Gophers softball team adds Roya St. Clair as assistant coach

St. Clair spent last season as an assistant at Texas Tech.

Gophers softball coach Piper Ritter with her team. / Gopher Athletics

The Gophers softball team announced Monday it has hired Roya St. Clair as its new assistant coach.

St. Clair was an assistant coach at Texas Tech last season, primarily working with the hitters and infielders. She helped guide a top-20 infield in double plays per game as the Red Raiders had 25 on the season. Texas Tech also broke its single-season home run record with 74 last season. 

St. Clair previously spent three seasons with Washington University in St. Louis, helping guide the team to a 32-12 record and an NCAA DII Regional appearance in the 2022 season. Before that, St. Clair was an assistant at Rutgers for two seasons, and she spent one year at Illinois-Chicago.

“I’m really excited to have someone with her experience,” Gophers coach Piper Ritter said in a statement. “She brings a wealth of knowledge from many types of institutions. She’s a leader with a passion and enthusiasm to help young student-athletes that is contagious. I’m excited for our student-athletes to get the opportunity to work with such a passionate coach.” 

St. Clair was a standout college player at Michigan, where she twice earned All-Big Ten honors, finishing her career with a .251 batting average, 18 homers and 111 RBIs in 224 career games.

St. Clair will now join a Gophers team looking to build on its 28-25 record from the 2024 season.