Central College Athletics

Brenda (Vigness) Coldren, a Central College softball All-American pitcher and former NCAA Division I head coach returned to the program as the Dutch pitching coach in 2022.

The head coach at Indiana State University from 2002-11 after four seasons as coach at Iowa Western Community College, Coldren was also pitching coach and lead assistant at Drake University from 1992-98.
           
A 1989 Central graduate with a master’s degree from Drake, Coldren now owns and operates Elite Skills in Marietta, Georgia, where she provides private pitching instruction.
           
A four-year starter as a pitcher and left fielder for Central, Coldren helped launch the Dutch softball dynasty. Central made its first four trips to the NCAA Division III finals during her career, winning the 1988 national championship after finishing second in 1986 and fourth nationally in 1987 and 1989. She was a three-time All-Iowa Conference performer and was the league MVP in 1988 before receiving All-America honors in 1989.
           
The left-hander shares the school season shutouts record with her 11 in 1989 when she posted a 16-6 record and a 0.60 earned run average. For her career she was 50-17 with a 0.93 ERA and 31 shutouts. She ranks sixth in school history in career ERA and is tied for third in shutouts. In 1988 Coldren threw 58 consecutive scoreless innings, the ninth-longest streak in Division III history. She also compiled a .296 career batting average, scoring 52 runs and stealing 37 bases. She hit .341 in 1988.
           
Coldren also lettered in women’s basketball at Central, receiving the team’s Hustle Award in 1988-89.
           
She is a native of McCallsburg, Iowa and played for Dutch head coach George Wares at NESCO High School in Zearing, then joined him at Central in 1985.
           
Following graduation, Coldren spent a year playing professionally for the Green Island Softball Club in Dunedin, New Zealand and was the first American player recruited to play on the South Island of New Zealand. She also played for the New Zealand regional team Otago, leading them to a four-place national tourney finish.