Wednesday, February 1, 2023
by Simon Fraser Athletic Communications

BURNABY, B.C. – Stacy Fournier has been named interim head coach of the Simon Fraser Red Leafs softball program for the 2023 season, Senior Director of SFU Athletics and Recreation Theresa Hanson announced today.

Fournier replaces Tina Andreana, who has resigned after nearly four years on Burnaby Mountain to take a coaching position in the United States.

"Our first priority is the student-athletes and their experience at Simon Fraser," said Hanson. "While making a coaching change in the middle of a season is not ideal, we are confident that promoting Stacy Fournier to interim head coach for the remainder of the season is in the best interest of the softball program at this time. We look forward to working with Coach Fournier in her new role."

Offering a wide range of experience in both softball and baseball, Fournier has been SFU's lead assistant coach since October 2020. She and the rest of the coaching staff helped the team successfully return to competition for the 2022 season.

The Red Leafs led the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in batting average (.320), slugging percentage (.462) and stolen bases (57). Senior Alex Ogg won the league's Player of the Year award after concluding the season as the GNAC's top hitter (.420 batting average) and stolen base leader (21). The Red Leafs finished in a tie for fifth place in the league standings, one game out of the playoffs.

Fournier is currently the head coach of the Baseball BC 16U girls provincial team, and led the 14U squad between 2016 and 2019.

In August 2021, she was selected Baseball BC's Female High-Performance Technical Director. Fournier is also the Regional Coordinator, Fraser Valley for the organization. She spent two years (2017-19) as an assistant coach with the Fraser Valley Fusion Rep 'A' Fastpitch Team.

After graduating from Langley, B.C.'s Brookswood Secondary School, Fournier became a four-year starter at Minot State University, an NCAA Division II softball program in North Dakota. At Minot State, she earned the Athletic Director's Academic Achievement Award, made the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference All-Academic Team, and was chosen for the College of Business President's List. She then served as a graduate assistant coach with the team, and finished with her Bachelor of Science degree with cum laude distinction in 2015.

Fournier has been a player with the Baseball BC provincial team since 2005. She is an active member of Canada's Women's National Team, competing in 2013, 2017, and continuously since 2019.

"I am extremely grateful for this opportunity to take on the interim head coach position with SFU softball," said Fournier, whose playing experience also includes a stint in 2019 with the Cronulla Sharks of the New South Wales Women's Baseball League in Australia. "I want to thank Theresa for the opportunity and know this will be a comfortable transition for our student-athletes, as we jump right into the 2023 season. I'm eager to get back on the diamond and know our athletes are ready to compete after the work they've put in this off-season. I'm proud of their composure and work ethic so far and look forward to leading this great group. I would also like to thank Tina for having me on her staff the past two seasons and am wishing her the best in her next position."

Fournier will make her head coaching debut on Feb. 3 at the South Central Regional Challenge in Los Lunas, New Mexico, against Western New Mexico. The Red Leafs will also play Adams State later that day, and six games in all at the tournament, which will run Feb. 3-5.