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Wayne State University Athletics

Nicole Tines Headshot

Nicole Tines

UPDATED August 8, 2024

Nicole (Abel) Tines was promoted to head softball coach at Wayne State University in May of 2021 following the retirement of 40-year head coach Gary Bryce.  She began her fourth season at the helm of the Warrior softball program in the fall of 2024.

Tines has mentored 36 Academic All-GLIAC student-athletes in her three seasons as head coach.  She tutored one First Team All-GLIAC (Rylie Josephson) selection in 2024, as well as one Second Team honoree (Shelby Miller) and two Honorable Mention recipients (Abby Favela and Logan Forman).

In her three seasons as head coach, her squads have ranked in the top 25 nationally in team GPA all three years (12th in 2022, 22nd in 2023, and 21st in 2024).

Prior to being named head coach, Tines served the previous 10 seasons as an assistant coach with the Warrior softball program, including seven years as a full-time assistant coach after being named to that position in October of 2014.

Abel served one year as a student assistant coach (2011-12), followed by two years as a graduate assistant coach (2012-13 and 2013-14).  She earned her master's degree in Sports Administration from WSU in 2014.

She helped mentor the 2016 NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) National Player of the Year (Lyndsay Butler).  Butler was a top three finalist for the same award in 2017 as well as becoming the only person in NCAA Softball history (Divisions I, II and III combined) to record at least 300 hits as a batter and over 1,000 strikeouts as a pitcher.  The 2017 pitching staff led the nation in ERA (1.22), while ranking seventh in shutouts with 20.

She married former WSU basketball player Andrew Tines in October of 2017, and the couple has two children.
 
NICOLE TINES'S WSU COACHING RECORD
Year Games Wins Losses Pct. GLIAC Wins GLIAC Losses GLIAC Pct. GLIAC Finish
2022 47 13 34 .277 6 22 .214 7th/8
2023 46 16 30 .348 5 19 .208 7th/7
2024 47 17 30 .362 9 15 .375 T-5th/7

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Playing Career:  Was a four-year player (2007-10) for the Warriors compiling a 29-21 record in the circle with four saves, while recording 300 strikeouts and a 2.54 earned-run average ... also had five RBI in limited batting action with a .300 on-base percentage ... graduated in May 2012 with a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology.

Career Notes:  Finished career tied-for-fifth in saves (4), eighth in strikeouts (300), 10th in shutouts (9), 11th in appearances (88) and 14th in winning percentage (.580).

2010:   Named to the GLIAC All-Academic team ... played in 28 games starting 18 times ... started 15 games as a pitcher (WSU went 13-2) and three others as a designated player ... batted seventh in first two DP starts ... first hit came in the ninth inning in Feb. 26 win over Armstrong Atlantic ... had a two-run pinch-hit single in the fourth inning of May 15 NCAA tournament win over Saginaw Valley ... had an RBI pinch-hit single in sixth inning of May 22 NCAA Super Regional win over Ashland ... had a leadoff single in third inning against Metro State at the College World Series ... compiled a 7-2 mark as a pitcher (7-1 as a starter) ... struck out 54 batters as a starter in 59.1 innings ... had three shutouts plus two combined shutouts ... struck out a career-high 12 batters twice (April 22 at Detroit, and April 30 at Northwood) ... won final four decisions in the circle and went 27 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings (April 22-May 1) ... allowed just one run over final 28.1 innings with 31 strikeouts ... went 3-7 as a pinch-hitter ... recorded a base hit in three of final six at bats ... Game-By-Game Stats.

