A 2009 graduate of Adams State, Rachel Vigil returned as a graduate assistant coach in the fall of 2010 after a year long stint as the head coach at Wasson High School in her hometown of Colorado Sprngs, Colo.
Vigil was the leadoff batter and outfielder for the Grizzlies during her 2-year college career which saw the Grizzlies win back-to-back Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference West Division Championships in 2008 and 2009. In 2008, the Grizzlies won a school-record 38 games and were able to advance to the championship game of the RMAC Tournament before being ousted.
Vigil attended Trinidad State Junior College in Trinidad, Colo. from the fall of 2005 to the spring of 2007 where she earned second team all-conference honors for the Trojans.
As a Grizzly, Vigil held a career .343 batting average as she scored 89 runs while getting 106 hits including two homers, both of which were during her senior year. Throughout both seasons, Vigil stole 16 bases and was good defensively as she tallied 105 putouts and 9 outfield assists with eight errors to finish with a .934 fielding percentage.
Since graduating from Adams State in 2009 with a degree in sociology, Vigil has been the head coach of the Thunderbirds. “The girls I coached were beginning level players, even though the team was a varsity team, some of the girls never even picked up a ball before,” said Vigil.
“I’m excited to have the opportunity to come back and be a part of this team (The Grizzlies) again.” She noted.
“As a former player she knows what to expect and knows the plan,” said Taylor. “She was a member of one of the Grizzly teams with the most wins, so she should know what to expect.”
“She was also a very competitive player,” Taylor added. “That should help.”
Vigil, who will be mainly in charge of the outfield group, is attending classes to get her master’s degree in community counseling as she looks to pursue a career in the criminal justice, specifically working with juveniles.
Vigil will also have a big impact on the Grizzlies' Junior Varsity squad which will be starting this next academic year.
