Pistole hired as softball coach

Jessica Pistole has been named the fifth coach in USD program history

Chris Spiering/Sports Editor/The USD Vista

After 18 seasons coaching the Toreros, USD softball head coach Melissa McElvain resigned to spend more time with her family. She is the school’s all time wins leader with a career record of 381-505. 

As her replacement, coach Jessica Pistole joins the Toreros after spending five seasons at Southern Oregon University (SOU) where she coached the Raiders to three straight National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Softball World Series appearances from 2017 to 2019.

“I am really excited to be here and to get everyone together,” Pistole said. 

Prior to SOU, Pistole  coached at the high school level where she won a state title at Twin Falls High School in Idaho. She also served as an assistant coach at Utah State University for a season. Last year, Pistole won the first ever NAIA softball championship for the Raiders, which solidified her as the winningest coach in program history. Pistole, the reigning NAIA Coach of the Year, also  was selected as the Cascade Collegiate Conference Coach of the year twice. Everywhere Pistole goes, winning seems to follow.

When Pistole was at SOU, her team’s offense seemed to be their strong suit. Her  team batting averages were above .300 in each of her five seasons, improving in each season. “I want all of my players to be athletes,” Pistole said. “I don’t care if we lead the nation in home runs, as long as we get base hits from gap-to-gap.” 

Hitting home runs is what many fans wants to see. But  as Pistole mentions, there is much more to the game than just sending one over the fence.

“There are a lot of ways to score,” Pistole said. “It doesn’t mean reckless and crazy, it means understanding yourself as a hitter. We all know this game is mental.”

When Pistole was hired as the head coach at San Diego, she didn’t expect it to be as difficult as it was to leave SOU.

 “When it came along, it had to be something that provided a lot of similarities,” Pistole said. “In all honesty, I wasn’t expecting it to. Probably the most difficult decision (my family and I) have made.” 

According to Pistole, The difference between Division I and NAIA isn’t a big as one might think. 

“I think the game is the same at whatever level,” Pistole said. “The game might change in terms of speed and pitching. The top of NAIA is pretty even with mid-Division I schools. For me, as a coach, I’m excited to put my abilities and philosophies to the approach. You don’t change a whole lot, you just adjust a little. I only know one way to do it.” 

Pistole’s coaching style is focused on teammate dynamics and the process of improving rather than throwing everything at her players at once. After every game, Pistole asks herself what the team did well and what the team needs to improve on. 

“I love the game of softball, but I don’t just coach because I love the game of softball,” Pistole said. “It’s really about the relationships and the journey you get to go on from start to finish.”

Pistole plans on communicating with the players and coaching staff to ensure they are all on the right page. Coaching a new team may have its struggles, but Pistole is confident that the Toreros are going in the right direction. 

“We’re going to do what we say we’re going to do.” Pistole said. “It’s our story this year, it’s our journey.” 

In the last six seasons, the Toreros have finished in the top three in the West Coast Conference (WCC) four times, but have yet to bring a title to USD. 

Pistole and the Toreros’ season and journey to bring a championship to USD will begin this spring.