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A former softball All-American and Pac-10 star at the University of Washington, Sara Pickering returns for her fifth year as an assistant coach with the Stanford softball program.
The only two-time First Team All-American in UW history, Pickering played for the Huskies from 1994-97. During her career, she broke the NCAA record by hitting 91 career doubles, and started all 271 games at second base. The three-time co-captain set 15 school records with the Huskies, including doubles in a career and season (27), slugging percentage for a season (.690), and career hits (319). During her first three seasons in Seattle, John Rittman was her assistant coach.
Following her record-breaking accomplishments, Pickering earned a variety of postseason honors as a Husky. She was a First Team selection on both the All-Pac-10 and Academic All-Pac-10 teams in each of her last three seasons after being named to both second teams for her freshman year. In addition, she earned First Team All-Pacific Region honors in 1996 and 1997, while receiving second-team honors in 1994. As a junior in 1996, she led the Huskies to their first Pac-10 championship and a second-place finish at the College World Series. That year she was named all-tournament at both the NCAA Regionals and the World Series. As a senior in 1997, she was the regional MVP in the NCAA Tournament and again made the World Series All-Tournament team after leading Washington to its second consecutive World Series appearance.
Following her senior season, Pickering joined the Washington coaching staff as undergraduate assistant in 1998. The Huskies finished second in the Pac-10 and again advanced to the College World Series.
A native of Corona, Calif., Pickering received a degree in sociology and society & justice minor from Washington in 1998. Pickering spent the summer of 1999 playing for the Virginia Roadsters in the Women’s Professional Softball League.