Danielle Henderson

Danielle Henderson (born January 29, 1977) is an American, former collegiate All-American, right-handed softball pitcher and current head coach originally from Commack, New York. She played for the UMass Minutewomen from 1996–1999 and was an Olympic champion for Team USA softball at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She was also a pro champion playing four years in the National Pro Fastpitch from 2004–2007. Henderson then served as a private pitching instructor, and was an assistant coach with the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2011-2012, and with the Stanford Cardinal for the 2013 season. She rejoined her alma mater UMass as associate head coach for the 2014 season. On July 30, 2014, she was named head softball coach at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell

Freshman: Henderson began her career by nabbing All-Atlantic 10 honors and claiming "Rookie of The Year." She also broke the top-10 for UMass season history for her ERA (NCAA top-10), wins and shutouts.

She threw her first no-hitter on May 12 vs. the Marist Red Foxes.

Sophomore: Henderson would earn her first All-American and Atlantic 10 Pitcher of Year awards, as well as tossing two no-hitters and breaking the UMass season records for strikeouts, innings pitched and strikeout ratio. Her wins and shutouts were at the time both second best in school history. For the year, Henderson won her first pitching Triple Crown for the conference best in wins, strikeouts and ERA while ranked in the NCAA top-10 for both ERA and strikeout ratio.

On April 26, 1997, Henderson struck out a then school and a career best 18 Fordham Rams in regulation, this was tied third all-time for an NCAA single game and now is tied fourth overall. The day prior on April 25, Henderson also began a 63 scoreless inning streak that endured until May 17 for a then career best.

The UMass Minutewomen made it to the Women's College World Series on Henderson's arm but failed to win a game. However, Henderson was selected to the All-Tournament Team.

Junior: Throwing 5 no-hitters (NCAA top-5 season tying record and one perfect game vs. the Fordham Rams on March 29, 1998) earned her all-season honors from conference and the NCAA, moving from Third to the Second Team. Henderson broke four school records with her wins, strikeouts, shutouts (still the record) and a strikeout ratio of nearly 12; along with her ERA, she won a second conference Triple Crown. In addition, she again cracked the top-10 NCAA Division I season records with her strikeouts (led the NCAA), shutouts and then second best all-time season strikeout ratio mark, which also led the NCAA that year.

A return trip to the Women's College World Series ended by shutout as the Minutewomen lost their second game to Oklahoma State Cowgirls and would be Henderson's last appearance at the series.

Senior: Henderson posted 6 no-hitters (another top-5 tying NCAA season record), two perfect games and repeated all-season honors, including a First Team All-American highlight and her third straight Atlantic 10 Pitcher of The Year and pitching Triple Crown. Henderson won 30 games, struck out a then school and conference record 465 batters (which led the nation) and tied the best season ERA mark at UMass. She had a career best WHIP and her strikeout ratio of almost 14 set a new NCAA season mark that is now 6th all-time. Her 105 scoreless innings streak from March 16 − May 2, 1999 remains the NCAA record.

Henderson closed her career at UMass with the best strikeouts, ERA, shutouts, wins and strikeout ratio numbers ever, of which she still owns the ERA and shutout crowns. She holds the same records for the Atlantic 10. Finally, in the NCAA Henderson is tied 6th in no-hitters (14) and 5th in perfect games (3) all-time for a career.

In May 1999, Henderson was awarded the Honda Sports Award as the best softball player in the country.

Head Coach:

Henderson was named head softball coach for the UMass Lowell Riverhawks on July 30, 2014.

Henderson began playing for Team USA the summer after she graduated in 1999. On July 29, 1999, Henderson threw a perfect game defeating Colombia 9–0 at the start of the Pan American Games.

She competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney where she received a gold medal with the American team. Her only game was a 3-0 win over Cuba.

Henderson began playing with the rejuvenated National Pro Fastpitch in 2004 with the now defunct Arizona Heat. She currently ranks top-10 in career strikeouts and wins. In 2005, Henderson made the All-NPF East Team.

Although she did not play, Henderson also won a NPF Cowles Cup Championship with the defunct New England Riptide on August 28, 2006.

In 2001, while serving a second term as Assistant Coach, the University of Massachusetts-Amherst ceremoniously retired Henderson's #44 jersey. In her last season with her the Minutewomen, Henderson was also inducted into the New England Women's Hall of Fame on September 24, 2002.

On October 9, 2009, Henderson was honored with an invitation into the UMass Hall of Fame.

University of Massachusetts Minutewomen

Arizona Heat & New England Riptide