Sierra Fretz Announced as Assistant Softball Coach
8/31/2026 9:42:00 AM | Softball
KENT — Kent State Softball Head Coach, Jexx Varner announced today the hiring of Sierra Fretz as Assistant Softball Coach for the Golden Flashes.
Fretz joins Kent State after building a wide-ranging coaching and playing résumé, including time developing catchers, infielders, and hitters at the youth and travel-ball levels, private instruction for players of all skill levels, and a stint as a professional player and public-facing ambassador for the Saint Louis Gateway Gold of Athletes Unlimited's Pro Softball League.
"I am pumped to round out our staff with the addition of Sierra.", said coach Varner. "She is an extremely smart, hard-nosed player who has a genuine passion for this game and the women of the sport. During the interview process, it was amazing to hear how well her philosophies matched our program in terms of culture, coaching style, and goals. Her collegiate playing experience in the infield and behind the plate as well as her offensive prowess give her the tools to make impacts in multiple areas of our program. And her professional experience, her journey and determination to play at the highest level also provides yet another wonderful example to the women of Kent State Softball of what is possible in this sport with hard work, skill and dedication."
Fretz served as Head Softball Coach for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes since August 2021, overseeing more than 50 campers per session and their development in both softball and baseball. She also worked as a private softball coach since 2021, instructing players in catching, infield play, and hitting, and most recently spent the 2026 spring season as a volunteer assistant coach for UP Thunder Emplit/Collins 14u, where she built practice plans and ran position-specific training.
In July 2026, Fretz played professionally for the Saint Louis Gateway Gold in Athletes Unlimited's Pro Softball League, appearing as a catcher and infielder in exhibition games and representing the club through interviews, autograph sessions, and promotional appearances.
Fretz played Division I softball for three seasons at the University at Albany (2022-2024) and her final season at Saint Joseph's University (2025). She was a two-time Second Team All-America East Conference selection (2022, 2023), an America East All-Rookie Team honoree (2022), and an America East All-Academic Team member (2022). In her final season at Saint Joseph's, she earned Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete honors and First Team All-Atlantic 10 Conference recognition, and was twice named to the CSC Academic All-District Team (2023, 2025).
Off the field, Fretz served on the Leadership Council at the University at Albany and later served as President of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society chapter at Saint Joseph's, coordinating fundraisers and club meetings with regional representatives and LLS leadership. She also led an undergraduate research project investigating the function of a gene of unknown function in S. cerevisiae, presenting her findings to researchers and experts in molecular biology, chemistry, and biochemistry.
Fretz earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Biology from Saint Joseph's University in 2025.
Fretz started her new position on Monday, Aug. 31.
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