MSU Denver Athletics

Already the MSU Denver softball program's all-time leader in coaching victories, Annie Van Wetzinga reached a career milestone in 2024 when she joined an elite list with more than 500 career wins, and she tacked on 43 more wins in 2024 to stand at 526 for her career and 373 with the Roadrunners.

Now, entering her 12th season as head coach of the Roadrunners in 2024, Van Wetzinga has compiled a 373-201 record (.649 winning percentage) with MSU Denver while leading the Roadrunners to three NCAA Tournament appearances, a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular season championship, and two RMAC Tournament championships. The Roadrunners are 272-111 (.710 winning percentage) in league play under Van Wetzinga.

She is 526-357 overall in 15 seasons as a head coach after coaching for three seasons at Colorado School of Mines and three seasons at Upper Iowa.

In 2024, Coach Van reached 40 wins in a single season for the second time in her career, finishing with a 43-18 overall mark. Last year's squad also broke a program record of 21 straight wins. The team finished third in the regular season of the RMAC with a 33-11 record and finished third at the RMAC Tournament. The squad featured six players that were named All-RMAC. Shelby Robb earned first team honors, Genevieve Bower, Jenna Medhus and Kami Grammerstorf earn second team honors while Hannah DiFabio and Miah Hartvigsen earned honorable mention honors. Miki Berg at second base and Katie Maney in the outfield both won RMAC Gold Gloves for their excellent fielding. Robb was named All-America by two publications. 

The 2023 MSU Denver softball team compiled a 15-game winning streak (the second-longest in program history), and had a school-record 16-game home winning streak (dating to the 2022 season). The Roadrunners were 34-22 overall and finished second in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference at 29-13 before placing third in the league tournament. For the fourth time in six seasons, Van Wetzinga coached the RMAC's Freshman of the Year, as pitcher/utility player Jenna Medhus earned the honor. Medhus was joined on the All-RMAC first team by utility player Shelby Robb and first baseman Miah Hartivgsen. Those three, as well as catcher Jaiden Geist all earned All-South Central Region first or second team honors. Kami Grammerstorf earned All-RMAC second team, with Geist, shortstop Hannah DiFabio and outfielder Alexia Borning being named All-RMAC honorable metnion. Of the field, Robb became the program's first CSC Academic All-America first team selection. Hartvigsen and Audrey Burt joined Robb as CSC All-District selections.

Under Van Wetzinga, a young 2022 team continued to flash its potential while working towards becoming more consistent, and despite a critical late-season injury to star outfielder Robb, the Roadrunners nonetheless made a strong run to the championship round of the RMAC Tournament before falling to Colorado Christian. The Roadrunners were 38-22 overall and 23-15 in the RMAC. Included in the RMAC Tournament showing were two road wins against regular-season league champion Colorado Mesa, which had been 35-3 in regular-season league play. MSU Denver had four players (freshmen  Burt and Geist and sophomores Kami Grammerstorf and Sarah Norton) earn All-RMAC second team, while first baseman Rebecca Gonazles made the D2CCA All-South Central Region second team and Robb earned CoSIDA Academic All-District 6.

In 2021, the season started and ended with impacts from COVID-19, but in between an 0-4 start and an unfortunate 0-2 mark in the RMAC Tournament, Van Wetzinga guided MSU Denver to a 29-5 record to finish 29-11 overall and 27-7 for second place in the RMAC. True freshman Robb emerged as the Roadrunners' first All-American in a decade while batting a school-record .535 (best in Division II among those with more than 38 at-bats) while setting numerous other records and winning awards including all-region, All-RMAC and RMAC Freshman of the Year. Pitcher Destinee Lopez continued her developed an earned All-RMAC first team honors, edging teammate Darby McGhee, who was still All-RMAC second team while finishing out one of the top careers in program history. Third baseman Olivia Dampier and designated player Kayla Banks were each on the All-RMAC second team as well.

Van Wetzinga's MSU Denver team was en route to a special season in 2020 before the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Roadrunners were 18-6 overall, were in first place in the RMAC at 10-2 and were on an eight-game winning streak when the remainder of the season was canceled. MSU Denver was 29th among teams receiving votes in the final NFCA Division II national poll. Laney Sheppard was off to an historic start, leading NCAA Division II in RBIs (41) while ranking second in RBIs per game (1.7) in addition to leading the RMAC in homers (eight).

The 2019 Roadrunners started slow, but rallied to finish 31-27 overall, including a 23-13 mark for fourth place in the RMAC, and they followed that up with a strong third-place showing at the RMAC Tournament. Pitcher/infielder McGhee, who broke the school's career record for strikeouts during the season, repeated as an All-RMAC first team selection while also earning first- and second-team all-region nods from the NFCA and D2CCA, respectively. Outfielder Rebecca Gonzales was the RMAC's Freshman of the Year after breaking MSU Denver freshman records for doubles and hits, and both Gonzales and freshman catcher-third baseman Laney Sheppard were named to the All-RMAC second team.

