Caitlin Hitchcock was named the 17th head coach in the history of the Nichols College softball program on June 14, 2022.
2026 saw Hitchcock and the Bison finish with a 16-22 overall record, with a 9-11 mark in conference play. Despite missing the postseason, the Bison remained a competitive force to be reckoned with, earning notable wins over CNE programs like Johnson & Wales (5-3 on 4/11), Roger Williams (1-0 on 4/26), Western New England (2-1 on 4/23) and Endicott (5-2 on 4/29). Following the campaign, senior infielder Allie Silliman returned for her second round of First Team honors from the CNE, while classmates Mary Jo-Laudati and Michaela Fortier took home All-CNE Second Team recognition for the first time in their collegiate careers. The program's pair of go-to starting pitchers, Molly Medor and Olivia Pedro, were also bestowed with recognition from the CNE, with each earning Pitcher of the Week honors once. It was also a campaign of program milestones and records for Hitchcock and the Bison, with freshman newcomer Sydney Hicks breaking a 26-year old program record for single-season stolen bases (36), Ava Slavinsky becoming the program's all-time hits leader (188), and Allie Silliman setting the record for career doubles (50).
In her third season leading the Bison (2025), Hitchcock guided Nichols to a program-record 32 wins and a runner-up finish in the 2025 Conference of New England (CNE) Championship. The Bison finished 32-13 overall and 12-6 in conference play, earning the No. 2 seed and hosting duties in the conference tournament for the first time in recent memory. Hitchcock was named the 2025 CNE Softball Coach of the Year after leading Nichols to wins over NCAA Tournament teams Gettysburg, Swarthmore, Western New England, and UMass Boston. The program also produced six all-conference selections, including Pitcher of the Year Chelsea Indyk and Defensive Player of the Year Allie Silliman, along with three all-region honorees.
In 2024, Hitchcock led Nichols to one of the best seasons in program history, finishing 24-20 overall and 10-6 in CCC play. The season was highlighted by a conference tournament win over top-seeded Endicott, just the fourth victory over the Gulls in program history. The Bison also broke program records for doubles and putouts while tying the single-season shutout record. Three student-athletes earned All-CCC honors under her guidance.
Before arriving at Nichols, Hitchcock spent 17 seasons as head coach at Trinity College, where she became the winningest coach in program history with a 279-267-1 career record. A two-time NESCAC Coach of the Year, she guided the Bantams to nine conference tournament appearances and coached numerous all-conference, all-region, and academic honorees.
A Trinity graduate, Hitchcock earned both her bachelor’s degree in educational studies and her master’s degree in American Studies from the college. She was a four-year member of the softball and women’s basketball programs and served as captain of both teams during her senior season.
