From Case Western Reserve University Athletics
Case Western Reserve University Head Softball Coach Josie Henry announced the hiring of Giselle Bahena to the role of Assistant Coach. Bahena will start with the program on August 21.
"I am honored to be a part of the Spartan family," Bahena said. "There is no question about the phenomenal program Coach Henry and the rest of the staff have built and continue to drive forward each year. I am extremely excited to not only bring my own experience and knowledge to the team, but also, connect with the girls and help them grow beyond any limits they have ever imagined both on and off the field."
Bahena is coming off an impressive six-year career as a player with Hiram College, leading the team to the NCAA Tournament in her final two seasons. A NFCA First Team All-America selection in 2022 and two-time All-Region VII honoree, Bahena started 201 of a possible 211 games for the Terriers at catcher. For her career, she hit .370, drove in 117 runs, and scored 128 times.
"Giselle will be an excellent addition to our staff," Henry said. "She wanted an opportunity to train players to compete at the national level. We are looking forward to her strong future with our softball program."
Bahena's best season was 2022 when she became the first All-American and first College Sports Communicators Academic All-American in her program's history. The North Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Year, she had a .449 batting average in 41 games, recording a .535 on-base percentage and .678 slugging percentage. During the season, Bahena went on a program-record 24-game hitting streak from and had a 30-game on-base streak. She led the Terriers to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 11 years, reaching the postseason with the team's first NCAC Tournament Championship since 2011.
Bahena helped to turnaround a Hiram program that went 8-30 in 2017, eventually leading the team to the Super Regional round of the NCAA Championship in 2023, the furthest advancement in program history. The Terriers won at least 24 games in each of her last three seasons after reaching the win total just twice since 1984.
As a coach, Bahena offered private hitting, catching, and fielding instruction for six years in both Hiram, Ohio, and Covina, California. She worked for nationally renowned Coach Morgan Stuart at her Defense Lessons company, helping to develop players defensively and conducting and organizing player development clinics.
Academically, Bahena was a member of both the Phi Beta Kappa and Chi Alpha Sigma honors societies. She was a four-time Easton/NFCA All-American Scholar Athlete, two-Time Myrtis E. Herndon NCAC Scholar Athlete, and three-time NCAC Academic honor roll selection. She graduated magna cum laude as a four-year member of Hiram's Dean's List with a Bachelor of Arts in biology in 2021. In 2023, she earned a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from Hiram with a focus on mental health in college athletics.
The CWRU softball team, which received the highest ranking in program history from the NFCA, finished the 2023 season with a record of 38-5. The Spartans tied a program record with their 38 wins and set a school record with 20 consecutive victories. Case Western Reserve won the UAA and earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in program history.