Elyria Catholic graduate Nicole Loudin is joining the Fredonia State athletic department as an assistant women’s softball coach.

Most recently an assistant coach at Ithaca College, Loudin will be added to the coaching staff led by head coach Lorrie Corsi. Loudin will also have facilities management duties in the athletic department.

Loudin has been an assistant coach at Ithaca since 2008, where her duties included recruiting, strength and conditioning, and game-day coaching. The Bombers, coached by 2010 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee Deb Pallozzi, posted a 34-15 record last spring. They were ranked No. 11 in the nation and finished seventh in the NCAA Division III World Series.

While at Ithaca, Loudin earned a master’s degree in Science Exercise and Sport Sciences with a concentration in Sport Psychology. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Baldwin Wallace-College in Berea, where she was a two-time All-American in softball.

After one semester at Bucknell, an NCAA Division I program, Loudin transferred to Baldwin-Wallace, where her mother is a professor, and made an immediate mark on the 2003 Yellow Jackets softball team. She hit a single-season school record 10 home runs with 41 RBI and a .388 batting average as a freshman, and was named Ohio Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year.

After four years, she had a .383 career batting average with 37 homers and 123 RBI. The home runs and RBIs are school records. She also established two Baldwin-Wallace program firsts. She was the first B-W freshman softball NFCA All-American. After her sophomore season, she again was named All-American in softball and added the distinction of Academic All-American by the College Sports Information Directors of America. It was the first time a B-W softball player had received both awards.

Loudin, while at EC, broke four Ohio High School Athletic Association state records, including 10 home runs in a single-season, five consecutive games with a home run, 22 career home runs, and a .540 career batting average.

Before coaching at Ithaca, Loudin served one year as junior varsity head coach and varsity assistant coach at Euclid (Ohio) High School. She has also coached in the Ohio Emeralds Softball Organization and the Lorain Community College Indoor League.

swalker@MorningJournal.com