Baird selected to lead the MCLA Softball Program

North Adams, MASS—Laura Mooney, MCLA's director of athletics, has announced the hiring of Adriane Baird as the school's new head softball coach.

Baird was selected following a nationwide search of qualified candidates. She previously was the assistant coach at Smith College in Northampton, Mass.

"We are very excited to welcome Adriane to the Trailblazer family," Mooney said. "Adriane has a strong passion for the game and a commitment to developing our student-athletes. I'm confident that her experience with recruiting and player development coupled with playing at a high level in Division III will continue to move our program forward."

From 2012-2015, Baird played at Bowdoin College. As a Polar Bear, she was a two-time captain and All NESCAC honoree playing as an infielder. She also earned All-Academic honors during her time at Bowdoin.

After graduating in 2015, Baird began two-year stint at Choate Rosemary Hall as head coach. After serving a variety of roles there, she was hired as an assistant at Smith, where she spent two seasons as the primary assistant coach.

At Smith, Baird was instrumental in practice planning, base running, skill building, and recruiting. She also provided an emphasis on the mental aspects of the game during her time in Northampton. While at Smith, she worked at various camps and clinics over the years, including stops at UMass-Amherst and Virginia Beach.

Baird takes over a softball program at MCLA that went 14-21 in 2019, but qualified for the MASCAC tournament.  The Trailblazers dropped an opening round game to Fitchburg State 2-1 on May 1, 2019.

Learn more about MCLA Athletics at athletics.mcla.edu.

About MCLA:

At MCLA, we're here for all —and focused on each — of our students. Classes are taught by educators who care deeply about teaching, and about seeing their students thrive on every level of their lives. Nearly 93% of our graduates land competitive jobs or are accepted by some of the best grad schools in the country. We engage in the most nationally relevant conversations by hosting some of the most celebrated thinkers and speakers on our campus in the Berkshires of Massachusetts, an area is known for its mountain ranges, hiking trails, and panoramic views. Our home town of North Adams is brimming with young, creative energy and the regional economy is booming as a result. In nearly every way possible, the experience at MCLA is designed to elevate you as an individual, a leader, and a communicator, fully empowered to make your impression on the world.

For more information, go to www.mcla.edu.