Assistant
Coach Jessica Saunders
Caldwell College '06
Second season
Jessica Saunders joined the Cougars' coaching staff in 2007 after a
stellar career at Caldwell College. Saunders, who pitched for the
Scarlet, White and Gold from 2003-06, won 51 games while striking
out 533 batters in her four years at Caldwell. She was named to the
all-Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference and all-Northeast Region
first teams as a junior and senior, and helped the Cougars' pitching
staff record the nation's lowest earned-run average as a sophomore
in 2004. At the 2005 CACC Tournament, Saunders pitched an amazing 16
2/3 innings in one day to lead Caldwell to a pair of victories that
clinched the tournament title. She was named the tournament's MVP
that year, and also made the all-Tournament squad as a senior in
2006.
A 2006 graduate of Caldwell College, Saunders majored in Computer
Science. She earned CACC all-Academic honors twice and made the
Academic All-District second team in 2005. Saunders currently resides
in Parsippany, N.J.
Assistant
Coach Jackie Velardi
Caldwell College ‘07
First season
Jackie Velardi transitions into an assistant coaching role
after starring for the Cougars on the field from 2004-07. An
all-Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference second team selection in
2005, Velardi batted .299 and amassed 162 hits and 95 RBIs in 203
career games. As the starting first baseman, she played a
significant role in Caldwell’s run to the 2004 College World Series,
batting .336 with three home runs and 20 RBIs. Velardi turned in her
best season as a senior in 2007, when she hit .340 with 27 runs and
25 RBIs while earning a spot on the CACC all-Tournament team. During
her four seasons at Caldwell, the Cougars won four CACC
regular-season titles, three CACC Tournament crowns and an NCAA
Northeast Region championship, while compiling an overall record of
156-51.
Velardi graduated from Caldwell with a Bachelor’s degree in Social
Studies. She currently resides in Belleville, N.J.
