Coaching Staff

Maxine Rodriguez
Assistant Coach

Assistant coach Maxine Rodriguez, who works with the Billiken pitchers, serves a fifth season on Christy Connoyer’s staff in 2022-23.

Rodriguez came to SLU after spending one season as an assistant at George Washington, where she was the Colonials’ pitching coach. She has been a private pitching instructor since 2013.

Rodriguez helped guide George Washington to a school-record 33 wins and an Atlantic 10 Conference Championship berth in 2018. Under her tutelage, Sarah Costlow earned two A-10 Pitcher of the Week awards and Sierra Lange was named to the league’s All-Rookie team.

A California native, Rodriguez began her collegiate career at DePaul. She played two seasons with the Blue Demons and garnered Big East Conference All-Academic plaudits both years. Rodriguez completed her career at Mercer, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in communication with a minor in elementary education and was a two-time Southern Conference All-Academic selection.

At Saint Louis, Rodriguez earned a master’s degree in student personnel administration.

“We’re excited to welcome Maxine to the Billiken family,” Connoyer said upon Rodriguez’s appointment. “She brings experience, energy and a passion for developing a champion’s mentality with student-athletes. Her technical skills in working with pitchers complement the competitive mental-game knowledge she will bring to our pitching staff. Our pitchers, as well as our position players, will be greatly influenced by Maxine’s work ethic and respect for the game.”

Faith Otts
Graduate Assistant

Former Southern Arkansas University standout third baseman Faith Otts joined the Billiken coaching staff as a graduate assistant in August 2021.

In 2018, Otts was named to the NCAA Division II Conference Commissioner’s Association All-America third team and All-Central Region first team, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Central Region first team, and the All-Great American Conference first team. She was All-GAC honorable mention in 2021.

Otts helped lead the Muleriders to an NCAA Division II third-place national finish, a GAC regular-season title and a 60-11 record in 2018, when she set a school record of nine sacrifice flies and joined five teammates in establishing school marks of 71 games played and 71 starts. Her 71 starts were part of 215 consecutive starts at third base. Otts also was a member of SAU teams that captured the GAC regular-season crown and competed in the NCAA regional in 2019 and 2021.

Otts ranks among SAU’s career top 10 in several categories. She owns school records for plate appearances and sacrifice flies and ranks third in games played, games started, runs, home runs, RBI and total bases. Otts is one of only five players in program history to record 200 career hits, and she finished with a .312 batting average.

Also an outstanding student, Otts twice was selected to the College Sports Information Directors of America All-District 7 first team, and she was a 2021 GAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete. She earned a bachelor’s degree in sports management at SAU and is pursuing a master’s degree in student personnel administration at Saint Louis.

Jay Ozier
Volunteer Assistant

Jay Ozier joined the Saint Louis University softball staff as a volunteer assistant in the fall of 2018.

Ozier has a wide array of softball coaching experience. He was the hitting coach for two seasons at Missouri Baptist University, head coach at Smithton Junior High and a volunteer assistant at New Athens Junior High and High School. Ozier also has served as a coach for the Southern Illinois Falcons 10U through 18U select teams.

During his time as a teacher at Carl L. Barton Elementary School in Freeburg, Illinois, Ozier coached seventh-grade boys’ basketball for three years and sixth-grade girls’ basketball for one year.

A member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, Ozier has instructed at camps throughout the nation and attended numerous coaches’ clinics and collegiate team practices.

Ozier is a 1991 graduate of McKendree University with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education.