Loyola University Chicago Athletics

Chicago native Jackie Manrique, who works closely with the pitching staff, will enter her fourth season as an assistant coach with the Loyola University Chicago program in 2022. Prior to arriving at Loyola, Manrique spent the previous two years as the head softball coach at Trinity Christian College. 
 
Manrique’s work with the pitching staff in 2021 resulted in Sydney Ruggles becoming the first Loyola hurler since 2018 to earn All-Missouri Valley Conference recognition. A second-team all-league pick, Ruggles had a breakthrough campaign, posting the most strikeouts (169) of any Loyola pitcher since 2014 and the most by a right-hander since 2004. For the second time in three seasons, the Ramblers placed three players on All-MVC teams and shortstop Madison Ebeling was tabbed MVC Defensive Player of the Year. First baseman Allyson Ivey, who earned MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team honors for the second time as a Rambler, also capped a remarkable four-year career by setting the Loyola career record for runs batted in with 128.
 
In a 2020 season that was cut short due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Manrique helped the Loyola pitching staff post a 2.54 team earned-run average, a figure that topped the Missouri Valley Conference by over two-tenths of a run. The Ramblers’ 12-9 overall record gave the program its first winning season since 2017. 
 
A former collegiate pitcher herself, Manrique oversaw a Loyola pitching staff that finished in the top half of the Missouri Valley Conference in ERA, opponent batting average, hits allowed, runs allowed and walks allowed, as well as the league’s lowest amount of team home runs allowed, in 2019. Off the field, pitcher Kiley Jones was named First Team MVC Scholar-Athlete, joining three other Ramblers.
 
In two seasons at Trinity Christian in suburban Palos Heights, Manrique guided the Trolls to 34 wins and in 2017 helped the program record 18 victories, just the second time in over a decade that it won 18 or more contests. The Chicago native piloted Trinity Christian to a pair of CCAC Championship berths, marking the first time since 2014 that the Trolls qualified for the league tournament.
 
Manrique, a graduate of Lane Tech High School in Chicago, developed a pair of all-conference players in 2018, including Chloe McRobbie, who was also named Google Cloud First Team Academic All-America. 
 
Prior to her appointment at Trinity Christian, Manrique served as an assistant coach at North Park University for three seasons, working primarily with the pitchers and catchers. She played collegiately at St. Cloud State University before an injury cut short her junior season.