Islander softball assistant coach Teresa Flores is in her first year with the program.  Flores was hired after an All-American career at Texas Woman's University and having worked with the softball program at the University of Texas while earning her masters degree.

“Coach Flores is a proven winner, which I think you need to surround yourself with when you are trying to rebuild a program,” said Schumann “It starts with getting players and coaches that buy into what we are trying to do and Teresa fits the bill.”

Flores, who prepped in Corpus Christi at Miller High School, played collegiately at TWU. She will work with the infielders and hitters, and assist with recruiting.
 
A standout shortstop, Flores was the Lonestar Conference Player of the Year in 2004 and was named to the All-South Central Region. Flores was named Academic All-District VI First Team two years in a row and holds or shares 30 TWU team records and four Lone Star Conference records.

She was awarded the TWU President’s Award in 2004 for excellence in the classroom and on the playing field and was named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America Team as a third team selection.

After graduating from TWU with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and a double minor in adaptive physical education and special education, Flores earned her masters degree in special education from the University of Texas where she served as a manager with the Longhorn softball program during the 2007-08 year.  During her time with the Longhorns, Flores assisted with the teams hitting drills and worked with the outfielders during defensive drills.

Flores was also a student volunteer coach at TWU in 2004-05, giving instruction to hitters while helping make adjustments during games and assisting with infielders.  At the University of Incarnate Word, Flores was a volunteer coach during the 2007 season.  She coordinated batting practice and assisted with infield practice while also individually instructing players to develop hitting skills.

While at Miller High School, Flores received the Distinguished Scholar Award for Athletics from the Corpus Christi Caller Times and was named All-South Texas and All-State.  She also participated in the U.S. Scholar Athlete Games in Rhode Island.

Her travel ball career includes international play in Europe and Canada and playing against teams from the National Pro Fast pitch League. She was a member of the Texas Elite travel team that toured Holland, Germany and the Czech Republic in 2002.

Flores was on the California Schutt Hurricanes Women’s Major team, traveling to the Canada Cup where her teammate was Olympian Andrea Duran in 2003. In 2005 she played for the California Sunbirds, one of the nation’s top amateur teams that plays against teams from the NPF.

In 2007, she played on Corona (Calif.) Storm USA, a women’s major team that won the American Softball Association Class A national championship. Flores was named ASA Class A All-American while playing for Storm USA.

Rachel Townsend is in her first year as a member of the Islander softball staff.  She will hold the position of graduate assistant for the Islanders.  Townsend will work with the Islander outfielders and is in charge of field maintenance.

Townsend played at Texas Woman’s University for legendary softball coach Diane Baker. She was an NFCA All-American Scholar Athlete for the 2004-05 year and an honorable mention all-conference selection at third base as a senior.

While at TWU, Townsend received her bachelor’s degree in kinesiology with a minor in English.  She received multiple academic and private scholarships in her time at TWU and was named to the National Honor Roll and National Dean’s List for the 2004 year as well as being a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee from 2003-05 while at TWU.

During the past year, Townsend had served as the head softball coach at Desert Pines High School in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Before that, she had served on the staff of the Texas Dreams gymnastics team during the 2006-07 year, volunteered as the head coach for the Denton High School fall ball program in 2006 and worked as event staff at Alltel Arena from 2002 to 2006.

Townsend also served as a representative in the women’s coaching clinic at the Olympic training center in October of 2006 as well as being a counselor at the TWU softball camp during the summer following her senior season.

“Rachel is young, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic about coaching.  There are two types of people in the world – energy givers and energy takers.” said Islander head coach Jake Schumann, “Rachel is an energy giver and I can't wait to see the effects it has on our team this season.”