Colleen McNamara guided Rutgers softball to two AIAW College World Series and was the program’s first all-american as one of the most prolific hitters in school history. During her four seasons “On The Banks”, McNamara helped Rutgers softball compile a 89-15 record for a .865 winning percentage across her four-year career.
In her freshman season in 1979, McNamara earned the starting position at first base as an integral part of a squad that produced a 24-0 regular season record and advanced to the AIAW World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. As a rookie, she hit .369, leading the team in home runs, triples and hits. Against Glassboro during the regular season, McNamara hit two grand slam home runs and a three-run home run to plate 11 runs in one inning.
As a sophomore in 1980, Rutgers finished 22-3 as McNamara and her squad returned to the EAIAW Regional Tournament, having suffered only one loss during the regular season.
McNamara became softball’s first-ever all-american when Rutgers returned to the AIAW College World Series behind a perfect 25-0 regular season record during her junior campaign in 1981. In addition to her national accolades, McNamara earned first team all-conference, all-tournament and all-region in addition to being selected as the team’s most valuable player.
Named team captain as a senior in 1982, McNamara hit .333 with 16 RBIs and a .989 fielding percentage, repeating as a first-team all-conference and all-tournament honoree.
McNamara graduated from Rutgers in 1982 with a double major in human kinetics and English and also earned a mini-MBA from the university in 2010. She joined the Old Bridge Police Department during her junior year and served the Old Bridge community for 33.5 years, retiring at the rank of captain. Her family continues to bleed Scarlet as all four of her children have also received degrees from Rutgers University.
