Heather Compton Last College: UCLA '94 Position: Asst. Coach Experience: 2nd Season

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Former UCLA standout Heather Compton, a pitcher with the Tampa Bay Firestix and Ohio Pride of the Women’s Professional Softball League, joined the Florida State soft-ball staff as an assistant coach in 1999. Under her guid-ance, the Seminoles have been reborn on the mound. The 2001 team won the NCAA ERA Title with a nation-low 0.71 team ERA. After just two seasons working with the FSU’s pitchers, Compton’s staff not only had the lowest team ERA since the 1993 season but their 0.71 ERA was one full run less than the average staff ERA over the past five seasons. Opponents also hit just .156 against Florida State in 2001 and it had been eight seasons since an FSU staff had an opponent batting average as low as the one posted by the 2001 squad.

An outstanding collegiate pitcher, Compton is a 1994 graduate of UCLA where she earned a degree in political science while lettering four years for the Bruins’ soft-ball team. She led UCLA to World Series appearances in each of her four seasons and was a member of the Bruins’ 1990 and 1992 national championship teams. Compton garnered first team All-American honors in 1991 and was also named to the All-College World Series team. She ranks among UCLA’s career leaders in five categories, including wins (67), appearances (84), strikeouts (540), innings pitched (538.2) and ERA (0.52).

Compton also has international playing experience. She was a member of the USA National Team that earned a gold medal at the 1994 Pan American Games in Guatemala and then went on to play for league champion Poneke Kilbernic Softball Club in New Zealand from 1994 through 1996. She spent the summer of 1996 with the Brioski Junior Softball Team and posted the best record in the Italian Pro Softball League.

Compton also had tremendous success with the Ohio Pride of the WPSL. During the 2000 season, Compton compiled a 7-3 record with a 1.34 ERA. She pitched seven complete games, recorded three shutouts, pitched 68 innings and held opponents to a .150 batting average. Compton also set a WPSL record by striking out 17 batters in one game and capturing WPSL AT&T Wireless Services Pitcher of the Week honors on three occasions. She culminated her season by being named to the 2000 WPSL All-Star Team where she pitched against USA softball in Honolulu, HI.

Compton, who taught three years of social studies and special education at Righetti High School in California, also taught two physical education classes at FSU.