WORCESTER, Mass. – Holy Cross softball head coach Kimberly Stiles has announced the hiring of Alexis Bermudez as an assistant coach and former Crusader student-athlete Erin Bengston as a volunteer assistant coach.

This is the first collegiate coaching stop for Bermudez, who began her coaching career in May 2020 as coach for a 14U travel ball team. Bermudez spent time as the Augusta Flames Softball coach in Bridgewater, Va., a camp instructor at St. Paul High School in Santa Fe Springs, Calif. and a skills instructor at Diamond Development.

"I can't wait for Alexis to begin working with our pitching staff," says Coach Stiles. "She has a great energy and excitement for the game. She was successful at a high level as a player and has a huge passion for softball. I am really looking forward to watching our pitchers grow under her direction."

A standout collegiate athlete, Bermudez joins the Crusaders following three years as pitcher for James Madison University. She finished her three-year career as a Duke totaling a 23-8 record with a 3.22 ERA, 15 complete games and 113 strikeouts across 193.1 innings. During the 2021 season, Bermudez helped the Dukes to a 41-4, 17-1 CAA record, a CAA Championship and an appearance in the Women's College World Series. In 2020, she was a Fall Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Academic Honor Roll selection.

Before her time as a Duke, Bermudez competed for Bethune Cookman for two seasons. In 2018 she was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year helping guide the Wildcats to the MEAC Conference Championship earning Tournament Outstanding Performer honors. Bermudez followed up her stellar freshman campaign with the 2019 MEAC Pitcher of the Year award and an appearance on the All-Tournament Team.

Over her five-year collegiate career, she played in a total of 144 games, 125 in the circle, with 97 starts. She was 51-41 with a 3.38 ERA across 563.2 innings with 347 strikeouts and one save.

A native of Whittier, Calif., Bermudez graduated in May 2022 from James Madison with a bachelor's degree in communication studies.

Bengston returns to The Hill following a successful four-year stint as the Crusaders' starting catcher.

"I am thrilled to have Erin back this year as a coach," says Stiles. "She had a great career at Holy Cross and is going to be a huge asset as a member of the staff. She has an incredible knowledge of the game and the ability to teach which I know will benefit the student-athletes."

As a Crusader, Bengston appeared in 137 games at Holy Cross, making 136 starts. She recorded a career .279 batting average with a .372 on-base percentage and .441 slugging percentage.

Bengston finished her Holy Cross career ranking fifth all-time in career doubles (32), sixth all-time in walks (52) and slugging percentage (.441) while being tied for seventh all-time in career home runs (7) and in runs batted in (71). She holds the single-season doubles mark of 16, which she set as a freshman in 2019, and set the program single-season record in walks (29) as a senior.

In 2022, Bengston was on a Crusader team that won 20 games for the first time since 1999 and tied for the third most wins (21) during a single season in program history.

The four-time Patriot League Academic Honor Roll honoree (2019-2022) graduated from Holy Cross in 2022 with degrees in psychology and studio art. 

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