Colorado State University Athletics
CSU's Fisher adds Perea to coaching staff
9/1/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Sept. 1, 2010
By Danny Mattie
Athletic Media Relations
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Colorado State Head Softball Coach Jen Fisher completed her first staff on Wednesday, announcing former pupil and assistant Melissa Perea as the newest addition to the CSU softball program.
“I am very excited to have Melissa join my staff at Colorado State,” said Fisher. “She is an outstanding young mentor who brings a wealth of experience as a player and coach. I know she will be an invaluable asset to this program moving forward.”
Perea comes to Colorado State after a four-year stint as the head coach at Otero Junior College in La Junta, Colo., where she took over for Fisher in 2006. Prior to taking over the reins as head coach of the Rattlers, Perea played two seasons under Fisher at OJC, and spent two years as a player at CSU-Pueblo. She began her coaching career as Fisher’s assistant for two seasons at OJC.
At OJC, Perea continued a winning tradition started by Fisher, running the Rattlers streak of consecutive Region IX championships to eight as a rookie head coach in 2007. She was recognized as the region Coach of the Year that season, and again in 2009, leading the team to yet another region crown in her third year.
Perea’s OJC teams finished in the Top 20 of the NJCAA national rankings in each of her first three seasons, including a No. 5 ranking to end the 2007 season. She coached three NJCAA All-Americans and seven NJCAA academic All-Americans, finishing her career at OJC with an overall record of 146-67.
An all-region and academic All-America performer as a player at OJC, Perea continued her collegiate career at CSU-Pueblo from 2004-05, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business management in 2005.
Perea joins Dedeann Pendleton – who returns for her sixth season at CSU – to round out Fisher’s first staff at Colorado State.
Since returning to CSU, Pendleton has worked extensively with Rams’ pitchers and catchers, guiding CSU hurlers to five all-MWC selections and two all-region honors.
A one-time teammate of Fisher’s at Creighton, Pendleton rejoined the Colorado State staff in 2005, coming from Mississippi where she was an assistant from 1999-2005. At Ole Miss, she worked with the outfielders, pitchers and hitters, and all phases of recruiting. She tutored numerous Ole Miss players to all-Southeastern Conference honors and helped the Rebels to the program’s first winning season since its inception in 1997.
Prior to Mississippi, Pendleton was at Colorado State from 1995-98, helping to lead the Rams to the most successful season in program history in 1997. Working with outfielders and pitchers, she helped the Rams to the Western Athletic Conference championship, the school’s highest national ranking (ninth), and a berth in the NCAA regional tournament. She helped tutor two CSU Hall of Fame inductees and All-Americans, Nikki Johnson and Sarah Fredstrom, and All-American Jen Buford.
Pendleton also made a significant impact on the sport of fastpitch softball, having worked for Triple Crown Sports from 1996-98. During her time, she successfully developed Triple Crown's fastpitch softball division, which currently hosts the largest fastpitch softball tournament in the world each June in Colorado.
Pendleton spent her collegiate playing career at Creighton University from 1990-95, serving as a pitcher and utility player, playing every position except catcher. During her career she led the Jays' offensive attack and still holds team records in hits, doubles, RBIs and home runs in a season, as well as home runs in a career. She earned first-team all-Missouri Valley Conference honors in 1995 and second-team all-conference in 1994. Pendleton also earned second-team all-region in 1994 and 1995.
Pendleton graduated from Creighton with a bachelor's degree in psychology in 1995.
