James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
Softball Hires Sam Gress as Pitching Coach
11/6/2025 11:00:00 AM | Softball
HARRISONBURG, Va. – The James Madison softball program and Head Coach Loren LaPorte announced the hiring of Sam Gress as its pitching coach on Thursday morning.
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Gress, a former All-Region pitcher at South Carolina, will join the staff ahead of the 2026 season after beginning her tenure on Nov. 1.
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She wrapped up her collegiate playing career in 2025 by being named Third Team All-Region by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and All-SEC Second Team before being selected by the Florida Vibe of the Fastpitch United Pro Series.
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"We're excited to welcome Sam Gress as our new pitching coach," LaPorte said. "Her knowledge, energy, and passion for the game will be tremendous assets to our program. I'm confident she will elevate our staff and help our pitchers grow both in the circle and as competitors."
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"I am so excited to be joining JMU Softball!" Gress said. "I am grateful for the opportunity to work with and be surrounded by this incredible staff and amazing student-athletes everyday. This is a program with so much history and success and I cannot wait to see what is in store for the team this spring. Go Dukes!"
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Gress, a native of Harrisburg, Pa., also played collegiately at Charlotte (2023-24) and NC State (2020-22), accumulating over 600 innings of work in her career while striking out 402 batters. Along with her accolades in 2025, Gress was a Second Team All-Region selection in 2024 and a First Team nod in 2023 while at Charlotte.
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Gress, a former All-Region pitcher at South Carolina, will join the staff ahead of the 2026 season after beginning her tenure on Nov. 1.
Â
She wrapped up her collegiate playing career in 2025 by being named Third Team All-Region by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and All-SEC Second Team before being selected by the Florida Vibe of the Fastpitch United Pro Series.
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"We're excited to welcome Sam Gress as our new pitching coach," LaPorte said. "Her knowledge, energy, and passion for the game will be tremendous assets to our program. I'm confident she will elevate our staff and help our pitchers grow both in the circle and as competitors."
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"I am so excited to be joining JMU Softball!" Gress said. "I am grateful for the opportunity to work with and be surrounded by this incredible staff and amazing student-athletes everyday. This is a program with so much history and success and I cannot wait to see what is in store for the team this spring. Go Dukes!"
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Gress, a native of Harrisburg, Pa., also played collegiately at Charlotte (2023-24) and NC State (2020-22), accumulating over 600 innings of work in her career while striking out 402 batters. Along with her accolades in 2025, Gress was a Second Team All-Region selection in 2024 and a First Team nod in 2023 while at Charlotte.
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