Jacksonville University

Jacksonville University Athletics
2800 University Blvd N Jacksonville, FL 32211

Division 1 Florida Southeast

Private Small National competitor

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Erica Ayers

A familiar face will be taking the reins of the Jacksonville University softball program as Erica Ayers will lead the Dolphins in 2018.

"Erica is the right person to step in as head coach of our softball program at Jacksonville University," said Athletic Director Alex Ricker-Gilbert. "Her experience is vast, and she is ready for the opportunity. The future for our softball program is bright and I couldn't be more excited for Erica and our student-athletes."

Ayers came on staff in 2016 as an assistant under former head coach Jennifer Steele and immediately made an impact, primarily working with the Dolphins' defensive efforts. A 17-year coaching veteran, her defensive efforts saw the team drop its error total from 100 to just 62 while its hitting improved from .240 to .274 in just two seasons. Since arriving at JU, six Dolphins have garnered All-ASUN Conference Team honors, along with an ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year and CoSIDA All-District Selection.

"I would like to thank Alex Ricker-Gilbert and his staff for the tremendous opportunity and privilege to lead this program," said Ayers. "I believe wholeheartedly in the vision that President Tim Cost, [Sr. Vice President of University & Academic Affairs] Donnie Horner and Alex have for JU Athletics and the University as a whole. I owe Jen Steele a thank you as well for believing I could help her build this program two years ago and continuing to believe in me now. A wonderful foundation has been set and I am beyond excited to see how far we can go."

The 2021 season was the most successful of the Ayers era, as she guided the Dolphins to a 29-20 record and a 9-9 ledger in ASUN play. Jacksonville made its first ASUN Tournament appearance since 2018 and was led by a talented and deep group of seniors, many of whom returned in 2021 as a result of the 2020 season being canceled after 26 games due to COVID-19. JU rattled off nine-straight wins from Feb. 26 to March 7, including a clean sweep of the weekend at the JU UNF Spring Break Challenge in which JU outscored the opposition 46-4 over five games that weekend. ASUN play was highlighted by a series sweep of Stetson March 20-23 and a series win over the Hatters April 2-3. Postseason play saw the Dolphins play their quarterfinal series at UNF and take two of three games from the Ospreys to advance to the Championship Four weekend at Kennesaw State.

The 2020 season was off to a fast start as JU had a 15-11 record before the season was cut short in mid-March out of an abundance of caution as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Carolyn O'Neal lead the team with a .326 batting average while Hannah Roberts had driven in 20 and hit four homeruns. Alyssa Bilodeau recorded eight wins while Seana Mora led the team with a 1.22 ERA.

The Dolphins posted a 15-35 mark in Ayer's second season in 2019, highlighted by a four-game winning streak from March 6 to March 9 over the likes of Holy Cross, Presbyterian, Georgetown and UNCW. JU also ended the season on a high note, taking two out of three from cross-town rival North Florida in the final weekend of conference play. Newcomer Kassidy Cross led the team with a .388 batting average and took home First Team All-ASUN honors and sophomore Makenzie Buss belted a team-leading six homeruns, while Alyssa Bilodeau recorded a nine-win season and posted a 2.81 ERA with 179 strikeouts in 191 2/3 innings. Nydia Perez was named to the ASUN All-Freshman Team after batting .253 with four doubles, 11 RBI and 15 runs scored.

In Ayers' first season at the helm in 2018, JU posted a 27-29 record and ranked in the top 20 nationally in stolen bases per game with 1.89. A five-game winning streak during the season saw a doubleheader sweep of George Mason and a series sweep at home against UNF in which the Dolphins outscored the Ospreys 16-2. Alyssa Bilodeau was a 16-game winner in the circle and posted a 2.32 ERA in 190 innings while Madison Ragan led the team with a .346 batting average, while ASUN First Team selection Heather Roberts belted 10 homeruns and drove in 33. Allie McCourt stole 38 bases, the most in a season in program history as she also garnered First Team All-Conference honors. Hannah Roberts was named to the ASUN All-Freshman team after batting .238 and driving in 23 runs.

The Dolphins won 30 games in 2017 – tying the most wins in four years and becoming just the sixth team in the program's history to win at least that many. JU also finished the season eighth in the nation and set the school's single season stolen bases record with 113, with help from its .355 on-base percentage and going deep into counts to draw 146 walks on the year.

Ayers came to JU after six seasons at Georgetown. Her resume is decorated by 13 All Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) selections, one CAA Rookie of the Year, and one CAA Player of the Year at George Mason, and nine All Big East honorees with the Hoyas.

Directly responsible for the Hoyas' defense and hitters, Ayers coached nine All Big East selections during her six years on the Hilltop. In 2013, Georgetown defeated the highest ranked opponent in program history with an upset over No. 8 Louisville, set a new school record for team fielding percentage, and made its first postseason appearance in both program and Big East history. The 2014 season was record breaking, as the Hoyas made their second consecutive trip to the postseason and finished tied for second in the Big East. The Hoyas also set new records for run total, batting average, and wins during the 2014 campaign.

"I have had the distinct honor and privilege of working with Erica for many years. Her passion, drive, and knowledge of the game is second to none," added Pat Conlon, head softball coach at Georgetown. "I can't think of another person more deserving. I am excited to see the impact that Erica has on the Jacksonville Athletics Department and her student-athletes."

Prior to her time at Georgetown, Ayers spent nine seasons as an assistant coach at her alma mater, George Mason University, in Fairfax, Va. Working closely with the Patriot's infielders and hitters, Ayers helped coach 13 All Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) selections, one CAA Rookie of the Year, and one CAA Player of the Year. Additionally, Ayers has helped develop two Virginia Players of the Year, two first team All Mid-Atlantic Region players and two second team All Region selections.

