Bio

Ellie Manderfeld was named the Eureka College softball head coach on July 14, 2026. The 2027 season will mark the first season with Manderfeld at the helm of the Red Devils.

Manderfeld comes to Eureka after most recently serving as an assistant coach at Purdue University Northwest, where she helped the program improve from 14 wins in 2025 to 30 victories in 2026, finishing fifth in the regular season and third in the GLIAC Tournament. During her tenure, she coached three GLIAC Hitters of the Week, five All-GLIAC selections, and two All-GLIAC Honorable Mention honorees. The Pride also broke nine offensive single-season records and six single-game records while leading the conference in batting average (.320), hits (507), doubles (89), triples (25), total bases (733), and slugging percentage (.463).

Prior to Purdue Northwest, Manderfeld spent two seasons as head softball coach and Senior Woman Leader at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois. There, she coached three CCAC Pitchers of the Week, two CCAC Hitters of the Week, three All-CCAC selections, three All-CCAC Honorable Mention honorees, and four NCCAA All-Region players. Her teams also set program records for individual single-season stolen bases, career hits, and single-season hits.

Outside of coaching, Manderfeld has served in the Illinois Army National Guard since 2020 as a CH-47 pilot and company commander.

A standout outfielder at North Park from 2017-21, Manderfeld earned Second Team All-CCIW honors in 2018 and led the conference in runs scored in 2019. She was named an NCAA Woman of the Year nominee in 2020 in recognition of her academic achievement, athletic excellence, leadership, and community service, while also earning North Park's Female Sportsperson of the Year award. Manderfeld earned bachelor's degrees in sport management and graphic design in 2020 before completing her Master of Business Administration with a concentration in leadership in 2023.