Coach Profile
Camp Director
Annie Van Wetzinga
Annie Van Wetzinga enters her sixth season as head coach of the Roadrunners in 2019. In her five seasons as head coach, she has compiled a 333-114 overall record, leading the Roadrunners to three NCAA Tournament appearances, an RMAC regular season championship, and two RMAC Tournament championships.
- 2016 NCAA Tournament appearance
- 2015 NCAA Tournament appearance
- 2015 RMAC coach of the year
- 2015 RMAC regular season champions
- 2014 NCAA Tournament appearance
- 2014 RMAC Tournament champions
In 2018, the Roadrunners bounced back from a slow start by winning 32 of their final 46 games to finish 34-22 overall and 28-12 for fourth place in the RMAC. Senior Kristyn Peters and sophomore Darby McGhee were named to the All-RMAC first team, with senior Annika Anderson earning second-team honors.
Van Wetzinga’s 2017 team finished 34-21 overall and 26-12 in the RMAC. Anderson and senior Cassidy Smith were selected to the All-RMAC first team, and senior Colissa Bakovich earned second-team honors. Anderson was also selected to the Division II Conference Commissioners Association's All-South Central Region second team.
In 2016, the Roadrunners finished the season 35-19 overall and second in the RMAC with a 25-9 record. The team received numerous honors the included RMAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year Colissa Bakovich (Loveland, Colo./Loveland H.S.) and RMAC Tournament MVP Cassidy Smith (Loveland, Colo./Loveland H.S.).
The Roadrunners entered the RMAC Tournament as the number two-seed, advancing through the elimination tournament, where they would eventually meet and play the RMAC regular season champions, Colorado Mesa. They defeated the Mavericks 8-3, advancing to the RMAC Championship game against CSU-Pueblo. The roadrunners scored three early runs in the third inning to solidify their place as the new RMAC Champions and receiving an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament.
The Roadrunners struggled early in the tournament, falling to the No. 1 ranked West Texas A&M 14-5 but weren't eliminated from the tournament yet. They would face Texas A&M Commerce but could not earn a victory in a 13-6 loss and elimination from the NCAA tournament.
In 2015, she guided the team to a 44-16 mark, including 28-6 in the RMAC to win the regular season conference championship. The team climbed into the top 25 after a strong showing in non-conference play that included a win over No. 11 Angelo State and the Roadrunners steadily moved up to No. 18 in NCAA Division II by the end of the regular season. The success didn't stop there as they upset No. 7 St. Mary's (Texas) on the road to reach the finals of the South Central Region No. 2 Tournament.
Van Wetzinga's team was outstanding in all facets of the game, finishing first in the RMAC in earned run average, second in runs per game and batting average, and third in fielding percentage. She coached seven all-conference players, including pitcher and freshman of the year Kenzie Mattey. Off the field, the Roadrunners carried a 3.12 GPA for the year.
In her first season, she led the Roadrunners to the best turnaround in RMAC history as the team finished 12th in 2013, but rose to fourth in 2014 with a 33-17 overall record and a 20-11 mark in conference play. Despite a second-round loss, the Roadrunners roared back through the loser's bracket to win the RMAC tournament. That qualified them for the NCAA tournament, where they earned a first-round win over Texas Women. It was the first NCAA tournament win for MSU Denver since 2010.
Senior catcher Kelsey Tillery came up one double shy of tying the NCAA Division II single-season record for doubles and was one of three all-region players. Senior Aubree Maul was named RMAC pitcher of the year and joined Tillery and junior second baseman Kaylynn Harmon on the all-region squad. Maul returned to the field in 2014 after missing 2013 with cancer.
Van Wetzinga's team was also solid in the classroom as Tillery was named Capital One Academic All-District. Tillery was one of four academic all-RMAC players.
Prior to her time at Metro State, Van Wetzinga spent the previous three seasons at Upper Iowa University after a three-year stint at Colorado School of Mines.
Van Wetzinga began her head coaching career at Colorado Mines in 2008 and she instantly was named Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference coach of the year and led the Orediggers to their first conference title with a school-record 38 wins. CSM continued to thrive under her, making its first NCAA tournament appearance in 2009, where it eliminated top-seed Metro State and produced the school’s first two All-Americans, while topping the wins record again with 39. In her three years in Golden, Colo., her teams finished in the top 10 in NCAA Division II batting average twice and also finished in the top 10 in five other offensive categories, including No. 2 in doubles in 2009.
Van Wetzinga also quickly turned around the Peacocks at Upper Iowa. In her third season in 2013, UIU had its best record since joining NCAA Division II, going 28-16 overall and 15-7 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. The Peacocks were 20th in NCAA Division II in batting average and 10th in doubles. In her three years, she coached 19 academic all-NSIC players and six all-conference players, including the 2013 NSIC freshman of the year.
Prior to her time at Colorado Mines, Van Wetzinga spent two seasons as an assistant coach at NCAA Division I Indiana State University and one year at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa.
The Iowa native played four seasons at Central College in Pella, Iowa, leading her team to the NCAA Division III national championship game in 2001 as a senior and earning National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III catcher of the year honors as well. She was twice named All-America and was a four-time all-region selection, while serving as team captain. Van Wetzinga earned her bachelor’s degree from Central College in 2001 in general studies with an emphasis on exercise science and received her master’s degree from Indiana State in 2007 in sport and recreation management.