Christine Akcer joined the Rhode Island coaching staff in August of 2021. She enters her third season in 2023 and serves as the team’s pitching coach and works with the team’s catchers.
In 2023, Akcer worked with pitcher Liz Lynchard, who earned National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division I Northeast All-Region Second Team honors. Lynchard was second in the conference with a 3.38 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and finished the regular season fourth in the A-10 with 7.1 strikeouts per 7.0 innings and fifth in total strikeouts with 142. She ranked in the top seven in the conference in strikeouts (5th), wins (7th), shutouts (t-2nd) and innings pitched (7th). Rhode Island's top pitcher, Lynchard was the first woman in 20 years with four shutouts in one season for the Rams. She was the first Ram to earn All-Region honors since 2002.
In her first season, Akcer helped junior Liz Lynchard post career highs in wins (8), appearances (35), starts (27), complete games (11), innings pitched (155.1), strikeouts (118), shutouts (2) and saves (2). The 118 strikeouts were the eighth-highest single season total in program history, and the 35 appearances were the sixth most. Lynchard earned Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference honors. Defensively, catcher Susan Harrison was just the fourth player in program history to have a perfect fielding percentage while handling at least 75 chances.
Akcer previously was at Southern Connecticut State as an assistant coach beginning in November of 2016. She served as the program’s interim head coach during the spring semester of 2021.
While with the Owls, Akcer worked directly with the team’s pitcher’s and catchers. In 2021, Southern Connecticut State had a team earned run average of 2.87, the program’s lowest since 2013. Freshman Jessica Perucki was an All-Northeast 10 selection, earning both third-team and all-rookie team honors. She was 7-6 with three saves and 92 strikeouts in 87.1 innings of work.
In addition to her time at Southern Connecticut State, Akcer has been an instructor for D-Bat Trumbull in Connecticut since December of 2018.
As a player, Akcer won four regular season Little East Conference titles and three tournament titles as a pitcher for Eastern Connecticut State. She led her team to NCAA Regional titles in 2010 and 2011, advancing to the NCAA Division III World Series both years.
Akcer earned her bachelor's degree in Sport and Leisure Management from Eastern Connecticut State in 2013, and she completed a master's degree in Sport Management from Southern New Hampshire in 2016.
updated 12/15/2023