2009: Named to the All-GLIAC Honorable Mention team ... WSU went 10-4 in her 14 starts ... did not surrender an earned run in six relief appearances spanning 10.1 innings ... allowed just four hits in 35 at bats (.114 batting average) ... batted eighth three times and ninth twice ... went 1-for-3 and allowed just one run in five innings to earn victory at Tiffin on April 11 ... .batted .200 (1-5) with a walk in six pinch-hitting appearances ... lone pinch-hit came on April 10 vs. Ashland on the ninth pitch of the at bat ... opponents batted .144 (21-146) with runners on base ... won seven of her last eight decisions ... recorded non-conference wins over C.W. Post, Minnesota State-Moorhead, Detroit and Lake Erie ... suffered 1-0 setback vs. New Haven on March 16 ... tossed four scoreless innings at Ashland on April 1 ... equaled a then career-high with 11 strikeouts on April 18 vs. Lake Erie ... struck out nine batters in back-to-back games (April 8 vs. Hillsdale and April 11 against Tiffin) ... recorded first collegiate no-hitter on April 23 vs. Findlay ... faced 20 batters retiring 18 plus a walk and an error ... tied career-high for wins (9), while setting career-bests in complete games (8), shutouts (3) and opponents batting average (.185) ... GLIAC (league) rankings: first in lowest opponent batting average (.146) and opponent average with two outs (.089); fifth in shutouts (2 - also combined on 2 others); 10th in wins (5) ... named to the GLIAC All-Academic team ... finished fifth in the GLIAC in overall ERA (at least 80- innings pitched), fourth in opponent batting average (.185) and tied-for-seventh in shutouts (3) ... Game-By-Game Stats.

2008: Named to the GLIAC All-Academic team ... started 17 games (16 P, 1 DP) ... batted sixth in designated player start vs. Indianapolis on Feb. 24 ... struck out nine batters in no-decision on March 11 vs. Pfeiffer ... recorded a season-high 10 strikeouts in shutout win over Dominican on March 15 ... tossed six inning shutout at Findlay ... held Ashland scoreless for 4.2 innings in 1-0 WSU win ... earned the win in relief vs. Hillsdale by blanking the Chargers for four innings on two hits ... defeated Saginaw Valley 2-1 on April 17 by scattering four hits ... earned a save in both games of Northwood doubleheader on April 16 ... entered game one with bases loaded and 6-4 lead ... entered game two with two on and a 4-1 lead ... pitched nine scoreless innings at Ferris State ... had a streak of 22 consecutive scoreless innings (March 15-April 6) ... earned third save of the season on April 26 at Grand Valley with three hitless innings of relief ... three saves ranked 25th in the nation ... Game-By-Game Stats.

2007: Named Most Valuable Player of the WSU Invitational after compiling a 3-0 record including the win in both the semifinal and championship games ... started 16 games (13 P, 3 DP) ... won six straight decisions (March 16-April 15) ... earned first collegiate save on April 27 against Ashland ... had two games with double-digit strikeout totals (March 15 vs. Philadelphia - 10; and March 17 vs. Eckerd - 11) ... earned first collegiate victory with three innings of hitless relief vs. California (Pa.) on March 16 ... tossed a one-hit shutout of Ferris State on April 29 in GLIAC regular-season title clinching game ... longest outing was 7.2 innings vs. SW Minnesota State on March 11 ... first collegiate hit came March 10 against Nebraska-Omaha ... other hit and only run scored was April 21 versus Quincy ... made last 22 defensive chances without an error ... tossed a scoreless inning of relief in NCAA tournament against SIU-Edwardsville on May 11 ... Game-By-Game Stats.

High School: A 2006 graduate of St. Mary's High School ... compiled a 28-3 mark during the summer of 2005 with the Guelph Gators squad that won the Ontario provincial championship as well as the national championship ... had a 0.38 earned-run average in 201 innings pitched while recording 360 strikeouts in 36 games ... batted .270 with 15 RBI, 17 walks and five stolen bases in 111 at-bats ... also participated in hockey and field hockey.

Personal: Full name--Nicole K. Abel ... born July 11, 1988, in Kitchener, Ont. ... daughter of Randy and Denise Abel ... has a younger brother, Taylor ... her great uncle, Sid Abel, played for the Detroit Red Wings from 1938-52, serving as team captain the latter eight years ... is a Kinesiology major ... named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll (term gpa 3.5+) for Winter 2008 and Winter 2010 ... named to the Coach's Honor Roll (term gpa 3.0-3.49) for Fall 2006, Fall 2007 and Fall 2009 ... participated in the Pan Am Championships (Nov. 2006) in Puerto Rico as a member of Softball Canada's Junior Women's National Team ... started two games and pitched once in relief ... hurled a total of 10.2 innings allowing three hits and no runs with 17 strikeouts and only seven walks ... recorded wins over Aruba and Colombia.