Rutgers-Camden Athletics

One of the newest members of the Camden County Sports Hall of Fame, Michelle Schlichtig-Hastings was given that esteemed honor at the 2016 induction ceremonies on Oct. 27. That honor added to the legendary credentials she established at Rutgers University-Camden, when she fashioned the finest softball career in program history from 2004-2006.

 

Hired as the Scarlet Raptors’ head coach for 2015, she has continued her golden touch with the program, leading the Scarlet Raptors to two New Jersey Athletic Conference playoff berths in her two seasons.
 
A two-time All-America pitcher who led the Raptors to the NCAA Division III national championship as a senior in 2006, Schlichtig returned to her alma mater in 2015 and immediately guided Rutgers-Camden to its best season since 2007. Rutgers-Camden posted a 21-13-1 record overall and an 11-7 mark in the New Jersey Athletic Conference, its best marks since a 31-15/13-5 log in 2007.  The Raptors went 21-19 overall and 9-9 in NJAC play with their young team last season.
 
Schlichtig, who helped Rutgers-Camden compile an amazing 118-24-1 record during her three years playing for the Scarlet Raptors, captured her first collegiate coaching victory on March 13 with a 3-1 win over Capital University. In her first season, she led the Raptors into the NJAC playoffs, saw the team pitch a combination no-hitter and coached her first two all-conference players in NJAC Second Team stars Brittany Scott and Devon Welsh.

Michelle Schlichtig's Rutgers-Camden coaching record
 
Coupled with her coaching success, Schlichtig owns a 160-56-2 record in her five years of being associated with the Rutgers-Camden program. In that short time, she has contributed to 32.3 percent of the entire wins in the 38-year history of the program. She also played on two of the three NJAC title teams in Rutgers-Camden history, in addition to the only team in school history – in any program – to win a national crown.
 

A successful head varsity softball coach at Haddon Heights High School, Schlichtig-Hastings helped to establish the Garnets as a Colonial Conference powerhouse. She posted an amazing 105-45 record in her six years as Haddon Heights’ head coach.

Schlichtig-Hastings’ Haddon Heights teams captured four Colonial Conference Championships (2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014), two South Jersey Championships (2012 and 2013) and won the New Jersey State Championship in 2013. That 2013 team earned her honors as the Courier-Post Softball Coach of the Year.

Prior to taking the Haddon Heights High School job, Schlichtig-Hastings was the head varsity softball coach at Paul VI High School in 2007 and 2008.

Schlichtig-Hastings was a member of the Rutgers-Camden softball team from 2004-2006, establishing numerous program marks in her storied career. She was a two-time First Team All-American pitcher in 2005 and 2006, a three-time All-Region and All-NJAC selection from 2004-2006, a two-time NJAC Pitcher of the Year (2005 and 2006) and the NJAC Player of the Year in 2004. She also was a DIII Honda Award finalist in 2006.

Schlichtig-Hastings led the Scarlet Raptors to their national title in 2006, helping the team set program marks with a 47-5 record and a 29-game winning streak.

Schlichtig-Hastings compiled a stellar 82-17 record during her three years at Rutgers-Camden, setting program career records for wins, ERA (0.75), innings (659), games (107), games started (94), complete games (84), strikeouts (906), opponent batting average (.146), shutouts (40) and saves (6). She also fired a record seven no-hitters, including a pair of perfect games.

Offensively, Schlichtig-Hastings is second on the program's career lists for batting average (.369), home runs (19), runs scored (110), RBIs (104), doubles (39), total bases (267) and walks (62).

Schlichtig-Hastings compiled 42 games with double-digit strikeouts during her Scarlet Raptor career, including a high of 17 during a 6-0 no-hitter against Swarthmore on April 8, 2004. She didn't walk a batter in that game and only missed a perfect game when the 21st batter reached on an error.

 

Prior to playing at Rutgers-Camden, Schlichtig-Hastings attended Fordham University for one year on a full athletic scholarship. At Fordham, she earned the Atlantic-10 Rookie of the Year honor as well as being named First Team All-Atlantic-10 and First Team All Region.

Schlichtig-Hastings attended Haddon Heights High School and was a First Team All-State selection in 2001 and 2002. She also was selected First Team All-South Jersey from 2000-2002 and named Courier-Post Player of the Year in 2002.

Schlichtig-Hastings led Haddon Heights to a New Jersey Group II State Championships a player in 2001. The Garnets also won South Jersey Group II championships in 2000 and 2001. She was inducted into the Haddon Heights Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011.

Schlichtig-Hastings graduated from Rutgers University-Camden in 2010 with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology. She has been a Professional Fastpitch and All-Skills Instructor since 2006.