Ayers played at George Mason from 1997-2000. She started 189 games in the middle infield and finished her career with a .286 batting average, 25 doubles and 66 RBI. During her senior season in 2000, Ayers led the team with a .343 batting average, and was second on the squad with 25 RBI. She currently holds the Patriots' single-season record for games played (63) and times being hit-by-pitch (16), is third in assists (434) and games started (211), is fourth in at-bats (594), and fifth in hits (170).

The Ashland, Va., native graduated from George Mason in 2000 with a bachelor's of sciences in health, fitness and recreational resources. She earned her masters in exercise, fitness and health promotion from GMU in 2008.

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Amanda Haverman

Amanda Haverman enters her third season as the pitching coach for the Dolphins ahead of the 2021-22 season and fifth overall with program during her coaching tenure. Since her return to JU, the pitching staff has become one of the premiere units in the ASUN Conference, posting a 2.06 ERA over the past two seasons, an improvement of nearly a full run and a half prior to her arrival.

In 2021, Haverman guided the Dolphins' pitching staff to an ASUN-leading 1.93 ERA, as JU surrendered just 112 runs in 49 games played. JU's 2021 team ERA is the second-lowest mark for a season in program history, trailing only the 2011 club that posted a 1.48 ERA. Ace Alyssa Bilodeau was named to the ASUN All-Tournament Team and was a Second Team All-ASUN selection in 2021, winning 14 games and leading the conference in strikeouts (178) and earned run average (1.39). She worked a no-hitter in the season opener as the Dolphins downed Power Five opponent Boston College 4-0. As a team, Jacksonville recorded 248 strikeouts and issued 95 walks while holding opponents to a .239 batting average.

During the abbreviated 2020 season, the Dolphins posted a 2.29 ERA and struck out 203 batters in 174 innings of work while issuing just 64 free passes. Seana Mora led the staff with a 1.22 ERA while Alyssa Bilodeau recorded eight wins and led the staff with 111 strikeouts. The staff held opponents to a .208 batting average, an improvement of more than sixty points from the 2019 season.

Prior to her return to Duval, Haverman led the pitching staff as an assistant coach at Florida Tech for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. During that time, FIT finished 74-33 in two seasons, ranked as high as #4 in the NFCA Division II poll, and were crowned 2019 Sunshine State Conference Champions. Haverman's pitching staff ranked in the top 15 nationally in team ERA twice (6th – 2018; 12th – 2019), individual ERA (6th – 2018), and shutouts (tied for 9th – 2018). Additionally, Panther pitchers garnered a pair of DII Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Pitcher of the Week awards, three SSC Pitcher of the Week honors, two All-SSC awards, two NFCA All-South Region accolades, two D2CCA All-South Region honors, and one NFCA Third Team All-American.

"I've had the privilege of working with Amanda in the past and am thrilled she's decided to return to Jacksonville. I know she will bring a tremendous amount of energy and passion from the jump. She's done an incredible job with the pitching staff at Florida Tech the last two years and I can't wait to see the impact she has on our staff," noted Ayers.

Previously on staff as a graduate assistant for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, Haverman worked closely with Ayers – who was then an assistant under Jen Steele – to improve the Dolphins' batting average from .256 in 2014 to .284 in her first season in the dugout. The team also broke the program's single-season record with 77 stolen bases (2015), hit 10 more homeruns than the previous year, and improved its fielding percentage from .944 to .958 during her tenure. Haverman oversaw the academic and athletic development that led to one NFCA Third Team All-South Region, six All-ASUN selections, one ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and 26 ASUN All-Academic Team selections.

"I am so excited to be returning to Jacksonville University! I would like to thank [head coach] Erica Ayers, [Senior Vice President/Athletic Director] Alex Ricker-Gilbert, [Deputy Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator] Lauren Cevis, [Associate Athletic Director for Marketing] Whitney Curtis and the rest of the JU staff for this opportunity," noted Haverman. "Jacksonville offers an outstanding platform for student-athletes to be successful not only on the field, but in the classroom and in their futures. I am humbled and very appreciative for the chance to be a part of the JU Family again."

Haverman previously served as an assistant coach at Norfolk State University (2010-14) and Virginia Intermont College (2008-10) prior to her first stint at JU.

During her time in Virginia, Haverman's student-athletes combined for six conference tournament appearances (2 AAC, 4 MEAC) and conference tournament championship appearances with both the Cobras (2010) and Spartans (2013). Over two stops, Haverman has led her players to 20 All-Conference Awards (15 All-MEAC, 5 All-AAC), two Conference Players of the Year (1 AAC, 1 MEAC), and helped both teams rank nationally in home runs per game (16th – 2010 with VIC), team batting average (10th – 2013 with NSU), and doubles per game (11th – 2013 with NSU).

Haverman's impact at Norfolk State continued as her players recorded a four-year batting average of .301 and broke several records, including the single-season home run mark (36 – 2014) and set or tied 23 different program hitting records in 2013. Additionally, 16 student-athletes were placed on the MEAC All-Academic Team.

A 2008 graduate of East Tennessee State, where she earned her bachelor's degree in sport management with a minor in management, Haverman was a four-year letter winner, two-time ASUN Conference All-Academic Team selection, and was named to the 2007 All-ASUN First Team as a designated player. She graduated from ETSU as the program's single-season leader in RBI (37) and tied the program's record with four hits in a single game.

A member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association and the Alliance of Women Coaches, Haverman earned her master's degree in leadership and learning from JU in 2016. A native of Kirkwood, Missouri, she was part of Kirkwood High School's inaugural Hall of Fame class in 2009.