Bio

Few women have excelled in softball the way Nila (Gruenewald) Rodruigez did at UW-Oshkosh. As the first NCAA Division III All-American, first four-time NCAA Division III All-Region selection and first four-time All-WWIAC women's softball honoree in school history, Gruenewald made her mark as the most dominating pitcher in the history of UW-Oshkosh women's softball.

Gruenewald played on UW-Oshkosh women's softball teams from 1982-85 and was captain her junior and senior seasons. She helped the Titans to the first WWIAC softball championship in 1984 and received CoSIDA Academic All-America honors in 1985.

Gruenewald ranks 10th in career strikeouts, 12th in career shutouts and 16th in career innings pitched in NCAA Division III history. She is the holder of school season and career records for victories, innings pitched, shutouts and strikeouts.

On May 4, 1985, against UW-Stevens Point, Gruenewald put herself as a mention in the NCAA Division III record book with 13 strikeouts. She ranks 14th on the NCAA Division III all-time list for innings pitched with 553.1 over her four years and UW-Oshkosh. She pitched 244 of those innings her senior year, the ninth-highest total in NCAA Division III history. Her 177 strikeouts and 14 shutouts in 1985 place her 14th and sixth, respectively, in the NCAA record book. During her four-year career she struck out 403 batters, the seventh-highest total in NCAA Division III history and had 26 shutouts, which ranks ninth on the all-time list.

Following her graduation from UW-Oshkosh in 1985 with a bachelor's degree in accounting, the Bonduel native went on to receive her master's degree from the University of Southern California in 1992. Gruenewald currently lives in Los Angeles, where she is the accounting manager for the largest division of Coca-Cola Enterprises in the nation. She also continues to play softball in Los Angeles and is a member of the Los Angeles City Scholars, which provides programs for inner-city children.