Rapoza Nets 250th Victory at El Camino College with Win at Pasadena

TORRANCE, Calif. --- El Camino College softball head coach Jessica Rapoza made history on Thursday afternoon as the Warriors defeated Pasadena 8-2 at Robinson Park in Pasadena, Calif.

With the win, Rapoza netted her 250th win as head coach at ECC and became the first Warriors softball coach to ever reach the milestone. After Thursday's victory, Rapoza has now amassed a 250-111-1 overall record in nine seasons at the helm. The program has also posted a 116-41-1 record in conference games to date.

Rapoza is also now just 15 wins shy of 400 for her coaching career dating back to her time as the co-head coach at Santa Ana College from 2010-14.

During Rapoza's current tenure with the Warriors that began in 2015, the team has had unprecedented success. The Warriors have made the playoffs every year that was completed since 2015. In 2020, there was no postseason after the COVID-19 Pandemic caused the cancellation of the remaining schedule, leaving ECC with just 20 games played that year. There was no season in 2021 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. 

The Warriors have recorded 30-win campaigns in four of her previous eight years as coach with the 2020 season getting cancelled after 20 games due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Warriors have won the conference title in four of the last eight years with Rapoza at the helm and have accounted for four of the five conference titles in program history, the other coming in 1989.

In 2018, the team advanced to the CCCAA State Championships for the first time in program history. The Warriors would finish tied for fifth place in the state after going 1-2 at the CCCAA State Championships.

Rapoza joined the Warriors after spending five seasons as the co-head coach at Santa Ana College alongside Kim Nutter.

Rapoza brought an impressive resume to El Camino. She helped lead the Dons to several record-breaking performances including the program's best season in nearly two decades. In 2014, the Dons broke 18 SAC records with a 36-10 overall record and advanced to the Super Regionals.

During Rapoza's tenure, the Dons posted a 135-78-1 record while leaving the Dons record books with 40 new marks.

On Thursday, the Warriors jumped on the Lancers immediately as Cheyenne Navarro led off the game with a triple and scored on a throwing error by the right fielder.

The Lancers tied it in the second inning on a solo home run but it was all Warriors after that with Lilly Lewis putting the Warriors up 2-1 with an RBI double in the fourth inning. The team would cruise from there, scoring six more times. Lancers mistakes were a critical part of that run as they made six errors on the day with four of the Warriors' eight runs credited as unearned.

Madilyn Radeke did the rest in the circle for ECC, having one of her best starts of the season. The sophomore right-hander set a new career high with five strikeouts. She tossed her eighth complete game of the season en route to her eighth victory in the circle, surrendering two earned runs on five hits with two walks.

The Warriors are scheduled to return to action on Friday afternoon at home as Long Beach City visits the ECC Softball Field. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.