In 2018, the Roadrunners bounced back from a slow start by winning 32 of their final 46 games to finish 34-22 overall and 28-12 for fourth place in the RMAC. Senior Kristyn Peters and McGhee were named to the All-RMAC first team, with senior Annika Anderson earning second-team honors.

Van Wetzinga’s 2017 team finished 34-21 overall and 26-12 in the RMAC. With a 4-1 win over UCCS on March 5, Van Wetziga earned her 126th victory, to become the program's all-time leader in coaching victories. Anderson and senior Cassidy Smith were selected to the All-RMAC first team, and senior Colissa Bakovich earned second-team honors. Anderson was also selected to the Division II Conference Commissioners Association's All-South Central Region second team.

In 2016, the Roadrunners finished the season 35-19 overall and second in the RMAC with a 25-9 record. The team received numerous honors that included Bakovich being named RMAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year and Smith being named the most valuable player of the RMAC Tournament.

The Roadrunners entered the RMAC Tournament as the No. 2  seed and eventually met the RMAC regular-season champions, Colorado Mesa. MSU Denver defeated the Mavericks 8-3 to advance to the championship game against CSU-Pueblo. The Roadrunners scored three runs in the third inning earn the RMAC championship and received an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

The Roadrunners lost to No. 1-ranked West Texas A&M as well as Texas A&M-Commerce are were eliminated from the South Central Regional.

In 2015, Van Wetzinga guided the team to a 44-16 mark, including 28-6 in the RMAC to win the regular-season championship. The team climbed into the top 25 after a strong showing in non-conference play that included a win over No. 11 Angelo State (Texas). The Roadrunners steadily moved up to No. 18 in NCAA Division II by the end of the regular season. The success didn't stop there as they upset No. 7 St. Mary's (Texas) on the road to reach the finals of the South Central Regional.

Van Wetzinga's team was outstanding in all facets of the game, finishing first in the RMAC in ERA, second in runs per game and batting average, and third in fielding percentage. She coached seven all-conference players, including pitcher and freshman of the year Kenzie Mattey. Off the field, the Roadrunners carried a 3.12 GPA for the year.

In 2014, Van Wetzinga's first season, she led the Roadrunners to the best turnaround in RMAC history as the team that finished 12th in 2013 rose to fourth with a 33-17 overall record and 20-11 mark in conference play. Despite a second-round loss, the Roadrunners roared back through the loser's bracket to win the RMAC Tournament. That qualified them for the NCAA tournament, where they earned a first-round win over Texas Woman's University. It was the first NCAA tournament win for MSU Denver since 2010.

Van Wetzinga began her head coaching career at Colorado School of Mines in 2008 and she instantly was named Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference coach of the year after leading the Orediggers to their first conference title with a school-record 38 wins. Mines continued to thrive under her leadership, making its first NCAA tournament appearance in 2009, where it eliminated top-seed MSU Denver and produced the school’s first two All-Americans while topping the wins record again with 39. In her three years in Golden, Colo., her teams finished in the top 10 in NCAA Division II batting average twice and also finished in the top 10 in five other offensive categories, including second in doubles in 2009. In three years her teams were 101-64.

Van Wetzinga made a move to Upper Iowa in 2010, and she quickly turned around the Peacocks. In her third season in 2013, UIU had its best record since joining NCAA Division II, going 28-16 overall and 15-7 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. The Peacocks were 20th in NCAA Division II in batting average and 10th in doubles. In her three years, she coached 19 Academic All-NSIC players and six all-conference players, including the 2013 NSIC Freshman of the Year, Jacqueline Flood, who is now an MSU Denver assistant. 

Prior to her time at Colorado School of Mines, Van Wetzinga spent two seasons as an assistant coach at NCAA Division I Indiana State and one year at St. Ambrose (Iowa).

The Iowa native played four seasons at Central College (Iowa), leading her team to the NCAA Division III national championship game in 2001 as a senior and earning National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III catcher of the year honors as well. She was twice named an All-American and was a four-time all-region selection while also serving as team captain. Van Wetzinga earned her bachelor’s degree from Central in 2001 in general studies with an emphasis in exercise science and received her master’s degree from Indiana State in 2007 in sport and recreation management.

Annie and wife Jamie live in Westminster with their two dogs Copper and Rowdy. Jamie also serves as the assistant vice president for strategic engagement in the university’s advancement office.


Van Wetzinga's Collegiate Head Coaching Record