and had a .496 slugging percentage (fifth highest in program history).
MaKenna Partain flourished in the leadoff spot under Rietkovich. She broke the school single season runs record with 66 and single game runs record with five in a game and was named First Team All-Big Ten. Transfer Hope Brandner finished second for most home runs in a single Gophers season with 19 and also earned First Team All-Big Ten.
Rietkovich's most impressive work may have been the job she did coaching freshman Natalie DenHartog. After not beginning the year as a starter, DenHartog led the Gophers in slugging percentage (.780) and RBI (64). She was second on the team in batting average (.373) and home runs (17). DenHartog was named First Team All-Big Ten and was a top-3 finalist for the NFCA Freshman of the Year award. DenHartog went on to lead the Gophers in virtully every category in the shortened 2020 season and earned Softball American Shortened Season All-American honors.
Before Minnesota the Savannah, Georgia native played an integral role in coaching the Rebel slappers guiding two players into the professional ranks with a pair of players being selected in the inaugural ASBA draft. Rietkovich also guided Kylan Becker to become the first-ever Rebel to be selected to the USA Softball National Team.
"I am very excited and proud to join the Minnesota Family," said Rietkovich. "I would like to thank Coach Trachsel for giving me the opportunity to become a part of something so special. Minnesota is a national brand that continues to compete at the highest level and I am excited to have the opportunity to contribute to their success."
Prior to Ole Miss, Rietkovich spent one year as an assistant coach at Savannah State under head coach Jose Gonzalez.
Rietkovich made a few stops during her playing career starting at Georgia under head coach Lu Harris-Champer where was a part of the Bulldogs' third-place finish at the 2010 Women's College World Series. In addition she reached two NCAA Regionals and Super Regionals. After her stint at Georgia, she played in the NAIA at both South Carolina-Beaufort and Reinhardt University.
Rietkovich earned a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management from University of South Carolina - Beaufort in December of 2014. She completed her Master's Degree in Kinesiology from Georgia Southern in July 2016.
