The Denison University Department of Athletics announced Kirstin Mapes as its Head Softball Coach in June 2026.
Mapes arrives after spending the past five years as the assistant softball and pitching coach at Hamilton College. While at Hamilton she coached two All-NESCAC and NFCA All-Region pitchers, as well as a total of 27 NESCAC All-Academic players.
She took the lead alongside the head coach in designing and implementing practice plans for all positions and, on game day, crafted scouting reports for each opponent. Off the field, she played an integral role in introducing Connect 22, a fall initiative that strengthened off-field relationships with the team, as well as Hamily Day, a dedicated day each academic year during which softball student-athletes had the opportunity to share their experiences with the Hamilton community.
A native of Corona, California, Mapes had an impressive career as a pitcher at Williams College. In the circle, she struck out 129 batters in 171.1 career innings pitched and posted a 2.70 earned run average with a 21-2 record. She completed 14 of the 29 games she started, tossed five shutouts, and earned one save. At the plate, she hit .343 with a .401 on-base percentage and .590 slugging percentage in 113 games. She finished her career with 113 hits, including 20 home runs and 17 doubles, scored 54 runs, and drove in 80. Mapes helped Williams win 128 games, two NESCAC titles, three NCAA regionals, and two NCAA super regionals.
