Vanessa Becerra is in her fifth season as the Ichabod head softball coach being named on Aug. 3, 2011 after spending four seasons at Metro State in Denver, Colo., with the final season coming as the head coach.
In four seasons, Becerra has coached 20 Ichabods to all-MIAA selections including two all-region selections and in the classroom she has had 54 players named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll, eight MIAA Scholar Athletes and eight MIAA Excellence award winners.
In her first season, she led the Ichabods to a 19-24 record after not taking the position until just weeks prior to school starting. The Ichabods reached the second day of the MIAA Tournament as three Washburn players received all-MIAA honors including two first team all-conference selections.
In season two, Washburn placed three members on the all-MIAA squad with two second team picks.
During the 2014 season, Washburn finished in a tie for sixth place in the MIAA and placed six players on the all-conference team.
In 2015, the Ichabods recorded wins over five nationally-ranked teams and finished the season 27-24 with a seventh-place finish in the MIAA standings reaching the MIAA postseason tournament placing eight on the all-conference team. Offensively the 2015 season was one of the most productive in school history as the Ichabods set school reords in runs scored (295), home runs (73), total bases (742) and slugging percentage (.519).
Overall she has gone 79-104 in four seasons at Washburn and 113-122 in five seasons as a head coach.
In her lone season as the head coach at Metro State, Becerra led the Roadrunners to a 34-18 record winning the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular season championship while advancing to the NCAA regional tournament for the third straight season. In 2010, Metro State finished third in the nation in home runs per game and 16th in the nation in slugging percentage while leading the RMAC in runs scored per game and home runs.
The Roadrunner pitching staff was also successful as they were second in the RMAC in earned run average and third in opponent batting average in conference games with four players earning all-RMAC postseason honors.
As an assistant coach in 2010, the Roadrunners won their second straight RMAC crown advancing to the NCAA College World Series in St. Joseph as Metro State finished the season 53-6 including a 37-2 record in RMAC action. The coaching staff was honored as the National Fastpitch Central Regional Coaching Staff of the Year. The Roadrunners also set an NCAA record for home runs in a season with 112.
During the 2009 season, Metro State was 40-12 overall winning the first of its three straight RMAC Championships.
In 2008, in the Roadrunners first season after the program was reinstated, Metro State was 26-11.
Active in the community, Metro State partnered with the Denver West High School softball team working with them on life skills, academic and personal pressures leading to an award from the NCAA for its community engagement efforts.
As a player, Becerra spent the 2006-07 season at Armstrong Atlantic in Savannah, Ga., where she was named the 2007 Peach Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Prior to playing at Armstrong Atlantic, Becerra played two seasons at Otero Junior College where she earned All-American and Region IX Player of the Year honors in 2006 helping the Rattlers to two region championships playing for former Metro State coach and current Colorado State head coach Jen Fisher. In 2005 Becerra batted .417 with 68 RBI and 85 base hits with 20 home runs.Â
Becerra graduated from Metro State in 2009 with her bachelor’s degree in sports industry operations and gave birth to her daughter Makaila in June 2010.
