Kim Fritts, a highly accomplished player and longtime collegiate coach, took over as head coach of Southern Oregon University’s softball program prior to the 2007 season.
In her first seven years in charge of the Raiders, Fritts has compiled a 112-135 record, compiling 20-plus wins the last two seasons.
Fritts' 2009 SOU squad surprised everyone in the league by making a run at the top of the Cascade Conference. The Raiders finished the season 22-15 overall and 18-6 in conference play - one game away from winning the conference crown and going to the national tournament.
Prior to arriving at SOU, Fritts served as the top assistant at College of Charleston and helped the program to a 53-18 record in 2005, including a Southern Conference Championship and the school’s first-ever NCAA Tournament berth.
Hailed for her hitting and pitching instruction and recruitment skills, Fritts served as the lead assistant at Lewis & Clark College (2003-04) and at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (2000-02).
The Riverside, Calif., native began her coaching career in 1998 as an assistant at Miami University (Ohio), where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in sport organization. The sought-after softball camp clinician coached a Nevada state championship youth ASA team, and she was the co-owner of Desert Storm Softball Academy in Las Vegas, which produced several eventual NCAA standouts, including UCLA’s Crissy Buck and Oregon State’s Heather Valenty.
As a player, Fritts garnered first-team All-American honors at Fullerton (Calif.) Junior College in 1992 before transferring to UNLV, where she earned Big West Conference and all-region accolades as a catcher. She helped the Rebels rank third nationally by batting .357, driving in 30 runs and gaining team MVP honors in 1993. She went on to play professionally on a traveling team that was the precursor for the Women’s Professional Fastpitch League.