NDSU Softball
Coaching Staff
Jamie Trachsel
Co-Head Coach
Jamie Trachsel was promoted to co-head coach for the Bison during 2010 fall. It is Trachsel's 10th season with the program, three as associate head coach, four as a full-time assistant and two seasons as a graduate assistant.
Trachsel is responsible for team defense, recruiting and coordinating scouting. In 2009, NDSU led The Summit League and ranked 8th in NCAA Division I statistics with a .976 fielding percentage. The Bison were also 12th nationally in double plays. Trachsel has coached four All-Americans. She was a member of the NFCA's 2009 Division Midwest Region and Division II North Central Region Coaching Staffs of the Year.
A native of Duluth, Minn., Trachsel played softball for St. Cloud State. She was an all-region selection as a junior. Trachsel graduated from St. Cloud State in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in sports management, and coaching and human relations minors. She earned her master’s degree from NDSU in 2006.
Trachsel is a nine-time national champion in raquetball. She was a 17-time letterwinner in four sports at Duluth Central High School including six letters in softball. Trachsel was an all-conference, all-region and all-state selection on the diamond.
Brittany Weil
Pitching Coach
Former University of Iowa standout Brittany Weil was promoted to full-time pitching coach during the 2010 fall. She joined the North Dakota State University softball coaching staff in September 2009 as a graduate assistant.
Weil, who earned all-region and all-conference honors for the Hawkeyes, was the seventh overall pick in the National Pro Fastpitch Senior Draft by the Akron Racers. She compiled a 4-3 record with a 2.28 earned run average as the Racers advanced to the first round of the league playoffs.
Weil departed the University of Iowa with school records for strikeouts (1,083), innings pitched (1,011.2), complete games (110), games pitched (183) and no-hitters (5), and is also tied for first with 99 wins. She also holds the single-season records for strikeouts (339) and no-hitter (5).
A second team NFCA All-American, Weil went 26-12 with 14 shutouts, five no-hitters and a 1.10 earned run average in 2009. She was also named first team NFCA All-Midwest Region and All-Big Ten. Weil became the first Hawkeye to be named NFCA National Player of the Week in 2009. She recorded a career-high 19 strikeouts in an eight-inning no-hit effort against Kent State (2-13-09).
Weil also earned first team NFCA All-Mideast Region and second team All-Big Ten honors in 2008 after posting a 1.22 earned run average. She was also a two-time all-league third team selection and earned second team all-region honors.
She graduated from Iowa in May 2009 with a bachelor's degree in communication studies.
Andi Padilla
Director of Softball Operations
Andi Padilla is in her first season as the North Dakota State University softball director of operations.
Padilla was a central figure in leading NDSU to a 38-20 record in 2009 and a No. 18 ranking in the ESPN.com/USA Softball and a No. 21 ranking in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Polls.
The Bison advanced to the Tempe Super Regional after winning the 2009 NCAA Division I Softball Norman Regional and Summit League Tournament championships in the first season eligible for postseason play.
Padilla was named the Summit League tournament MVP and earned all-Summit League first team honors as a senior. She was a two-time Summit League Pitcher of the Week and tossed a pair of no-hitters in 2009.
Padilla earned Summit League All-Academic and Commissioner's List honors during her career. She graduated from North Dakota State in 2010, majoring in public relations and advertising.
Kelly Cantrell
Volunteer Assistant
Former all-region performer Kelly Cantrell joined the North Dakota State University coaching staff during the 2010 fall as a volunteer assistant. She will work with the catchers.
Cantrell, who was the Summit League Player of the Year, and teammate Melissa Chmielewski were the first Bison softball players named to the all-region first team after leading NDSU to a 38-20 record and a No. 18 ranking in the ESPN.com/USA Softball and a No. 21 in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Polls.
The Bison advanced to the Tempe Super Regional after winning the 2009 NCAA Division I Softball Norman Regional and Summit League Tournament championships in the first season eligible for postseason play.
Cantrell was impressive behind the plate throughout her career. She threw out 13 of 27 baserunners attempting to steal and picked off a career-high nine opponent runners off base in 2009. She had a .992 fielding percentage with only two errors in 241 fielding chances.
A native of Omaha, Neb., Cantrell graduated from North Dakota State in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in psychology. She was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District first team, and the Summit League's Winter/Spring All-Academic team and Commissioner's List of Academic Excellence during her career.
