Coaching Staff
Varsity Head Coach
Darby Krivoruchka - 9th Season, 3rd season Head Coach
Coach Darby returns for her eighth year on the Patriot coaching staff. She was one of the original Sparks players who has been through the entire fastpitch program since it's started in Bismarck in 2007. She started out with the Bismarck Sparks, then played her senior year as a Century Patriot after the program split. She helped lead the Patriots to a state runner-up finish. She went on to attend the University of Jamestown, where she played four years of college softball and graduated in 2016 with a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry. Darby works as an environmental chemist for the ND Department of Environmental Quality in the Division of Lab Services.
She has been a fastpitch and slow pitch umpire since 2010. She works with all ages, from girls fastpitch to women's, men's, and coed slow pitch. She has umpired in six national softball tournaments and has helped out with several slow pitch and fastpitch tournaments around the state. In 2020, she had received Elite Umpire Status for slow pitch softball, one of the highest honors an umpire is able to receive. She is hoping to work her way up to Elite status for fastpitch in the future.
Coach Darby is also the Travel Director for the Bismarck Sparks travel softball program through BYFSA. She hopes to continue to grow the sport of fastpitch softball in Bismarck, as well as continuing to develop all players into not only better softball players, but also better people.
Email: dkrivoru@gmail.com
Cell: 701-202-5429
Varsity Assistant/Pitching Coach
Brian Neuhardt - 16th Season
Brian returns for his 16th season as an assistant coach, 14th season with Bismarck Century Softball. Brian has been part of youth fastpitch since it started in Bismarck back in 2006, where he became the founder and former president of the BYFSA Board. In the following 2007-2008 season, Brian was the head coach for the Bismarck Sparks high school team before the sport was sanctioned through NDHSAA. And then once the sport became sanctioned, he stepped into the role of assistant coach in 2009 for the Bismarck Sparks and then for our current softball program at Century in 2011.
Brian has been around the game for a really long time. He was an active men's fastpitch player between the years of 1978-1994. During this time, he was also an assistant coach at Valley City State (1982-1983), Mary College (1985-1987), and had coached Women's Amateur teams from Bismarck during the years of 1982-1987. Brian has also been on the officiating side of the game as well, being an active umpire during the years 1999-2003. Brian has recently retired from being North Dakota's USA Softball JO Commissioner, He had been in this position from 2010-2023, helping to make sure that fastpitch softball continues to grow in the right direction.
Varsity Assistant Coach
Taylor Mendez-Eastridge - 2nd Season
A University of Mary graduate who played for the UMary softball program for 5 years, Taylor ended her career as the Marauders all-time home run leader during the NCAA era. Mendez-Eastridge was one of the top hitters in the Northern Sun. The native of Los Banos, CA, she was a two-time NSIC Player of the Week during the 2017 season while hitting .349 with a .620 slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .426. Settling into primarily first base during the 2017 season after playing multiple positions her first three seasons, Mendez-Eastridge hit 14 doubles, two triples, and nine home runs with 33 RBIs and 35 runs scored. She led the Marauders in all the previously listed categories except batting average, where she was second.
Mendez-Eastridge finished her illustrious Marauder career being recognized as a NSIC first team selection at second base as a sophomore in 2015, a NSIC second team selection as a utility player her junior season in 2016, and a NSIC second team selection at first base her senior season in 2017. Additionally, she finishes her career with 49 home runs, 158 RBIs, 155 runs scored, a batting average of .356, a .418 on base percentage, and a .647 slugging percentage. In addition to leading the NCAA era in home runs, she is second in runs scored, hits (242) and slugging percentage, and third in on base percentage.
Mendez-Eastridge was honored with the accolades of Unsung Hero in 2015 and Female Strength Athlete of the Year 2017 for the Marauder Athletics. She is currently a special education teacher in Mandan Public Schools.
Head JV Coach
Allie Mischel - 3rd Season
Allie is originally from Bismarck, where she attended Shiloh Christian School and participated in volleyball, basketball, and CHS softball. Allie primarily played second base throughout her high school career and graduated in 2016. She then went on to play both volleyball and softball at BSC, where she graduated with an Associate's degree in Applied Science. Allie currently works at Sanford Health as a surgical technologist, and she also coaches both volleyball and basketball at Shiloh Christian. Allie is still very active throughout the year with playing both adult volleyball and softball.
JV Assistant Coach
Lisa Wingerter - 3rd Season
Bio coming soon!
JV Assistant Coach
Renee Snyder - 1st Season
Bio coming soon!
Volunteer Assistant Coach
Madi Winkle - 3rd Season
Madi is originally from Calgary, AB Canada. She attended Williston State College and played softball for the Tetons from 2014-2016, where in 2016 she made the all-region and all-conference teams. Madi then attended and played softball for University of Mary from 2016-2018, where she graduated with a major in Psychology and a minor in Addiction Counseling. She also continued her education at University of Mary from 2018-2020 and obtained a Masters of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Madi is a 2x Women's Senior A Canadian National Champion and a 2x All Star 3rd Baseman at the Canadian National Tournament (2018, 2019). She currently works as a mental health counselor in the Bismarck community.
Volunteer Assistant Coach
Kelsey Mischel - 3rd Season
Coach Kelsey is a former CHS Softball player who had graduated in 2020 from Shiloh Christian School, where she primarily played both shortstop and catcher throughout her high school career. Kelsey is now playing softball at University of Mary as a utility player on their roster.
Kelsey is currently attending University of Mary, majoring in biometrics/pre-physical therapy, in which she will graduate with her undergrad in Spring 2023. She has been accepted into UMary's Physical Therapy Program, which she will be starting after she finishes her undergraduate degree.
