New Jersey City University Athletics

Last Updated: August 1, 2016

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Syracuse University standout Veronica Grant was named the 15th head coach in New Jersey City University softball history in January, 2016, after serving the program as its top assistant coach in 2015. She will begin her second season as head coach in 2016-17.
 
In her first season in 2016, she led the Gothic Knights to an eight-game winning streak in March—its longest in 17 years (1999) and the third longest in the 36-year history of the program. When NJCU improved to 11-5 that month, the Knights owned their best record to start a season since going 15-5 in 2001.
 
She coached first-baseman Brittany Paulikas to Second-Team All-New Jersey Athletic Conference honors. Paulikas earned NJAC Player of the Week honors during the season. Starting pitcher Christina Mezey was an NJAC Rookie of the Week selection and later was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Honorable Mention Division III National Pitcher of the Week after a 12-strikeout, near perfect game. Two other players earned Honorable Mention Academic All-NJAC distinction.

Grant came to NJCU after a season as assistant coach at Division II Mercy College in 2014 when the program won 19 times including 11 conference games.
 

“We are extremely excited to have Veronica Grant on board as our softball coach,” said Director of Athletics Alice De Fazio. “She is a proven winner, and her success as an intercollegiate student-athlete will surely translate to the same for NJCU Softball.”

A 2013 graduate of Syracuse with a Bachelor of Science in Child and Family Studies, she departed Central New York as one of the most accomplished players to ever suit up for the Orange.

Grant, a Southern California native, was a four-year starter for Syracuse in center field from 2010-13 for coaches Wallace King and Leigh Ross. A 2012 First-Team All-BIG EAST selection as a junior, she also garnered NFCA Second-Team All-Region accolades as a freshman in 2010. She was a team tri-captain as a senior in 2013. She holds SU single-season records for games played, games started, at bats, doubles and hit by pitch.

Grant helped lead SU to back-to-back BIG EAST championships in 2010 and 2011, capturing the crown as the fifth seed (32-24) and third seed (44-11) in those years. The Orange qualified for three consecutive NCAA Division I Softball Tournaments from 2010-12 and she played in the NCAA Regionals in College Park, Md., College Station, Texas and Tucson, Ariz.

As a senior she claimed College Sports Madness BIG EAST Player of the Week honors after a big performance at the Citrus Classic. Later she added BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll distinction after a strong effort at the Cougar Classic. Among other awards, she was bestowed Louisiana Classic All-Tournament team honors as a rookie in 2010. She was also named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll.

At the conclusion of her playing career, Grant started in 205 games for SU, which ranks fourth on the Orange all-time list. Grant’s 32 doubles were second all-time for the Orange while her seven triples and 65 steals placed her third. Additionally, she scored 121 total runs, good for fourth all-time.

Considered the best freshman in SU softball history, she held six rookie records while ranking among the top five in eight other categories after being moved from middle infield to center during the fall 2009 practice season.

As a freshman, she ranked 25th nationally with 0.33 doubles per game and 52nd with 0.47 stolen bases per contest. Her 27 steals placed her second in the BIG EAST. That year she established six SU freshman records, including at bats (183), doubles (19) and hit by pitch (9). She led the team with 46 runs scored and 90 total bases. She started 56 games in center and two at second base and ranked second on the club with 58 hits, two triples, 29 RBI, 12 multi-hit games and 27 stolen bases while leading the outfield with 50 putouts.

Among her most notable games for the Orange, as a senior she went 2-for-4 with two homeruns and five RBI against #11 LSU and hit solo homers vs. #4 California and #5 Texas. That year she went 4-for-8 in a doubleheader at Rutgers, including a 3-for-4 performance where she scored three times and had two RBI with a triple and a homer. She matched a single-game SU record with three steals at #24 South Florida before finishing the season with 10 homers. She reached the 100 hit plateau midway through her junior campaign. As a sophomore she led SU to the Georgia State Tournament title, recording four hits and five runs with three steals in the third game of the event. As a freshman she was 2-for-3 with a double and RBI in BIG EAST semifinal against No. 1 DePaul.

A native of Temple City, Calif., she was a 2009 graduate of Temple City High School where she was a four-year varsity player (2005-09) for Coach Bob Ellingsworth. As a sophomore she claimed Second-Team All-Area, Second-Team All-League and Second-Team California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) accolades and was tabbed as her team MVP. As a junior those honors increased to include First-Team All-Area, All-League and All-CIF. She led the Rams to back-to-back Rio Hondo League championships in 2008 and 2009. She played travel for the Valley Breeze ASA.

She also lettered in women’s soccer, playing four seasons (three varsity) for Coach Lauren Britt. Grant received Rookie of the Year and Second-Team All-Area distinction. Her team won the Rio Hondo League championship her senior year on the pitch.

Born in December, 1990 in Santa Monica, Calif., Grant was active in her community and in June 2011 earned the Girl Scouts Gold Award of Los Angeles County—the highest honor in Girl Scouts—after 12 years as a scout. Grant, 25, currently resides in Staten Island, NY.