Nikki Andrade - Softball Coach - University of Delaware Athletics

2025 Delaware Softball CAA Regular Season Champions

Photo by: Michael Riccio

Nikki Andrade

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
nandrade@udel.edu

Nikki Andrade joined the University of Delaware softball coaching staff prior to the 2019 season. She added recruiting coordinator to her title in June.

Delaware orchestrated a historic 2025 season, the 50th season in program history. The Blue Hens went 38-16 and 23-4 in CAA play to win the CAA regular season title. Along the way, UD set over 40 program records, including conference wins in a season (23), conference wins in CAA history (23), hits (461), doubles (96), home runs (57), RBIs (304), runs scored (336), total bases (748), on base percentage (.390), slugging percentage (.519), extra base hits (163), run-rule victories (17), runs scored in a conference game (19 vs Towson, May 1), runs scored in a conference opener (14 vs Drexel, March 7), largest margin of victory in a conference game (19-0 vs Towson, May 1), consecutive conference wins (13), consecutive road wins in a season (9), consecutive victories by run-rule (5), consecutive games scoring at least one run (55), and consecutive conference games with double-digit runs (3). On Feb. 7, UD defeated Michigan 8-2 - Delaware's first ever win against a ranked opponent. The Blue Hens also became the first school in CAA history with two consecutive seasons of at least 20 conference wins, and it was the first time in program history UD had at least 35 wins in back-to-back seasons. Delaware lead the conference in runs scored, hits, doubles, home runs, RBIs, total bases, and slugging percentage and had the second fewest strikeouts.

In 2024, Delaware set program records for wins in a season (39) and conference wins in a season (21) while tying their program record for longest win streak (13) and longest conference win streak (10). The Blue Hens also had seven players earn All-Conference honors, with three players named to First-Team All-CAA, two named to the Second-Team, and two All-Rookie selections. Andrade helped lead the team to a program records in 84 doubles and UD scored its second most runs (259) in a season. Delaware also lead the CAA in in average (.297), on base percentage (.374), slugging percentage (.446), runs scored, doubles, total bases (622).

In 2023, Delaware won its second-straight CAA Regular Season Championship with an overall record of 29-20 and a program record 18 CAA wins. Andrade helped lead Delaware to a .280 team batting average which was third in the CAA while six players were named All-CAA and four earned NFCA All-Region honors.

Delaware, in 2022, won its first CAA Regular Season Championship with an overall record of 29-16 and 11-4 in conference play. Under Andrade’s tutelage, Delaware ranked third in the CAA with a .275 batting average and second with a .438 slugging percentage. Hanna Garber was top five in the conference multiple categories such as slugging percentage, on-base percentage, ops, hits, triples and first in runs scored. Five different Blue Hens received All-CAA honors in 2023 and a program record of four earned NFCA All-Region teams.

The Blue Hens went 25-9 in 2021 and advanced to the CAA Tournament finals for the first time since 2004. Delaware finished with an RPI of 23, while its three All-Region selections tied for the most in program history and its six All-CAA honorees are the most since UD joined the league.

Delaware went 19-4 during the shortened 2020 season, tied for the best start in program history, while the Blue Hens’ improvement of 98 spots in the RPI was the 13th highest in Division I.

Delaware posted a 10-game winning streak, the third longest in school history, and ended the year by winning seven games in a row. The Blue Hens led the CAA in multiple statistical categories including winning percentage, hits, doubles, triples, stolen bases, saves, wins, ERA, strikeout to walk ratio, caught stealing and runners picked off. Additionally, Delaware ranked 10th in the nation in doubles and steals per game.

In 2019 the Blue Hens stole 91 bases, the second most in a UD single season. They ranked 23rd in the country in steals and 29th in triples, leading the CAA in both categories.

Prior to arriving in Newark, Andrade spent the previous year with new Blue Hen head coach Jen Steele on the Marshall coaching staff, helping the Thundering Herd win 25 games including a 13-9-1 mark in Conference USA. Prior to her stint in Huntington, Andrade spent six seasons as the head coach of the Vienna Stars travel team and three years as an assistant coach at James Madison High School in Vienna, Va., where she was instrumental in helping players move on to schools in the SEC, ACC and Big 10 conferences.

Her Vienna Stars team had an overall record of 203-63-12 while James Madison HS finished 61-15 during her tenure, including a conference championship and a runner-up finish in the state finals.

Andrade was a three-time All-Pac 10 performer, two-time All-Pacific Region honoree, two-time scholar athlete and 2002 NFCA All-American during her stellar career at Arizona State from 1999-2002. She led the Sun Devils to 40 wins three times, including Women’s College World Series appearances in 1999 and 2002. She currently ranks seventh in ASU history with 253 career hits and tied for 14th with a .333 batting average.

Andrade played for the USA Blue Team in 2001 and USA Elite in 2003, and played five years in the National Pro Fastpitch League. She was an All-NPF performer in 2007 when she led the Washington Glory to the championship. She also had successful coaching stints at Corona Del Mar and Mission Viejo High Schools in California.