Shana Treon joined Davon Ortega’s Rider Softball coaching staff in August of 2017 after seven seasons as Ortega’s top assistant at Holy Family University. In the same role at Rider, Treon works primarily with the outfielders and assists with the hitting and offense. She is also responsible for team academics, travel, and assists with budgeting.
The 2022 season was a program-building campaign that culminated with the Broncs earning their first ever berth into a six-team MAAC Championship. Rider returned to the tournament for only the fifth time, including its second-straight berth after earning a spot in 2021, which was the first time since 2006. The team’s 28 wins were the most in the program since 2004 and the most since Treon joined the staff in 2017. The Broncs also finished above .500 in league play for the first time since 2006 and just the fourth time in the program’s 26 years in the MAAC conference.
The 2022 offense boasted one of Rider’s strongest outputs in the last five years. The Rider hitters finished the season ranked 45th nationally in Division I in team batting average – the highest ranking since Treon and Coach Paul Ortega took over the Broncs offense. The team finished the season with the highest team batting average, the most hits, and the lowest number of strikeouts in the MAAC conference. The Broncs’ 444 hits and 555 total bases were the most in Treon and Paul Ortega’s tenure and in the top 50 in the nation (hits). As a team, the Broncs were 149th and 123rd in scoring and strikeout-to-walk ratio respectively. The team also increased the number of doubles, adding 20 more than the previous season. Jessie Niegocki’s 66 hits were the most by a Bronc since 2006, which guided her to a season-ending rank of 68th nationally in Division I. On the defensive side, Treon’s outfielders were a force – committing only nine errors in 221 total chances collectively.
Academically, the 2022 Broncs once again achieved, earning a team grade point average above a 3.3. Senior Lani Moreno earned CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team – the first Bronc softball player to earn the honor in more than 20 years. Eleven Broncs earned MAAC Softball All-Academic Team honors while 17 players were named to the 2021-2022 MAAC Academic Honor Roll. The team’s 3.44 GPA earned them a spot on the 2021-2022 Easton/NFCA Team GPA list for Division I softball teams and 13 players earned individual recognition for maintaining a 3.5 GPA or higher.
In 2021, following an abbreviated 2020 season due to COVID-19, the Broncs earned their first MAAC Tournament berth since 2006 – just the fourth time in 24 years in the league. The Broncs’ 17 wins tied for the most for the program since 2012 and their .459 winning percentage was the best in the program since 2006. The 2021 Broncs offense finished second in the conference in team batting average with five players finishing the season with individual averages over .300, including Lani Moreno who hit .415. As a team, Rider only struck out 135 times and had the most hits in the MAAC conference (301). Elena Gonzalez and Lani Moreno were both named to the All-MAAC First Team, marking the first time since 2004 that Rider Softball has had multiple All-League First-Team honorees.
The 2019 Broncs continued to make program-building progress, posting double-digit victories for the second year in a row. Kelsey Marigliano gave Rider a second-straight All-MAAC Selection, being named to the Second Team after leading the team with a .323 batting average, .390 on-base percentage, 53 hits, 60 total bases, 25 runs scored, five stolen bases and 17 walks. Her 53 hits were the second-most in the last 12 years or Rider Softball since Tiffany Day-Neutill had 61 in 2007. Nine players earned MAAC All-Academic Team honors.
In her first season at Rider, the Broncs saw an 11-game improvement, including a seven-win jump in conference play. Treon and coach Paul Ortega picked up where they left off at Holy Family, creating one of the most explosive offenses in Rider’s recent history. The Broncs hitters amplified their stats in all offensive categories including an increase from a .210 team batting average to a .273 average, which was second-best in the MAAC and ranked Rider 115th nationally in Division I. Treon and Ortega’s offense tripled the team’s runs scored and RBIs from the 2017 season and boasted 118 more hits while touching 177 more bases. The Broncs finished the season ranked 79th in the nation in scoring and 34th in triples per game. Defensively, Treon’s outfielders committed only 12 errors in 138 chances, including centerfielder, Toni Nino, who earned All-MAAC First Team honors. Academically, in Treon’s first season, the Broncs earned a 3.29 team GPA with 18 of 19 players earning a 3.0 GPA or higher. Fourteen players earned MAAC Academic Honor Roll and five players were named to the MAAC All-Academic Team.
In Treon’s tenure at Holy Family, the offense saw a steady increase in batting average, RBIs, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, and runs scored as well as a steady decrease in team strikeouts. In 2017, a year after setting new program records in runs scored, hits, doubles, triples and total bases in 2016, the Tigers elevated the program bests in team batting average, runs scored, hits, doubles and RBIs. Proof of the Tiger’s aggressive offensive strategy, the 2016 team picked up a 75% stolen base percentage – second highest only to the 2014 team. During the 2015 season, Treon and Ortega’s offense earned what at the time was the second highest team batting average of the program’s NCAA era and the highest since the 2007 season. The 2014 squad put together one of the best offensive seasons in program history including establishing new team records for batting average, hits, RBIs, slugging percentage, walks, runs scored and on-base percentage.
Defensively, Treon’s outfielders continuously raised the bar of excellence. Outfielder Brianna Scotto received All-CACC honors for three years as well as earning CoSida Academic All-District and Division II CCA All-East Region honors, all under Treon’s guidance. Additionally, during the 2014 season, all three of Treon’s outfielders earned CACC All-Conference accolades.
Prior to her time at Holy Family, Treon spent four years as an assistant coach at Penn State Abginton College where she played an integral part in the program’s transition from an intramural team to an NCAA Division III program. While at Penn State Abington, Treon shared the offensive duties and was primarily responsible for the Nittany Lions outfielders, compliance, academics, and budgeting.
Treon earned her degree from Lehigh University where she was a three-time All-Patriot League selection as an outfielder. She was a CoSIDA Academic All-District II selection in 2004 and was also awarded the Lehigh Athletic Department’s Graduating Female Athlete of the year award, given to the senior with the most distinctive and extraordinary accomplishments in her Lehigh career.
She was also nominated for the Graduating Scholar-Athlete of the Year award. Treon was a three-time member of the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll who also consistently appeared on the Dean’s List for her work in the classroom.
During her senior campaign, Treon helped lead the Mountain Hawks to the sixth-straight regular season title, their sixth Patriot League tournament title and a spot in the NCAA tournament. She led the team in hits, triples, home runs, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, stolen bases, and runs scored. With her .344 batting average, she also earned a spot on the NFCA Mid-Atlantic All-Region Second team.
Treon ended her career in the Top 10 on the Patriot League’s career charts for doubles, triples, and stolen bases. She was a member of two NCAA Tournament teams and graduated Cum Laude with a degree in Art with a Graphic Design concentration in 2004. In 2007 Treon earned her Master’s degree in Teaching (MAT) Visual Art from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.
