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Elon University Athletics

The Official Site of Elon University Athletics

Patti Raduenz

  • Title
    Head Softball Coach
A former All-Star shortstop and third baseman in the Women’s Professional Softball League, the 2011 season marks the 11th for Patti Raduenz as head coach of the Elon University softball team.

In 2010, Raduenz led the Phoenix to its most successful season in program history by winning its first ever Southern Conference Championship. The conference title marked the first for any of Elon's women's sports teams. As the No. 2 seed in the tournament, Elon defeated No. 4 UNC Greensboro, 6-3, in the championship game to earn the title and the team's first-ever bid to the NCAA Softball Tournament. The team posted a program-best 38-21 overall record that season.

Raduenz coached Tomeka Watson to SoCon Freshman of the Year honors and Emerald Graham and Kaitlyn Piazolla to all-conference first team honors in 2010. Watson and Ashlee Crewe earned second-team selections, while Watson was also named to the all-freshman team. After the success of Raduenz’s squad at the SoCon tournament, Piazzolla, Watson, Crewe and Erin O’Shea were selected to the SoCon All-Tournament team.

During the 2009 season, Raduenz helped the 2009 Phoenix to a 15-32 overall record and a 6-15 slate in the Southern Conference. The team had signature wins over Michigan State and a series win over league rival Furman.

Under her guidance, the 2008 Phoenix squad posted a 26-27 record that included a 12-9 in league play, the most league wins since joining the Southern Conference, The 12-9 mark earned Elon a spot in the SoCon Tournament where they posted a 5-3 win over Western Carolina before dropping the final game to College of Charleston.

Raduenz coached shortstop Tracy Dahlen to first-team all conference accolades, while designated player Melanie Helterbran and second baseman Jackie Gonzalez earned second-team honors. Dahlen was also named to the NCCSIA All-State team.

In 2007, Raduenz’s squad fashioned a 28-32 overall record and a 9-11 mark in Southern Conference play. Elon earned the No. 6 seed in the SoCon Tournament and a first-round win over Appalachian State before dropping games to eventual tournament champion Furman and Georgia Southern.

Raduenz saw both of Elon’s middle infielders – Dahlen and second baseman Paige Goss – earn first team all-conference accolades. Goss also garnered all-state honors and ESPN The Magazine First Team Academic All-District III and Third Team Academic All-America recognition.

In 2006, Raduenz’s team posted a 24-29 record with an 11-13 SoCon ledger. Elon earned league tournament wins over Georgia Southern and Furman before falling to Appalachian State. Raduenz guided Goss to all-conference honors and catcher Jaimie Rao to all-state accolades.

Raduenz’s 2005 squad posted a 31-32 record, including a 9-12 mark in SoCon action. The Phoenix took conference tournament wins over East Tennessee State and Georgia Southern before being eliminated by Furman. Elon also landed three players on the all-conference teams while outfielder Dani Concepcion was also named to the league’s all-tournament team.

Her 2004 squad collected the program’s most wins since Elon moved to the NCAA Division I level, finishing the season 33-23-1 overall and 11-10 in SoCon play. The Phoenix captured its first SoCon tournament win with victories over UNC Greensboro and Georgia Southern. Elon placed a league-high five players on the all-conference teams in its first year of competition in the SoCon. The 2004 team also finished third nationally with a .976 fielding percentage after notching 1160 putouts, 521 assists and only 41 errors in 57 games.

Raduenz spent the summer of 2004 playing for the USA Baseball Women’s National team. Her squad represented the United States in the 2004 International Baseball Federation (IBAF) Women’s World Cup in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and the World Series held in Japan, capturing the a gold medal at the World Cup. Raduenz notched a .273 batting average for the season. She tallied six runs, three doubles, two triples and eight RBI while posting a .485 slugging percentage. She amassed 90 putouts at first base and four assists. Raduenz was one of only two players to play every inning at the same position and in the same spot in the lineup. She played all 11 games at first base while batting cleanup.

The 2003 Elon team finished 20-25-1, including a 4-4 record in the Big South Conference to place fourth in the league. In 2002, the Phoenix finished 16-39, including a 6-4 ledger in Big South play to garner a second place finish in the regular season. The improvement in the Elon program yielded Big South Coach of the Year honors for Raduenz.

In her inaugural campaign at Elon, Raduenz guided the 2001 Phoenix to a 16-41 record, a six-game improvement in the win column over the 2000 squad. Elon also won its first-ever Big South tournament game that year.

Prior to her arrival at Elon, Raduenz was an assistant coach at the University of North Carolina. She served as the hitting and infield instructor for the Tar Heels during the 2000 season. Under her tutelage, North Carolina put up the fifth-best batting average in the nation that year. Raduenz also served as an assistant at California State University of Sacramento and Iowa State University in Ames.

In her four seasons as a player at Michigan State University, Raduenz put together a .372 career batting average. During both her junior and senior seasons, her batting average topped the .400 mark. For her senior year, she was awarded the Big Ten Medal of Honor. Raduenz also earned All-American honors and was a two-time Academic All-American.
After leaving Michigan State, Raduenz played for the Georgia Pride and the Durham Dragons in the WPSL. She was the first player traded in league history. In 1997, Raduenz finished second in batting average and doubles in the WPSL.