NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State head softball coach Melinda Fischer announced on Tuesday the addition of Mike Armitage to her coaching staff. Armitage will enter his first season with the Redbirds in 2019 as a volunteer assistant coach for the program.
"We are very excited to have Mike (Armitage) join our staff," Fischer commented. "He brings in a really great and different perspective of the game, both as a player and coach. He is very passionate about the sport and teaching fundamentals on both sides of the ball. Mike has competed against some of the best teams in the men's game, which can be beneficial in a number of areas. It is also fun that he is joining our staff, because he is married to one of our former pitchers – Katie Newman – and we always love to welcome people back that have been in our program."
Armitage brings a plethora of experience to the Redbird softball program, both as a coach and a player. He just finished his second season serving as an assistant softball coach for the U.S. Junior Men's 19U National Team, and was a participant with the International Softball Congress, as well as the NAFA and ASA, for nearly 20 years. A full-time physical education and health teacher at Lexington Unit School District #7, Armitage recently resigned from his head coaching position with the girls' softball team, where he led the program for three seasons, to join Fischer and her staff at Illinois State.
"I would like to thank Melinda Fischer for the opportunity to be a part of the Redbird softball program," Armitage shared. "I feel honored to be able to invest in my education and passion for softball at an institution like Illinois State, who has enjoyed so much success over the years."
As a coach, Armitage has assisted or served as the head coach on teams with multiple conference, regional and sectional championships at the high school level in softball, baseball and basketball. He has also coached high school all-star teams in both softball and basketball.
Armitage has several accolades as a player, including participating on multiple NAFA All-World teams. He is an ASA major First-Team All-American, and has played on teams that have finished in the top-10 of the ISC World Tournament multiple times. Armitage was also a vital member of a team that placed second in the ASA major.
Illinois State is set to play several games this fall, including five at Marian Kneer Stadium. For the full slate, including game times, please visit the team's schedule page. Â
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