BRONX, N.Y., August 5, 2022 – Lauren Farina has been named the second head coach in the history of the Monroe College Express softball program, as announced by Monroe Express Director of Athletics Leonard Pitt. Farina comes on board the Express ahead of the 2022-23 year, taking over a softball team coming off a historic season.
 
"I am so honored to be taking over the Express Softball program and am extremely excited to meet our student-athletes, staff and the entire Monroe College family," said Farina. "I plan to expand off of the success of last season and continue to grow the program."
 
Farina was most recently the head coach for the Sarah Lawrence College softball team for the 2021-22 academic year, where she was tasked with building the program back up for the 2022 season after a hiatus from competition in 2020 and 2021. At Sarah Lawrence, she also served as the Assistant to the Athletic Director as part of the Ethnic Minorities and Women's Internship Grant awarded to Sarah Lawrence College. Along with her coaching duties, Farina assisted in the areas of compliance and eligibility, budget, athletic operations, and student-athlete welfare.
 
"I am thrilled to introduce Lauren Farina as the new head coach of the Monroe Express softball program," said Pitt. "Lauren's a knowledgeable young coach and had a great collegiate career. I believe she has all the tools to continue the growth of our softball program."
 
Farina takes over a program fresh off a number of firsts. The Express won the 2022 NJCAA Region 15 Division III Softball Championship, the first region title in program history. The Express went on to also earn their first Northeast District Championship and advance to the NJCAA Division III Softball Championship for the first time. The No. 8-seeded Express placed seventh at the national tournament, capping off the week with a 3-0 victory over No. 6 Middlesex College.
 
Farina had a successful four-year collegiate softball career. She played for Thomas College from 2017-19, compiling a career batting average of .287 with the Terriers. As a catcher, she started nearly every game she played in 2019, only committing one error and boasting a .988 fielding percentage, finishing her career at Thomas with a .980 fielding percentage. She was a member of the North Atlantic Conference Championship Team in 2017 was named to the All-Tournament Team in the same year. Farina transferred to Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, N.Y., in 2019, and played as a graduate student for the Knights in 2021. She started 21 games for the Knights, batting .371 with 26 hits and nine doubles, while also going errorless through the season.
 
Farina joined Sarah Lawrence College following a stint as a baseball operations intern with the Hudson Valley Renegades. With the Renegades organization, she assisted the Vice President of Community Partnerships in the development of promotional events throughout the 2020 season. In addition to her internship, Lauren served as a member of the Capital District Umpires Association, starting as an umpire in May 2019. In 2018, she was an intern for New England Sports Camp, working as a softball coach to children and teenagers.
 
Farina received her bachelor of science degree in sport management with a minor in coaching from Thomas College in 2019. She earned her MBA with a concentration in management from Mount Saint Mary College in 2021.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 35 teams competing across nine sports. There are 21 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well the Monroe College marching band and the newly added esports and men's volleyball programs, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has 11 teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.
 
For more information about the Monroe Express, please visit us at www.MonroeExpress.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Monroe Express), Twitter (@MonroeExpress) and Instagram (@MonroeExpress).