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Eastern Illinois softball coach Tara Archibald has announced the hiring of Rachel Houck as the new assistant coach for the Panthers softball team.  Houck has worked the past two seasons as a graduate assistant coach with the EIU program.
 
Last season Houck worked as a member Archibald's staff helping the team post an 11-10 record during a season shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Houck worked with hitters and outfielders helping the team improve in nearly every offensive category with nine different players hitting home runs during the season.  The team improved in slugging percentage, on-base percentage, runs per game, home runs per game and RBI per game.  During her first season as a graduate assistant coach in 2019, Houck helped coach two All-Ohio Valley Conference selections.
 
Houck played softball at Ball State where she began her coaching career.  As a volunteer coach at Ball State in 2018, she helped the team post a 37-19 record with the 37 wins the fourth most in school history.  The team won the Mid-American Conference West Division and Houck helped coach three first-team All-MAC selections.
 
On the field Houck played three years at Ball State after playing her freshman season at Louisville.  She was a 2017 NFCA All-Great Lakes Second Team selection after ranking in the top three in the MAC and top 50 in the nation in both doubles (17) and home runs (13).  She was 16-of-16 in stolen base attempts becoming the third player in program history with a perfect steal percentage rate in a season with ten or more attempts.  Houck finished the year leading the MAC with 51 runs scored and a slugging percentage of .613.   She was a three time Academic All-MAC selection and a MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete in 2017.   Houck finished her career ranked in the top ten in five single season statistical categories and in three career categories.
 
Houck is a 2017 graduate of Ball State and earner her master's from Eastern Illinois in 2020.