By Michael Letendre
The Central Connecticut State University softball team earned several major awards this week, announced by the Northeast Conference offices on Wednesday.
And it’s an award-winning staff at CCSU as coaches Breanne Gleason, Pat Holden, and Alexis Debrosse were recognized as the Coaching Staff of the Year by the Northeast Conference for 2021.
“Gleason and her staff presided over a significant turnaround in 2021,” according to a release from the Northeast Conference. “After a ninth-place finish in 2019, CCSU went 20-8 vs. NEC foes to take third [place] this spring.”
Gleason came to Central Connecticut State University following two seasons on the coaching staff at the University of New Haven.
Gleason has won 153 games, including a Northeast Conference championship, through seven-plus seasons as head coach at CCSU – good for a .500 record.
And then there was her outstanding playing career for the Chargers.
Gleason led the program at New Haven to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including the program’s best postseason run in 2010.
Individually, Gleason finished her career as New Haven’s all-time leader in at-bats, doubles, pitching appearances, strikeouts, wins and innings pitched.
Gleason was a two-time Third Team All-America selection, a four-time Daktronics All-Region selection and in 2010, she earned both the Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year Awards from the Northeast-10 Conference.
She became just the second player to earn both honors in the same collegiate season.
Gleason was the 20th Division II pitcher to record 1,000 career strikeouts (1,098 overall in 171 appearances) and the 22nd to reach 100 victories (106).
At Bristol Central, Gleason dominated from the hill – going 60-11 for the Rams over her last three scholastic seasons.
She struck out 654 batters over that time frame and her worst ERA was a 0.74 clip during her sophomore campaign.
Prior to CCSU, assistant coach Pat Holden spent 10 years (2005-15) working for Little League International and the Little League World Series.
From 2007-2015, he also coached baseball at St. Paul Catholic High School – putting the pieces of a program together that eventually won a state championship.
Holden posted a record of 99-78 through nine campaigns as the mentor of the Falcons’ outstanding baseball program.
In 2011, Holden’s squad won the Naugatuck Valley League Championship and holds the school record for most wins in a single season (20-6) which was accomplished in 2015.
He graduated from CCSU in 2004 where he played four seasons on the baseball team, helping the program to win NEC Championships in 2002, 2003, and 2004
Holden posted a combined playing record of 136-79-3 and spent one season as volunteer coach under current CCSU baseball coach Charlie Hickey in 2005.
“Post-season awards are well-received, and we are all grateful for them,” said Holden via Twitter. “This is about our squad, families, alums, supporters, and staff members. And it’s about the next game.”
Central went 20-8 in NEC play this season – going 23-15 overall – and earned the No. 3 seed in the NEC Softball Tournament.
