Rachael Powers was named the Head Coach of UMass Dartmouth Softball in November of 2023. In three complete seasons at the helm, Powers owns a 77-45 overall mark, going 28-20 in Little East play. She has seen her squad qualify for the Little East Conference Tournament in every season, including the Tournament title in 2026. Her staff has earned two Coaching Staff of the Year honors with an LEC Player of the Year and 11 on All-Conference Teams, four All-Region honorees and 12 CSC Academic All-District awardees.

It was a banner season in 2026 as the Corsairs went 33-13 overall - tying the program's single season record for wins - with an 11-5 mark in the Little East. UMass Dartmouth earned the second seed in the LEC Tournament, shouldering an opening loss before battling back for five straight wins to claim the second Conference crown in program history. The squad advanced to its four NCAA Tournament appearance - making history with a 12-2 win over #18 Stockton, followed by 6-2 and 8-2 wins over #10 WPI to earn the program's first-ever NCAA Regional Championship title and a trip to the NCAA Super Regionals. The Corsairs shouldered a pair of tough losses to #12 Mount Union to conclude their incredible season.

The Corsairs's staff saw their squad rank among the Little East's best in a number of categories, including first in team batting average (.343), at-bats (1,269), hits (444), doubles (87), runs batted in (250) and earned run average (2.37). Amongst the national leaders, UMass Dartmouth was ranked first overall in double plays (34) and double plays per game (0.74), while ranking 17th in doubles, 20th in hits, and 29th in earned run average.

UMass Dartmouth saw senior third baseman RaeLynn Perregaux become the first Corsair in program history to be named the Little East Player of the Year, adding an NFCA All-Region Second Team honor to her accolades. An NFCA Division III National Player of the Week during the season, Perregaux claimed both the LEC Tournament Most Outstanding Player and the NCAA Regional Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors. Five players - including Perregaux and sophomore pitcher Edy Crawford on First Team - were All-Conference honorees, while the Corsairs earned five LEC weekly honors.

Perregaux finished fifth nationally in assists (127) and doubles (22), ranking 11th amongst DIII's best in hits (74). She was 15th in total bases (121) and 17th in assists per game (2.76), while Crawford was ninth in the nation in total appearances (34).

Powers and her staff of Kayla Kirby, Mike Terceira and Alex Soqui were named the 2026 NFCA Region II Coaching Staff of the Year, in addition to 2026 Little East Coaching Staff of the Year honors.

The 2025 season saw the Corsairs post a 20-18 overall mark, going 7-9 in the Little East. The squad earned the sixth-seed in the Little East Tournament, shouldering losses to Plymouth State and WestConn to conclude the season. Three - including Perregaux, senior Kinu Takasugi and Crawford - were All-LEC selections, while Perregaux and Takasugi were both NFCA All-Region Third Team honorees. Four players garnered CSC Academic All-District honors, while two combined for four weekly honors.

In her first season at the helm, Powers saw her squad post a 24-14 overall mark, going 10-6 in the Little East. The team earned the second-seed in the conference tournament, suffering losses to Eastern Connecticut and Rhode Island College to conclude the season. Takasugi was an NFCA All-Region Third Team selection, while also earning First Team honors from the LEC. The Corsairs also saw seniors Dyonna Rodas and Haley Lyons named to the LEC Second Team. Three players garnered Academic All-District honors, while senior Kaitlyn Shirshac was an LEC Pitcher of the Week honoree.

In addition to her role as head coach, Powers also works with the athletics facilities team, serving as the game management/work study coordinator for the Corsairs Athletics Department.

Powers comes to UMass Dartmouth after serving 15 seasons as head coach of the Wheaton College softball team. During her career with the Lyons, she guided the squad to a 293-243 overall record, going 132-100 in conference action in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference.

Her squads made the post-season 10 times, including two trips to the NCAA Tournament and an appearance in the NCAA Super Regional. Powers' teams won 20 or more games nine times, including a pair of 30-plus victory campaigns.

Highlighting Powers’ tenure was the 2015 season when she guided the Lyons to a 34-10 record overall, which stands as the fifth-highest win total in program history, and a trip to the Super Regional round of the NCAA Tournament. Wheaton also captured the NEWMAC regular season title with one of the most dominant runs in league history, posting a near-perfect 17-1 record in conference play. For their efforts, the Lyons finished the 2015 campaign ranked No. 17 overall in the final National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III Top-25 poll and finished with 25 or more wins for the 16th time in program history.

A former All-Region student-athlete for Wheaton, Powers – who served as an assistant coach for the Lyons during the 2008 season, spent the previous four years as the assistant coach at Framingham State University. During her tenure with the Rams, she helped the squad to 74 wins – the highest four-year totals in program history to that point. Framingham State captured their first MASCAC Tournament and earned their first-ever NCAA berth in 2007.

A 2003 graduate of Wheaton, Powers was a three-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-New England selection as well as a two-time New England Intercollegiate Softball Coaches Association (NEISCA) All-Region selection during her playing days at Wheaton.

Powers helped the Lyons post a 143-38-1 record (57-7 NEWMAC) during her four years as a student-athlete as Wheaton won or shared the NEWMAC regular season league crown all four of her years, capturing the conference tournament championship on three occasions. Wheaton advanced to the NCAA Tournament during her final three years (2001-03) and advanced to the College World Series in 2001, where the Lyons finished third nationally. Following the CWS, Powers was named to the All-Tournament Team.

A two-year captain at Wheaton, Powers was the Lyons starting third baseman and center fielder during different points in her career. Upon graduating, she ranked among the top-10 in program history in several offensive categories, including runs (136), hits (199), doubles (38), home runs (15), RBI (117), and stolen bases (62). Powers was also a member of the women’s soccer team as a freshman in 1999.