George Washington University Athletics
Fister Joins Softball Staff
8/18/2021 2:00:00 PM | Softball
Veteran coach brings strong pitching background to Buff & Blue
WASHINGTON - Head Coach Chrissy Schoonmaker has begun building her GW softball staff with the addition of Teresa Fister as assistant coach.
A former collegiate pitcher and noted pitching instructor, Fister has spent the past five seasons leading the program at Division III Greensboro College, totaling 95 wins and a .579 winning percentage with the Pride, including a 24-9 mark last spring.
"I am thrilled to welcome Teresa Fister to the GW softball program and to our coaching staff,"Â said Schoonmaker, who took the helm of the Buff and Blue last month. "Teresa brings a wealth of experience to our program from her time as both a head coach and assistant coach along with her experience as a student-athlete.
"Teresa has had success in every step of her career, and I look forward to seeing her immediate impact on our student-athletes. She has a strong passion to teach and a love of the game, and these qualities coupled with her experience make her a valuable addition to our program."
Fister joins a program that won Atlantic 10 regular season and tournament titles and advanced to its first NCAA Tournament last spring, boosted by a pitching staff that combined for a sparkling 1.97 ERA.
"I am beyond grateful for this opportunity," Fister said. "I want to thank Coach Schoonmaker for believing in me and wanting me to be a part of her vision for the GW softball program. I am already amazed by the people and culture of GW and excited to represent the Buff and Blue."
Last spring, Fister guided Greensboro College to its third straight winning season and its most successful campaign by winning percentage since 2007. Paced by three All-Conference performers, the Pride recorded the second-lowest ERA (2.31) and most strikeouts (188 K in 33 games) in the USA South Athletic Conference while also posting a league-best .314 batting average and averaging 5.5 runs per game. Her group also excelled academically with a combined 3.59 GPA in 2020-21, highlighted by 17 NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete honorees.
In all, Greensboro College produced four winning seasons and 13 All-Conference honorees during Fister's five-year tenure. That run included a strong 2019 season in which the program won 25 games while landing in the top 35 nationally in fielding percentage (.969), stolen bases (2.0 per game) and shutouts (10).
Before taking over the Pride, Fister spent the 2016 campaign as an assistant coach at UNC-Greensboro, aiding a squad that won 33 games and finished in the top three in the Southern Conference in ERA and strikeouts.
Fister was previously head coach at her alma mater Northwest Guilford High School, winning four Piedmont Triad 4A titles in as many seasons from 2012-2015 and three times being named the conference's Coach of the Year. She also was a successful head coach with Lady Lightning Gold on the club circuit, helping develop more than 20 D-I recruits.
As a student-athlete at Appalachian State, Fister appeared in 80 games in the circle over four seasons from 2006-09, finishing as the program's all-time leader in saves. She received Appalachian State's Rick Edmundson Athletic Award, in addition to being named an NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete and recognized on the national Who's Who Among Students list and the Southern Conference Honor Roll.
A native of Summerfield, N.C., Fister earned a double degree in Health Education & Physical Education from Appalachian State before securing a master's in Sports Management from West Virginia.
A former collegiate pitcher and noted pitching instructor, Fister has spent the past five seasons leading the program at Division III Greensboro College, totaling 95 wins and a .579 winning percentage with the Pride, including a 24-9 mark last spring.
"I am thrilled to welcome Teresa Fister to the GW softball program and to our coaching staff,"Â said Schoonmaker, who took the helm of the Buff and Blue last month. "Teresa brings a wealth of experience to our program from her time as both a head coach and assistant coach along with her experience as a student-athlete.
"Teresa has had success in every step of her career, and I look forward to seeing her immediate impact on our student-athletes. She has a strong passion to teach and a love of the game, and these qualities coupled with her experience make her a valuable addition to our program."
Fister joins a program that won Atlantic 10 regular season and tournament titles and advanced to its first NCAA Tournament last spring, boosted by a pitching staff that combined for a sparkling 1.97 ERA.
"I am beyond grateful for this opportunity," Fister said. "I want to thank Coach Schoonmaker for believing in me and wanting me to be a part of her vision for the GW softball program. I am already amazed by the people and culture of GW and excited to represent the Buff and Blue."
Last spring, Fister guided Greensboro College to its third straight winning season and its most successful campaign by winning percentage since 2007. Paced by three All-Conference performers, the Pride recorded the second-lowest ERA (2.31) and most strikeouts (188 K in 33 games) in the USA South Athletic Conference while also posting a league-best .314 batting average and averaging 5.5 runs per game. Her group also excelled academically with a combined 3.59 GPA in 2020-21, highlighted by 17 NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete honorees.
In all, Greensboro College produced four winning seasons and 13 All-Conference honorees during Fister's five-year tenure. That run included a strong 2019 season in which the program won 25 games while landing in the top 35 nationally in fielding percentage (.969), stolen bases (2.0 per game) and shutouts (10).
Before taking over the Pride, Fister spent the 2016 campaign as an assistant coach at UNC-Greensboro, aiding a squad that won 33 games and finished in the top three in the Southern Conference in ERA and strikeouts.
Fister was previously head coach at her alma mater Northwest Guilford High School, winning four Piedmont Triad 4A titles in as many seasons from 2012-2015 and three times being named the conference's Coach of the Year. She also was a successful head coach with Lady Lightning Gold on the club circuit, helping develop more than 20 D-I recruits.
As a student-athlete at Appalachian State, Fister appeared in 80 games in the circle over four seasons from 2006-09, finishing as the program's all-time leader in saves. She received Appalachian State's Rick Edmundson Athletic Award, in addition to being named an NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete and recognized on the national Who's Who Among Students list and the Southern Conference Honor Roll.
A native of Summerfield, N.C., Fister earned a double degree in Health Education & Physical Education from Appalachian State before securing a master's in Sports Management from West Virginia.
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