New England College

Résumé

Head Coach at New England College (2013-present)

162-162 (.500) overall record, 72-52 (.281) in-conference record at New England College
162-162 (.500) career overall record

Seven Conference Championship Appearances ('13, '15, '16, '17, '18, '19, '21)
Coached Four NFCA All-Region Selections
Coached 28 All-Conference players

Coaching Philosophy

Head softball coach Ben Master will enter his ninth season at the helm of the NEC program in the 2020-21 academic year. 

In 2019, the Pilgrims reached new heights. won a program-record 30 games, including winning 16-straight. Daelyn Ross was named New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Rookie of the Year, while Taylor Barbour, Chanel Welch, and Alexa Scribner were named to the conference's first team. 

2018 saw the Pilgrims head back to the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) championship game for the first time in team history. With a 5-3 win over Thomas College in the NAC Semifinals, Master collected his 100th win at New England College. Two members of the team picked up NAC All-Conference First Team honors, while two more found their way on the second team.  

The 2017 season saw NEC reach their third-straight NAC tournament. Two members of the team earned NAC All-Conference First Team honors, while senior Brianna Castellano became the second player in Master's tenure to earn National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region honors. 

In 2016, Master led the Pilgrims to a 21-21 overall record, marking the third-highest single-season wins record and leading the team to their best season in 10 years. 

In Master’s inaugural season as head coach in 2013, he led the team to an overall record of 17-16 and the second seed in the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) playoffs, earning him NAC Coach of the Year honors.

Master currently serves on the NCAA DIII New England Regional Advisory Committee and the NFCA All-Region Committee.

Individually, Master has coached six NFCA All-American Scholar-Athletes since he started at New England College. Additionally during his tenure, Master has coached two NAC Rookie of the Year recipients (2013, 2015), 11 All-NAC members, and two NFCA All-Region Team honorees (Rebecca Allen - 2015, Brianna Castellano - 2017.).

Master came to NEC in 2013 after serving a year as the Assistant Sports Information Director at Centenary College in Hackettstown, New Jersey.

Prior to Centenary Master spent eight seasons as the assistant softball coach at Sussex Community College in Newton, New Jersey.  Over those eight seasons, Master coached the Skylanders to a 205-135 record, appearing in the NJCAA Region XIX playoffs each year with six championship tournament appearances. In 2005 the Skylanders reached the Region XIX Championship Game and the accomplishment that led to being named the NJCAA Division III 2005 NFCA/Speedline National Coaching Staff of the Year.

Master earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communications from Towson University in 1997. He is active in the summer, working several camps and clinics including the Elite Collegiate Skills Camps, Maryland Black Ice Camp, and the Bow Turn 2 Clinic.