Christine Akcer enters her first season as an assistant coach with the Holy Cross softball team in 2027.
Akcer was pivotal in the Crusaders' pitching development over the course of the 2026 season including a record setting final season from Sophia Roncone and an impressive first-year campaign from Birdget Mulkeen. Holy Cross won its first games of the 2026 season with a doubleheader weep of UMES (Mar. 4). Game one saw senior pitcher, Sophia Roncone, throw her 30th career complete game, striking out 12 batters, and allowing just two hits. The outing gave Roncone her 30th career complete games. Game two featured similar dominance in the circle as freshman pitcher Bridget Mulkeen and Nugent combined for a complete game shutout. Roncone threw her second-straight complete game in game one, striking out five batters, and allowing just two hits over seven shutout innings against FDU (Mar. 6). Holy Cross' final wins of the 2026 season came with a doubleheader sweep of New Haven (Apr. 29). Senior pitcher Sophia Roncone tossed her 11th complete game of the season, going seven innings with two strikeouts and four walks while allowing three runs on six hits. Freshman right-hander Bridget Mulkeen delivered a dominant performance in game two, throwing eight shutout innings with five strikeouts while allowing just two hits. Mulkeen turned in her fourth complete game of the year. Her extra-inning shutout against the Chargers marked Holy Cross' first since Megan Yurchick's eight-inning no-hitter against Merrimack on April 12, 2023. Senior Ali Sniegocki was named to the Academic All-Patriot League Team.
Helped head coach Ladino earned his first win as head coach of the Crusaders in the 5-2 victory over Morehead State on opening day in 2025. Holy Cross opened the month of March with a doubleheader sweep at St. Peter's. The Crusaders closed out the year with wins against UMBC (Mar. 7), Stonehill (Mar. 26), Merrimack (Apr. 2), Army West Point (Apr. 13) and Rhode Island (Apr. 24). Anna Brait would be named Second Team All-Patriot League and Ali Sniegocki would be selected to the Academic All-Patriot League Team. Sniegocki would also join Ava Gambichler and Emma Pietrzak on the CSC Academic All-District Team.
Akcer joins the Crusaders after spending three seasons as an assistant coach for the University of Rhode Island softball program from 2022-2024.
In 2024, she helped lead the Rams to a 15-37 overall record and 10-16 conference record. She worked with pitchers Katie Zaun and Ashley Hibbard, Rhody's go-to options on the mound. The pair combined 12 wins, 211.1 innings pitched, 110 strikeouts, and five saves on the year.
In 2023, Akcer worked with pitcher Liz Lynchard, who earned National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division I Northeast All-Region Second Team honors. Lynchard was second in the conference with a 3.38 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and finished the regular season fourth in the A-10 with 7.1 strikeouts per 7.0 innings and fifth in total strikeouts with 142. She ranked in the top seven in the conference in strikeouts (5th), wins (7th), shutouts (t-2nd) and innings pitched (7th). Rhode Island's top pitcher, Lynchard was the first woman in 20 years with four shutouts in one season for the Rams. She was the first Ram to earn All-Region honors since 2002.
In her first season, Akcer helped junior Liz Lynchard post career highs in wins (8), appearances (35), starts (27), complete games (11), innings pitched (155.1), strikeouts (118), shutouts (2) and saves (2). The 118 strikeouts were the eighth-highest single season total in program history, and the 35 appearances were the sixth most. Lynchard earned Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference honors. Defensively, catcher Susan Harrison was just the fourth player in program history to have a perfect fielding percentage while handling at least 75 chances.
Akcer previously was at Southern Connecticut State as an assistant coach beginning in November of 2016. She served as the program’s interim head coach during the spring semester of 2021.
While with the Owls, Akcer worked directly with the team’s pitchers and catchers. In 2021, Southern Connecticut State had a team earned run average of 2.87, the program’s lowest since 2013. Freshman Jessica Perucki was an All-Northeast 10 selection, earning both third-team and all-rookie team honors. She was 7-6 with three saves and 92 strikeouts in 87.1 innings of work.
As a player, Akcer won four regular season Little East Conference titles and three tournament titles as a pitcher for Eastern Connecticut State. She led her team to NCAA Regional titles in 2010 and 2011, advancing to the NCAA Division III World Series both years.
Akcer earned her bachelor's degree in Sport and Leisure Management from Eastern Connecticut State in 2013, and she completed a master's degree in Sport Management from Southern New Hampshire in 2016.
