Bridget Baxter Orchard has been named the head softball coach at Villanova University.  She has been the head coach at Fordham in the Atlantic-10 Conference for the last 17 seasons.   She returns to Villanova after starring in softball there from 1994-97.  She was a First Team All-BIG EAST selection and a BIG EAST All-Academic Team member during her Wildcat playing career.

Orchard was a standout with the Binghamton Patriots before heading to play at Villanova.  She takes over for her coach Maria DiBernardi who retires after 34 seasons as the school's head softball coach.

At Fordham Orchard had tremendous success and became one of the most highly regarded softball coaches in the nation.

Photo Courtesy of Fordham University Sports Information
Photo Courtesy of Fordham University Sports Information
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She was hired as Fordham's head softball coach in 2001 and rolled up 624 victories.  During her stay with the Rams her teams won seven A-10 championships including six straight titles.  Her teams went to the NCAA Regionals on eight different occasions.  This season Orchard's Rams finished 33-23 and once again advanced to the NCAA Regionals.

Before her stay at Fordham she coached Cabrini College in Pa. where she won 129 games and took the Cavaliers to the Division III NCAA Tournament twice. She was named to the Cabrini College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013.

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