Softball coach achieves 1000 wins

DARCY DAENZER
LAYOUT EDITOR

3/18/2024

Over spring break, head softball coach Dennis “Denny” Griffin reached his 1000th win, beating Eastern University 1-0. Griffin is the 50th softball coach in NCAA history and only the seventh coach in Division III history to achieve this landmark.

As a member of the Alma College softball team myself, this game was unlike any other I had played or watched. The feeling on the field and in the dugout was electric, and winning was the cherry on top of a hard-fought game.

“It was awesome. I figured it would happen in [Florida] with only needing [five] more wins… I expected something for the celebration but not what really took place,” said Griffin.

“A big thank you to Sarah Dehring, Kiana Verdugo, Nick Nemeth, Ashley Dehring, Alexa Wright, [Assistant Coaches] Hansen, Zill, Brower [and] Merice, the whole Marketing [Department] and my wife Tammy, plus everything the team did for adding to the celebration,” said Griffin.

This win for Griffin and the softball team will be one that he will never forget. “It was special to see how the team was excited for the milestone. It will be one of my fondest memories. You [don’t] get [to] see this kind of milestone these days in the coaching profession,” said Griffin.

The entire team worked very hard to see that Griffin reached this goal because they knew that Eastern was not an easy team to beat, which made the celebration that much better.

“Being a part of Denny’s 1000th win was super cool. The team knew what was on the line, especially since there were so many Alma supporters in attendance at the game down in Florida…The game was really tight and the team battled hard to keep our defense composed and get the win for Denny,” said. Dani Dumoulin (‘24).

“After the game was over our team was ecstatic to get that last win to get him to [quadruple] digits. Playing a role in all of the games leading up to this point over my years is an amazing feeling. I love the Alma College Softball program and I have met some of my best friends through this team,” said Dumoulin.

However, the work is not over yet as the softball team’s regular season is just getting underway. Achieving 1000 wins is the first step in the start of what will hopefully be a great season.

For this season, Griffin hopes to win a “MIAA title and a NCAA Championship. I believe we have the pieces to make it happen. This group is working [hard,] and [it] will be exciting to see how they all develop,” said Griffin.

Dumoulin has similar goals for the season: “My hopes for this season is for us to make it to the MIAA tournament and [to] go as far as we can in the post-season. I want to accomplish at least one, if not two, wins in every double header we play,” said Dumoulin.

This will be Dumoulin’s last year on the softball team, meaning she wants to make this last year count, while also being grateful for the things she will miss most. 

“I will definitely miss playing the sport I love, but the game is just a game without teammates to enjoy every moment with,” said Dumoulin.

I fully agree that my friends are what make being on the softball team so great. I am so glad that I got to share this special moment of Denny’s 1000th win with this team in Florida and that I get to spend the remainder of my collegiate career with them until I graduate in the spring.