Colby Chavez Named Golden Valley Conference Coach of the Year

After leading Lassen College softball to one of the most successful seasons in program history, head coach Colby Chavez has been named the Golden Valley Conference Coach of the Year.

In just his season leading the Cougar program, Chavez guided Lassen to a 25-16 overall record and a 15-5 mark in conference play while helping the Cougars finish second in the Golden Valley Conference behind Feather River College. The season marked Lassen’s first playoff appearance in 19 years and only the third postseason berth in program history.

Under Chavez’s leadership, the Cougars established themselves as one of the top offensive teams in the conference, finishing the season with a .311 team batting average, 367 hits, and 251 runs scored. Lassen consistently competed with some of the top programs in Northern California throughout the season and earned the No. 16 seed in the 3C2A NorCal Regional Playoffs.

The historic season also featured strong individual performances across the roster, as Lassen produced five First Team All-Conference selections and four Second Team All-Conference honorees. The Cougars battled defending state champion College of San Mateo in the opening round of the playoffs and nearly pulled off an upset in Game 2 after rallying from a five-run deficit to take the lead late in the game.

Chavez’s Coach of the Year honor reflects not only the turnaround of the softball program, but also the culture, competitiveness, and belief established throughout the season. The Cougars’ postseason return and second place conference finish marked a major step forward for Lassen softball and set a new standard for the program moving forward.