DENVER – MSU Denver Softball Head Coach Annie Van Wetzinga announced the addition of Zoe Bacon as the program's top assistant coach Wednesday morning.
Bacon arrives in Denver after spending the 2025-26 season at fellow RMAC member Colorado School of Mines, where she served as the Orediggers' pitching coach and assistant coach. She brings a diverse coaching background that includes experience in player development, recruiting, scouting, mental performance training, and collegiate softball instruction.
During her season at Colorado School of Mines, Bacon played a key role in transforming the Orediggers' pitching staff. Under her guidance, Mines reduced its team ERA from 5.60 to 4.53 while lowering opponents' hits by 15 percent and home runs allowed by 19 percent. Through detailed scouting reports, film study, and individualized development plans, she helped the pitching staff improve its opponent batting average from .344 to .305.
In addition to her work with the pitching staff, Bacon collaborated with athletic department personnel on prospect camps, recruiting initiatives, and operational planning while also helping develop recovery protocols that prioritized athlete health and performance.
Prior to her time at Mines, Bacon served as pitching coach and assistant hitting coach at Saint Edward's University during the 2024-25 season. There, she helped engineer one of the largest offensive turnarounds in the Lone Star Conference. The Hilltoppers improved their batting average from .235 to .298, increased their hit total by 156, and nearly doubled their run production from the previous season. The program also improved from 18 wins to 27 victories.
Bacon's coaching experience extends beyond the collegiate level as well. She served as head coach of the Texas Ninebands in the Lonestar State Collegiate Summer League, leading the club to league-best marks in wins, ERA, batting average against, and runs scored. She also helped multiple student-athletes continue their careers at NCAA programs across the country.
A highly respected instructor, Bacon has spent several years working as a private pitching and hitting coach through Bacon Softball while also serving on the staff of Beyond the White Lines, an international softball development organization that hosts coaching clinics throughout Canada.
Throughout her coaching career, Bacon has become known for her ability to blend technical instruction with mental performance training, helping athletes build confidence, resilience, and consistency in competition.
Bacon was a standout collegiate player herself, competing at UTSA. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Texas in 2020 with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Women's and Gender Studies.
The addition of Bacon strengthens an MSU Denver coaching staff that continues to build on the Roadrunners' success and commitment to developing student-athletes both on and off the field.
