Bosio named head coach of Vaquero softball

Justine Bosio has been selected as the new head coach of SBCC softball. The former Dos Pueblos High and Colorado State-Pueblo standout becomes the third coach in program history and the first new head coach in 20 years.

"Santa Barbara is home for me, so I am very excited for the opportunity to coach here at SBCC," said Bosio, a former pitcher and designated player. "My goal is to teach my athletes the tools they will need to be a driving force within the community after their time here at SBCC.

"Through hard work and discipline, I want to create a winning tradition on the field with an emphasis in student success in the classroom. Through developing a winning tradition, I hope to build a program that will be competing in post-season play year after year."

Bosio spent the last two years as assistant coach for Paula Congleton. Congleton resigned last month after a 19-year SBCC career to accept the head softball position at her alma mater, the University of New Mexico.

The Vaqueros have a 52-30 record the last two years and enjoyed their best playoff run ever in 2016, going 30-14, winning their first Regional playoff series and advancing to the Super Regional, where they finished seventh in Southern California.

"I was impressed with Justine's playing and coaching experience and also her dedication to academics," said Vaquero athletic director Rocco Constantino. "I believe she is going to be invested in making sure her student-athletes succeed here at SBCC and be prepared to graduate and transfer to a four-year school.

"She also has been successful as a pitcher, a hitter and on defense on the collegiate level. That's becoming increasingly rare in softball as you're seeing more players specialize in one area of the sport.  By having that experience, she'll be able to relate to all of her players very well."

Bosio was an outstanding pitcher at Dos Pueblos High. In her senior year, she was the  Channel League MVP, County Pitcher of the Year and first-team All-CIF. She also played basketball and was a California Scholarship Federation National Honors Society Scholar-Athlete.

She got a scholarship to Colorado State University-Pueblo and earned All-American honors in 2010 with a 20-10 pitching record, a 2.87 ERA and a batting average of .353 with nine home runs. She finished her four-year career as the ThunderWolves' all-time leader in homers (39) and RBIs (186).

In 2013, Bosio received her Bachelor's Degree in Exercise Science, Health Promotion and Recreation with a minor in Education. She attended Northcentral University and got her Master's in Special Education in 2016.

There were six freshmen on the 2017 Vaquero squad that went 22-16.

"We graduated nine girls this past spring and they're all moving on to pursue their Bachelor Degrees, as well as a few having the opportunity to continue to play at the next level," said Bosio. "Recruiting is definitely important to the success of any program. I do have a group of freshman coming in that we are hoping will make an big impact on our program, along with the leadership from our returning sophomores. I will be hitting the recruiting circuit to continue to seek out great players to add depth to our team."

And what makes a great program?

"I feel the keys to a great softball team is to create a goal-oriented, disciplined individual and create an environment where my players can come and develop their skills, both physically and mentally, to better themselves every day," Bosio said. "Great softball teams have a passion for the sport and are able to come together to work hard toward the goals they have set for themselves that season."

Constantino, a former softball coach at Bloomfield College in New Jersey, says Bosio knows the game well, is very organized and feels she'll be a great teacher.

"I think Justine will be very successful at SBCC," he said. "She was a great scholastic player locally and I believe she'll use her local connections to reach out in our community when recruiting. Recruiting is a huge part of being a successful coach on the collegiate level and I think she'll do great in that aspect.

"I also believe she'll run a disciplined program and that her student-athletes will love playing for her. I am excited to see her in action and happy that Justine will build on the great legacy left by Coach Congleton."