Davon Ortega begins her seventh season at the helm of the Holy Family University softball program in 2017. She was selected as the program’s fifth-ever head coach on June 17, 2010.
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In her time at Holy Family, Ortega has not only raised the standard of excellence for the softball program, but she has also transformed the program from one that was well-known within the tri-state area to a nationally recognized program, drawing student-athletes from all over the country. Since the 2012 season, Ortega’s teams have proven their staying power as a CACC post-season and NCAA East Region contender, culminating with the best season, to-date, in the program’s NCAA-era in 2016.
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Under Ortega’s guidance, 2016 was a record-breaking season that saw the most regular season victories and the first 30-game win season in the program’s NCAA-era. The 19-7 CACC regular season record was the best in the program’s history and led to only the second appearance in the CACC Tournament Championship game – the first since 2004. Ortega’s Tigers entered the post season ranked 10th in the East Region while riding a 15-game win streak en route to the CACC Championship game. The 2016 squad also had the highest offensive output in program history – recording the most runs scored (tied with 2014 team), hits, doubles, triples, and total bases touched. The team also swiped the highest percentage of stolen bases since the previous record-setting season in 2014. As the program’s primary pitching coach, Ortega’s pitchers, Bailey Walters and Koreen Orozco each set career highs in wins and combined for 28 of the team’s 30 wins in the circle. Additionally, the pitching staff surrendered the least amount of walks and earned the second lowest staff earned run average of Ortega’s tenure. Four players received CACC All Conference selections (Bailey Walters, Taylor Favinger, Koreen Orozco, and Samantha Klem) and freshman DH Samantha Klem earned a spot on the NFCA All-East Region second team. In the classroom, Ortega had eight athletes named to the CACC Spring All-Academic team, eight receiving DII ADA Academic Achievement Awards and nine players maintained a GPA of 3.5 or higher earning NFCA Scholar Athlete awards. The team ended the academic year ranked 39th overall among Division II teams with a team GPA of 3.41.
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In 2015, despite a shortened schedule, Ortega’s team continued to build off of the 2014 season’s record-breaking success by posting the second highest team batting average of the NCAA-era and the highest since 2007. Ortega guided her team back to the CACC Championship Tournament for the fifth year in a row. Two players were named to the CACC All-Conference team, including junior pitcher Bailey Walters who was selected to the 1st team All-CACC as well as earning Daktronics/Division II CCA Softball All-East Region second team honors.  Once again, Ortega’s athletes stood out in the classroom as 10 of 17 members of the squad earned a 3.5 GPA or higher, earning them a spot on the NFCA Scholar Athlete list and helping the team earn its highest national ranking of 34th with a team GPA of 3.42, the highest team GPA in Ortega’s tenure to-date.
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Prior to the 2016 record-breaking season, the 2014 season was the most successful for Ortega. The Tigers finished 27-16 overall and were 17-9 in conference play, which earned them their third consecutive trip to the CACC Tournament with a fourth seed. The 27 wins marked the most victories in program history. Holy Family was regionally ranked for the first time in program history, earning a ranking as high as eighth for two weeks straight. It was also the first time in history that the program garnered votes for the NFCA’s Top 25 National Rankings. Five members of the squad were recognized on the All-CACC team, marking the most student-athletes from Holy Family that have been selected to the team since 2003. Among those earning All-CACC honors was redshirt senior Danielle McDevitt who earned first team honors en route to becoming the all-time hits leader in program history, with 226 hits. McDevitt would go on to become the most decorated player in program history with her selection to the Capital One Academic All-District first team, the Daktronics, Inc. All-East Region second team, and the NFCA All-East Region first team. McDevitt also became the program’s first academic all-american, and only the second student-athlete at Holy Family to receive All-American recognition; she was named to the Captial One Academic All-America Division II third team. The 2014 squad overall, put together one of the best offensive seasons in program history including setting a new team record for batting average, hits, RBIs, slugging percentage, walks, runs scored, and on-base percentage. Five players also finished the season with a .300 batting average or higher. In the pitching circle, Ortega’s pitching staff recorded the lowest staff ERA of her tenure – the staff sacrificed only 103 earned runs in 287.1 innings of work. In the classroom, the team earned a spot on the NFCA All-Academic list for the second straight year with eight players picking up individual honors for a 3.5 GPA or higher.
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Ortega’s 2013 squad finished 24-24 overall with a 17-9 conference record. At the time, the 24 wins were the most since the 2010 season. Ortega led her team back to the CACC Tournament for the second season in a row. It was the first year that Holy Family received NFCA Scholar Athlete honors as six members of the 2013 squad received individual honors and the team was recognized for their combined grade point average of 3.24.
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In her second year at the helm, Ortega guided Holy Family back to the CACC Tournament for the first time since 2010. The Tigers finished with a 20-win season and earned the eighth seed in the CACC Tournament. During the team’s annual Florida trip in March, the Tigers had their first taste of defeating a nationally ranked opponent as they beat then ranked Saginaw Valley State. In her first season as head coach at Holy Family, Ortega guided the Tigers to a 13-29 overall record and 10-16 mark in the CACC. Holy Family just missed out on a CACC postseason berth by two games in the conference standings. Under Ortega’s guidance, sophomore Danielle McDevitt finished tops in the conference with a .458 batting average and 60 hits – fourth best in the CACC. McDevitt also received a number of postseason accolades, including Daktronics, Inc. NCAA Division II All-America third team honors and well as Daktronics, Inc. All-East Region first team laurels. She was also named to the Capital One Academic All-District II third team.
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Prior to Holy Family, Ortega was the head coach for Penn State-Abington College. She was instrumental in the program’s transition from an intramural-level team to NCAA Division III membership. In the team’s first year of NCAA provisional status, the team had two players earn All-North Eastern Athletic Conference honors and in 2009, the team earned the Team Academic Award for posting the highest grade point average. Ortega also spent two years as an assistant coach at Division I Drexel University from 2002-2004.
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She was a four-year starter in the Lehigh University middle infield from 1999-2002. In the 2001 season, Ortega helped lead Lehigh to its first ever NCAA Division I Regional Tournament appearance where the Mountainhawks faced the reigning national champion Oklahoma Sooners. During the regional tournament, Lehigh also picked up their first win in NCAA regional play.
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Ortega graduated from Lehigh in 2002 with a degree in Philosophy. She earned her M.S in Communications from Drexel University in 2006. Ortega is currently employed at Independence Blue Cross as a Digital Communications Coordinator.
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Ortega By the Numbers
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Year     School       Record   CACC    Postseason
2011     Holy Family     13-29     10-16     N/A
2012     Holy Family     21-26     13-13     CACC/1-2
2013     Holy Family     24-24     17-9       CACC/0-2
2014     Holy Family     27-16     17-9     CACC/1-2
2015     Holy Family     19-15     15-11     CACC/1-2
2016     Holy Family     30-17    19-7     CACC/3-2 (CACC Finalist)
2017   Holy Family      28-20   19-7    CACC/2-2
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Career (7 years): Â Â Â Â 162-147Â Â 110-72Â Â Â Â CACC/8-12
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