American International College Softball
Shalise Tolentino took control of the American International College softball team prior to the 2019 season. Tolentino became just the third head softball coach in the program’s 50-year history. Tolentino joined the Yellow Jackets after spending the prior two seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Bridgeport. While with the Purple Knights, Tolentino served as infield, hitting, and third base coach. In 2018, she helped increased the Purple Knights’ runs per game to 5.12.
She served as co-head coach on the Watertown Rapids. In her five seasons, she has coached seven players who have gone on to play at the Division I, Division II, or Division III level.
Tolentino started her head coaching career in March 2006 when she was promoted to head coach at Green Farms Academy. In her four seasons at Green Farms, one as an assistant and three as the head coach, Tolentino helped lead the program to their first conference title in over a decade.
Tolentino is a 2005 graduate of Mount Saint Mary’s University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science of Psychology. From 2001-05, Tolentino was a four-year starter while playing third base and the outfield. As a freshman, she recorded eight doubles, fourth most all-time in program history for a freshman. She also had five triples that season, tied for the most by a freshman in program history. She is currently in a tie for sixth place in career history in triples with six.
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Shalise Tolentino took control of the American International College softball team prior to the 2019 season. Tolentino became just the third head softball coach in the program’s 50-year history. Tolentino joined the Yellow Jackets after spending the prior two seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Bridgeport. While with the Purple Knights, Tolentino served as infield, hitting, and third base coach. In 2018, she helped increased the Purple Knights’ runs per game to 5.12.
She served as co-head coach on the Watertown Rapids. In her five seasons, she has coached seven players who have gone on to play at the Division I, Division II, or Division III level.
Tolentino started her head coaching career in March 2006 when she was promoted to head coach at Green Farms Academy. In her four seasons at Green Farms, one as an assistant and three as the head coach, Tolentino helped lead the program to their first conference title in over a decade.
Tolentino is a 2005 graduate of Mount Saint Mary’s University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science of Psychology. From 2001-05, Tolentino was a four-year starter while playing third base and the outfield. As a freshman, she recorded eight doubles, fourth most all-time in program history for a freshman. She also had five triples that season, tied for the most by a freshman in program history. She is currently in a tie for sixth place in career history in triples with six.
Samantha Rossetti was named an assistant coach in December 2021. She will assist in all aspects of the softball program, with a focus on the pitching staff.
Rossetti joins the staff following five seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Bridgeport starting in 2016. While there, she coached first base on the offensive side and called pitches on the defensive side of the ball in game, helped to run practices, and prepared game-day protocols and stats information.
With Rossetti on the staff, the Purple Knights won the first two ECC titles in program history in 2019 and 2021, and their NCAA appearance in 2019 was the first for the program in three decades. She coached 18 All-ECC selections and six NFCA All-New England selections; among the awardees were the ECC Player and Pitcher of the Year in 2021 in Kaira Ramon and Kaite Burawski.
She additionally was involved in all aspects of recruiting and fundraising for Bridgeport as well as academic and mental health initiatives. The team was in the top three nationally in GPA in three of Rossetti’s seasons, including a nation-best 3.776 GPA in 2019. Rossetti also has worked with a significant number of Connecticut youth teams and at camps and clinics since 2015, providing instruction both for hitters and pitchers at all levels.
That followed a four-year career at Eastern Connecticut State University, where she earned three First-Team All-LEC selections, as a designated player in 2013 and at first base in 2014 and 2015, and NFCA All-Region selections at the same positions. Her 2012 and 2015 squads captured the LEC title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament as a result. Rossetti earned a bachelor’s degree from ECSU in 2015 in history and social sciences, minoring in physical education and coaching.
Matthew Fletcher was named an assistant coach for softball in December 2021. He will assist in all aspects of the program.
Fletcher, a 1999 graduate of Northeast-10 Conference rival Southern Connecticut State University, has significant coaching experience. He has most recently served as head coach and general manager of the Connecticut Raiders since 2016, an organization that includes over 50 players at the 14U through 18U levels, and in that role he oversaw the development of players to prepare them for the collegiate level.
He additionally has served as JV Softball Coach at Amity Regional in Woodbridge, Connecticut since 2017, operating all aspects of the team including player development, in-game strategy, and strength and conditioning. His 2018 team won Connecticut’s Class LL State Championship. His role also saw him working with the varsity staff, specializing in practice preparation and working with pitchers and catchers as well as scouting opponents.
His experience also includes serving as a fielding and hitting instructor at a number of camps and clinics, and he is the camp coordinator for summer camps at USA Elite in Cheshire, Connecticut.
Kaley Kempf ’19 is in her third season as a volunteer assistant coach with the softball team after a stellar four-year career behind the plate. She will work primarily with the team’s catchers.
Serving as the team’s starting catcher all four seasons, Kempf appeared in 138 games over her career, earning All-Rookie and Third-Team All-Conference honors from the Northeast-10 and NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete accolades. She batted .225 in her time with the team.
The native of Oxford, Connecticut graduated with a BS in Health Science and a minor in Psychology at AIC. She is currently working towards obtaining a nursing degree at AIC.
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