LOUISVILLE, Ky. --- James Madison softball coaching staff, led by Head Coach Loren LaPorte, was named National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division Staff of the Year, the association announced on Thursday afternoon.

Laporte, Associate Head Coach Jennifer Herzig and Assistant Coach Libby Morris are the first JMU softball coaching staff to take home the NFCA honor. The staff has earned Northeast Region Staff of the Year five times.

The staff guided JMU on their historic 2021 season finishing at the program's first ever Women's College World Series with a record 41-4 and ranked No. 4 in both the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll and ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll. Along with the program's first appearance, the Dukes were the first three-seeded team to make the WCWS since 2014.

The Dukes claimed their Colonial Athletics Association South Division Regular Season title as well as their sixth CAA Championship to move on to the Knoxville Regional.

At the NCAA Knoxville Regional, JMU went 3-0, defeating then-No. 9 Tennessee and No. 25 Liberty twice, to claim a spot in the Columbia Super Regional, the program's third ever Super Regional appearance. The Dukes continued their momentum winning the first and third games of the Super Regional to punch their ticket to the WCWS. The historic ride continued as JMU became the first non-seeded team to win the its first two games of the series.

During the postseason, the Dukes defeated four teams in the top-10, two of which at the opposing team's home stadium, as well as claiming two victories over #25 Liberty.

JMU closed the 2021 campaign ranking seventh in the nation for home runs per game (1.58), sixth in slugging percentage (.562), second in win loss percentage (.911) and ninth in ERA. (1.79).