Laura Heise (St. Scholastica '06) who has been on the Augsburg staff as a full-time assistant coach since 2019, was named as head coach for the Auggie softball program in August 2024. Heise has been involved with the Augsburg softball program for 10 years during two stints – as a part-time pitching coach from 2008-11 and as a full-time assistant coach from 2019 to 2024. She also serves the athletic department as the women's athletic equipment supervisor, and on the concessions and athletic merchandise staff.
Playing Experience/Achievements
Heise played collegiately as a pitcher at the College of St. Scholastica (2003-06), earning All-Upper Midwest Athletic Conference honors all four years, each season being named UMAC Player of the Year. She earned National Fastpitch Coaches Association NAIA All-Region honors three times, and was named the NAIA Regional Player of the Year in 2004. She earned NAIA All-American first-team and NFCA NAIA All-America second-team honors in 2004, and was named an NFCA NCAA Division III All-American first-team honoree in 2006. She was inducted into the St. Scholastica Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016.
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Heise led the Saints in batting average all four years of her career, ending with school records for batting average (.456), home runs (30), on-base percentage (.533) and hits (217). She drove in 151 runs, had 48 doubles, a .750 slugging percentage and 76 walks. In the pitching circle, Heise holds CSS school records with a 95-21 career record, an .819 winning percentage, 732.1 innings pitched, a 0.61 earned-run average, 107 starts, 90 complete games, 46 shutouts, six saves a .137 opponent batting average, and 1,125 strikeouts. Her 7.98 strikeout-to-walk ratio (1,125 strikeouts to 141 walks) is also a school record. She threw 10 career no-hitters and had streaks of 64.2 scoreless innings and 27 consecutive hitless innings in 2004.
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Her 0.61 career ERA is fifth-best in NCAA Division III softball history, with her 1,125 strikeouts 11th-most and her 10.75 strikeout ratio 12th-best. Her 46 career shutouts are tied for 11th-most, and her 95 career wins are tied for 18th-most. Her 337 strikeouts in 2004 and 317 strikeouts in 2006 both led all NCAA Division III pitchers nationally.
Previous Coaching Experience
In addition to her coaching at Augsburg, Heise has also served as an assistant coach at Division II Concordia-St. Paul and Wayzata (Minn.) High School. Heise has been the head coach of the Minnesota Magic softball club since 2017, and has been a hitting/pitching clinician for several youth programs. She also served as an assistant coach with the Macalester College program for one season.
Personal Notes
Heise earned her bachelor's degree in exercise physiology from St. Scholastica in 2006, and spent five years working as a special education paraprofessional at Wayzata High School.
