Hall of Fame
Molly Rathbun became one of the most decorated softball players in the history of the Little East Conference (LEC) while leading Eastern Connecticut State University to four consecutive NCAA Division III Championship Tournament appearances, with a pair of berths in the College World Series.
Rathbun was a four-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America selection, earning Second Team honors as a freshman in 2009 before three consecutive First Team selections (2010-12). To-date, she is the only player in Eastern Connecticut or Little East history to be named a NFCA All-American four times in her career.
Hailing from Hebron, Connecticut, Rathbun was named the LEC Rookie of the Year and picked up the first of four consecutive First Team All-LEC awards in 2009. She went on to be named the LEC Pitcher of the Year her sophomore through senior seasons, and to-date is the only player in Conference history to be named Pitcher of the Year three times.
Rathbun would become the first-ever player to be named the LEC Player of the Year and LEC Pitcher of the Year in the same season as a senior after going 33-3 with a 0.93 ERA and 339 strikeouts in the circle while batting .439 with 58 hits, 11 doubles, five homers, 48 RBI and 22 runs scored. She would be named a First Team All-American At-Large selection that season after being named First Team All-American as pitcher each of the previous two seasons.
The Warriors won their first three LEC tournament titles from 2010-12, and advanced to the NCAA regional final in each of those seasons. Rathbun led the Warriors to the College World Series in 2010 and 2011; Eastern finished third in the 2011, going 3-2 at the national final. Eastern’s overall record with Rathbun on the roster was -29
Rathbun compiled a four-year record of 103-14 with a 0.88 ERA in the circle while batting .390 with career totals of 184 hits, 145 runs batted in and 28 home runs. She pitched nine no-hitters and finished her career holding school records for appearances, innings (770.2), starts (105), wins, winning percentage (.880), strikeouts (1,130), saves (14), complete games (94), shutouts (49), home runs, total bases (303), slugging percentage (.642) and RBI.
Rathbun earned her bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from Eastern in 2012, and was inducted into the Eastern Athletics Alumni Hall of Fame in 2019. She went on to enter the coaching ranks, serving as head coach at Trinity (Conn.) College from 2020-22 before accepting the role of assistant coach at Division I University of Connecticut for the 2023 campaign.