Caitlyn Hitchcock
Head Coach
Caitlin Hitchcock was named the 17th head coach in the history of the Nichols College softball program on June 14, 2022.
Hitchcock spent 17 seasons as the head softball coach at Trinity (CT) College (2003-19), posting 10 winning seasons and making nine trips to the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Tournament, advancing to the semifinals in 2019 and the finals in 2007. A two-time NESCAC Coach of the Year (2016-17), she stands as the winningest coach in Trinity program history with a record of 279-267-1 (.511).
Under the guidance of Hitchcock, Trinity student-athletes received 14 NESCAC All-Conference First Team honors and 22 Second Team nods. Eleven were named National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-New England Region, six garnered All-New England accolades and three took home All-Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) honors.
Hitchcock coached a pair of major NESCAC award winners in Sara Doherty (2007 NESCAC Player & Pitcher of the Year) and Caroline Blanchard (2011 NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year), as well as 2003 CoSIDA Academic All-America selection Laura Heath. In 2017, the Bantams ended Tufts University’s 65-game conference winning streak and became the first NESCAC program to sweep a DH from the Jumbos.
Off the field, Hitchcock – who spent two years as a graduate assistant with the Trinity softball program (2002-03) before being elevated to head coach – saw 43 student-athletes named to the NESCAC Academic Team. In her final season in Hartford in 2019, a total of 11 student-athletes were Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar- Athletes, which requires a grade point average (GPA) of 3.50 or higher. The team, meanwhile, placed 11th in all of NCAA Division III with a 3.650 cumulative team GPA.
While at Trinity, Hitchcock was an assistant coach with both the women’s basketball (2000-03) and women’s volleyball (2002-11) programs, assisting with practice and gameday planning, recruiting, and contest management. She was also a physical education teacher in the athletic department.
Hitchcock earned her bachelor's degree from Trinity in educational studies and her master's degree from the college in American Studies. She was a four-year member of both the Bantams softball and women’s basketball programs (1996-2000), earning NESCAC Softball Second Team honors in 1999 before serving as team captain of both programs the following season. Hitchcock currently ranks No. 6 in runners caught stealing and No. 9 in career fielding pct. (.978).
Amanda Alioto
Assistant Coach
Amanda Alioto ’21 begins her first season as a volunteer assistant softball coach at Nichols College in 2023. She also works as an admissions counselor at the college.
A four-year member of the Bison softball program, Alioto appeared in 79 games for the Bison during her career. The Patchogue, N.Y. native started 32 at second base as a junior in 2019, when she barred .265 and collected six multi-hit games. Alioto drove in a career-high four runs against Curry that season and finished the campaign with 11 RBI.
Alioto majored in sport management at Nichols and later earned her master’s degree in Business Administration
Sam Witmer
Assistant Coach
Samantha Witmer enters her first season as the Nichols College softball assistant coach in 2022-23.
During her time as an undergrad at Trinity College, she competed for the Bantams softball program for three seasons. The two-time captain for the Bantams was a two-time member of the NESCAC All-Academic First Team and a two-time NFCA New England All-Region Second Team member. She had a career batting average of .407, which was good for second all time at Trinity, with 49 runs, 19 doubles, six triples, a .574 slugging percentage, a .525 on base percentage (a Trinity record), and was 3rd in the nation her sophomore year in being hit by a pitch with 16.
Along with playing softball, Witmer interned with the Trinity College of Athletics Office of Communications. She worked heavily with social media, announcing games, and keeping in-game stats.
Following her four years at Trinity, she began graduate school at Springfield College, where she played on the softball team in the spring of 2022 in her final season of eligibility. While playing 40 games for the Pride, she recorded a .350 batting average, with a .437 on base percentage, and a .450 slugging percentage. She accounted for 19 runs, 42 hits, and 30 RBI in 120 at-bats, while only striking out 9 times.
Currently a graduate student at Springfield College, Witmer is working on completing her Masters of Education in Athletic Leadership. She recently graduated from Trinity with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and English
