Courtney Blumer, CCC Director of Communications

ASHLAND – Southern Oregon University's Jessica Pistole, fresh off her third national championship victory as the Raider softball coach, has been named the 2023 Cascade Collegiate Conference Coach of Character, the conference office announced.

Coaches who represent the core values of the NAIA – respect, responsibility, integrity, sportsmanship, and servant leadership – were nominated and voted on by the CCC's athletic directors. Pistole also earned the inaugural award in 2019.

Pistole, a two-time NAIA Coach of the Year, has built a national powerhouse over eight seasons, bringing the Raiders to seven national tournaments and five World Series. Away from the field, her team has accumulated a 3.52 GPA and contributes over 250 hours of community service annually.

Coach Pistole espouses a brand of character connected to a championship work ethic that reaches beyond the game of softball. She challenges her team with the "Ruck" – a fifteen-mile overnight hike to the top of Mt. Ashland – testing their commitment to each other and showing them, they can overcome self-doubt and discomfort to accomplish their goals.

She is the adviser for SOU's Athletes in Action club (Fellowship of Christian Athletes), which allows student-athletes of faith to gather and support each other. She is committed to teaching selflessness as the most honest way to show respect; honor your teammates, family, and opponents; serve the community around you; and embody the integrity of real effort.

"Coach Pistole is courageous in showing gratitude, love, wisdom, and selflessness in the midst of competition," SOU Director of Athletics Matt Sayre said. "People in the stands recognize it during a game in her demeanor and her team's actions. They call it 'class' and realize it's there because she teaches it.  We take immense pride in her and her teams' success with such a values-driven approach.  Coach Pistole embodies class and character. Her team, and our athletic department, have an unbelievable role model in her."