Cedar Rapids Prairie picks Alisha Frese as its new softball coach

CEDAR RAPIDS — Alisha Frese built a winning softball program at Dubuque Hempstead. Now, she'll try to elevate Cedar Rapids Prairie to an even higher level.

Frese was named Prairie's coach on Friday.

'I am excited to lead such a great program,' Frese said in a released supplied by Prairie. 'I have had the opportunity to coach against Prairie and have seen (its) progression over the years. They have outstanding facilities, great student athletes and dedicated staff. To be part of the Prairie community truly exciting.'

Frese coached 16 seasons at Hempstead, compiling a 431-253 record. She was a seven-time Mississippi Valley Conference coach-of-the-year winner.

'We are extremely excited and fortunate to have Coach Frese lead our program,' Prairie Athletics Director Rocky Bennett said. 'She is a proven winner and I am very excited for the experience our student-athletes and fans will have with her leadership.'

Frese is a 1995 graduate of Center Point-Urbana, She graduated from Kirkwood Community College and Clarke University. She will teach physical education at Prairie Point Middle School.

She succeeds Erin Johnson, now an assistant at the University of Iowa. She inherits a team that went 29-12 last season and returns four regular position-player starters — led by junior Amaya Snyder and sophomores Alexis Barden and Jensyn Jones — plus junior pitcher Riley Sauser.

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