University of Mary athletic director Roger Thomas announced the elevation of Angelena Mexicano to the Marauders head softball coach post on June 7, 2011. Mexicano led the Marauders to a successful season this past spring as the interim head coach.
"Angelena did a good job leading our program this past season and shows great promise as a head coach," said Thomas. "At this time last spring Angelena was expecting to be an assistant coach for another year but she stepped up when the head coaching position became available and proved to us she can lead her players on and off the diamond. Based on her performance last season and the success she has had throughout her softball career, I am very confident that she is an outstanding fit for our program and the university."
The Marauders finished the 2011 season 28-22 overall and qualified for the Northern Sun conference tournament, where U-Mary advanced to the second round under Mexicano's direction. The Marauders featured one of the strongest offenses in the nation, finishing in the top 25 in hitting, runs scored and slugging percentage and doubling the squad's home run rate from the year before.
Under Mexicano, a professional softball draft choice and a Big Ten record holder, the Marauders averaged 6.3 runs per game after scoring 4.7 runs in 2010 and hit .94 home runs per game compared to .46/game last year. The Marauders batted .329 in 2011 with a .503 slugging and .387 on base percentage and stole 81 bases in 93 attempts.
"This is an exciting moment in my life and a great opportunity to build this program," said Mexicano. "I am very thankful for the opportunity Roger Thomas gave me over this past year and the trust he is showing in me to lead this squad. I learned quite a bit about scheduling and organizing all aspects of a collegiate softball program and the experience has put me in the position to be even more prepared for the upcoming season. It is a great challenge to be responsible for the whole program and 17 student-athletes.
"I am happy to come into am athletic department that is welcoming and helpful. We have a lot of resources here that I can turn to."
Mexicano joined the Marauders coaching staff in the fall of 2009 as a graduate assistant coach. U-Mary proceeded to post a record of 31-23 overall and 15-11 in the Northern Sun in 2010, the Marauders best mark since joining NCAA Division II in 2006. The 31 wins tied the 2008 squad for most Marauders victories since the team compiled 39 in 2004. It was also a jump of 15 wins from the previous season.
In August 2010, Mexicano was named the Marauders interim head coach when Gerice Olson resigned the position to join a successful NCAA Division I Central Florida coaching staff.
A graduate of the University of Illinois, Mexicano set Big Ten single season records with 24 home runs and 160 total bases in 2008. That year she also played with and against members of the U.S. Olympic team on their journey to the Summer Olympics and was a third round draft choice by the Akron Racers of the National Professional Fastpitch League.
She broke Fighting Illini career record for home runs (51), RBI (164), runs (167), total bases (415) and slugging percentage (.597), and set new single season records for RBI (62) and runs (65).In 2007, Mexicano earned second team All-Great Lakes Region honors after she had tied the Fighting Illini's single-season home run record of 16, which ranked 17th nationally in NCAA Division I. Her school record of 56 runs scored ranked 18th nationally.
A native of San Jose, CA, Mexicano has five sisters, two nieces and six nephews and is pursuing a master's degree in education at U-Mary.
