Longtime Hofstra coach Edwards big fan of NY Rise in pro fastpitch softball league

Bill Edwards doesn’t need an invitation to attend a softball game at Hofstra. After all, the Pride’s softball field is named after him.

But when New York Rise owner Jeff Ahn reached out to Edwards last year to see if he wanted to attend a game, the legendary softball coach was naturally interested, but his schedule never matched up with that of the Rise.

On Friday, Edwards finally got to see Long Island’s pro softball team up close.

As the Rise geared up for the last of a three-game series against the OKC Spark, Edwards took to the circle at Bill Edwards Stadium to throw a ceremonial first pitch. Despite a torn rotator cuff, the 80-year-old put some spin on his underhand toss to Rise coach Michaela Transue, who played for Edwards in his last season at Hofstra.

“You think about all the kids that you coached here in those 25 years,” Edwards said. “It’s special for them to allow me to be a part of this university and coach so many wonderful student-athletes. Now, seeing where those athletes are in the real world and the lifetime lessons they learned, it’s very fulfilling.”

Edwards was Hofstra coach from 1990 to 2014 and compiled a 928-419-3 record, 18 postseason conference championships and 15 NCAA Tournament appearances.

Edwards is the winningest coach of any Hofstra athletic program and ranks 21st in all-time wins among Division I softball coaches. He was inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.

“He is the ultimate coach,” said Transue, who completed her third year as Binghamton’s softball coach this spring. “He could coach anything and make you believe in yourself. Everything he ever taught me, I steal it and put it back out into the universe.”

Unsurprisingly, Edwards is a fan of what the Rise are building.

“What Jeff and the Rise are doing for softball on Long Island is so amazing,” Edwards said. “I’m in the parking lot and watching little girls play catch while their parents are tailgating. People are starting to see the game at the highest level, which is important.”

With the emergence of Athletes Unlimited Softball League, Edwards hopes that the pro sport continues to expand and that all pro softball teams come together to form one league similar to MLB. The Rise are competing in the Fastpitch United Pro Series this season.

“When a guy graduates from college, they all have the dreams of going to the major leagues and becoming a professional,” Edwards said. “We have so many wonderful softball players, young, aspiring female athletes that have the talent and the ability, that we need to get all of these organizations to put together a legitimate pro league so that those girls that want to continue their career as players and have the ability to do so have a place to go to.”

Edwards recalled coaching against Rise pitcher Jailyn Ford when she played at James Madison University, saying she “gave us nightmares.” He said that when he spoke with Ford earlier in the day, he could see the fire in her eyes and that she still wants to compete.

“It really is an honor that somebody of that stature, that legendary status would say something like that about me. That’s always how I’ve tried to lead my career,” Ford said.

Ford struck out five and allowed three runs in 3 1/3 innings of relief in Friday’s 13-4 loss.

As a JMU alum, Ford said it’s a weird feeling playing at Bill Edwards Stadium, but that it’s a full circle moment and that playing at Hofstra brings back memories. She said she used to pitch against Transue, who graduated from Hofstra in 2018.

Edwards first saw Transue play when she was in eighth grade and immediately knew he wanted her to play for Hofstra. In 172 career games, Transue hit .285 with 18 home runs, 87 RBIs and a .870 OPS. Despite only playing for Edwards for one year, she was forever impacted by the legendary coach.

“He has these one liners that he’ll just throw out there, but the one that stuck with me the most is, ‘You’ve got to play like it’s a playground every day,’ ” Transue said. “I always put that back into my players’ heads. At the end of the day, it’s a game that you fell in love with and that’s how you’ve got to play it.”