Lilli Piper latest addition to Illinois softball staff – The News-Gazette

CHAMPAIGN — New Illinois softball coach Jenna Hall continued to round out her first staff Tuesday with the hire of Ohio assistant Lilli Piper to work with the Illini infielders and catchers.

Piper spent the past four seasons at Ohio working for Hall. The former Ohio State All-American also played for Hall during the latter’s stint in Columbus, Ohio, as an assistant coach.

“When taking the head coach position at Illinois, I knew that Lilli was someone I wanted with me on this next step,” Hall said in the official release. “Lilli and I have a long, deep-rooted history together and she has become my family on and off the field. … Lilli brings a strong and experienced career both as a player and as a coach. She is a former Big Ten player and also spent time playing with the Athletes Unlimited professional league.

“Her ability to connect with her players and get the absolute best out of them is one of the many things that make her a great coach. Her energy and enthusiasm will be noticeable from day one, and she is one of the most trustworthy people I know. Lilli is a proven winner and knows what it takes to be successful in the Big Ten.”

Piper started her own collegiate career at Akron, playing one season for the Zips as a dual-sport athlete in basketball and softball before transferring to Ohio State. She was just the second player in Buckeyes history to earn All-American honors three times in her career. She was an NFCA Third Team All-American in 2017 and earned second team honors in 2018 and 2019.

Piper hit .407 for her Ohio State career. She slugged 46 home runs for the Buckeyes in three seasons to go with 40 doubles and 153 RBI. She spent one season at Michigan State as an assistant coach after her own collegiate playing career ended before joining Hall at Ohio.

Hiring Piper was Hall’s second of the week for her coaching staff. She hired Justin Manley as pitching coach Monday. Yolando McRae was Hall’s first hire earlier this month.