SAN MATEO, Calif. – On the heels of an impressive 2022 spring softball campaign that saw the UCF Knights break through to the NCAA Super Regionals for the first time in program history, and all the player accolades that followed, it seems only fair that the one at the helm receive her much-deserved recognition as well.
The West Coast Conference has revealed its selections for its 13th Hall of Honor Class, with former University of the Pacific standout, two-way player and current Knights head coach Cindy “Bear” Ball-Malone notably among the honorees.
“My time at Pacific, along with the strong support of my family, and now my own family, my husband, Bobby, my three sons, Four, Ryder and Cayson, and my daughter, Sawyer, has been the driving force in my playing career and now my coaching career,” Ball-Malone said. “I wouldn’t be who I am today without the belief that Coach [Brian] Kolze and Coach [Heather] Tarr showed in me. The relationships that were built in my time at Pacific with coaches, professors, staff, administration, teammates and fans are irreplaceable.”
Ball-Malone saw time with the Tigers as both a player and a member of the coaching staff and is regarded as the greatest two-way player in program history. Among her career accomplishments are two NFCA All-America selections in 2001 and 2002, two WCC Pitcher of the Year selections in 2001 and 2002, and her status as the program’s all-time leader in innings pitched (883.1), wins (91), saves (10), strikeouts (761), shutouts (46) and RBI (111).
“Coach Bear” also holds the program’s single-season records for shutouts (18, 2001), wins (33, 2001), saves (six, 2002) and strikeouts (291, 2002). Behind her 1.29 ERA in 234 innings, the Tigers recorded a program-record 50 wins in 2001, and was honored with a selection to the 2002 Verizon Academic All-America First Team.
“Over 20 years ago, Coach [Kolze] gave me the greatest opportunity to be a Tiger, attain a high-level education and handed me the ball with trust to lead our amazing team,” Ball-Malone continued. “My teammates, you were one of my biggest ‘whys’ while playing and still are today. I thank you for challenging me, teaching me, making me feel significant, holding me accountable and playing lock-down defense behind me.”
Following the conclusion of her playing career, Ball-Malone joined the coaching staff at Pacific in 2002 and remained through the 2006 season, after which she accepted an offer to become head coach at Modesto Junior College and Cosumnes River College. After serving as an assistant coach with the Washington Huskies beginning in 2010 and Cal State Northridge, she was named the head coach Boise State in 2015 before accepting the same position at UCF in 2014. Ball-Malone was later inducted into Pacific’s Softball Hall of Fame in 2014.
The West Coast Conference Hall of Honor ceremony is scheduled to take place Saturday, March 4 at the Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas. A ceremony will be held as part of the 2023 University Credit Union West Coast Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament.
Joining Ball-Malone in induction will be Amy Boswell Usevitch (BYU, women’s volleyball), Stephanie Hawk Freeman (Gonzaga, women’s basketball), Sam Fischer (LMU, softball), Julie Evans Castillo (Pepperdine, women’s volleyball), Lorena Legarde (Portland, women’s basketball), Louella Tomlinson (Saint Mary’s, women’s basketball), Sherri Stephens (San Diego, women’s tennis), Brittanie Andreja Budinger (San Francisco, women’s volleyball), and Danielle Slaton (Santa Clara, women’s soccer).
