Binghamton University Athletics

In the four seasons since she was named the head coach at her alma mater in August 2021, Jess Bump has steered the Binghamton softball program to the top of the America East Conference. She has run up a record of 122-75 (.619) as well as a 50-23 (.685) mark in conference games. Bump - who earned America East Coach of the Year honors in both 2024 and 2025 - has guided the Bearcats to the 2025 America East crown as well as the past two regular-season titles.

Under Bump’s leadership, Binghamton’s 98 victories since 2023 represents its best three-year stretch in program history. In addition, in 2024 and 2025, the Bearcats recorded back-to-back 30+ win seasons for the first time ever (with 33 and 36 respectively).

The 2025 campaign marked the first time in program history that Binghamton swept both the America East regular season and tournament championships. In addition, the Bearcats became the first program in America East history to sweep all four major awards outright. While Bump was named the Coach of the Year, Elisa Allen was the Player of the Year, Brianna Roberts was chosen as the top pitcher and Rachel Carey was the Rookie of the Year. The season culminated with the Bearcats’ first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2015, as they earned a three seed in the Oregon Regional. 

Bump and the Bearcats have earned both regional and national recognition over the past three seasons. Binghamton has posted six National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association (NFCA) All-Region selections - including a program-record four picks in 2025. In addition, the Bearcats were ranked in the 2025 D1Softball.com Top-25 Mid-Major Poll for five weeks, climbing to as high as No. 23 on May 6.

Since 2022, Binghamton has posted 25 America East All-Conference selections as well as 11 All-Academic honorees and seven All-Rookie picks. Binghamton has also posted the past two Players of the Year (Allen and Allison L’Amoreaux in 2024) as well as two of the last three Rookies of the Year (Carey and Roberts in 2023). In addition, Roberts was the program’s first Pitcher of the Year and Lindsey Walter earned the program’s first-ever America East Elite 18 Award in 2025. 

Along with the Bearcats’ victories over the past three seasons have come several impressive program records. Binghamton’s 68 home runs in 2025 shattered the previous mark of 50 home runs (which had been set twice). The Bearcats’ 83 doubles in 2024, meanwhile, broke the 1997 mark (of 73 doubles). Over the past two seasons, Binghamton has homered 118 times and has batted over .300 as a team.

Defensively, Binghamton has posted its top three fielding percentage performances in program history during Bump’s tenure. The 2024 program record of .970 is followed by the 2023 and 2025 marks of .966. In addition, the Bearcats’ 2.80 team ERA in 2025 represented its best performance since 2013. 

Besides its 11 America East All-Academic selections over the past four years, Binghamton turned in a 3.56 overall team GPA during the Spring 2024 semester, a 3.59 GPA in the Spring 2023 semester as well as a 3.57 GPA over the course of the Spring 2022 semester. Since 2023, the Bearcats have also landed 15 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honorees.

Bump was Binghamton's top assistant coach from 2017-21 but was the acting coach for four games while then head coach Michelle Johnston was on maternity leave.

No stranger to the Binghamton softball program, Bump arrived back at her alma mater following a standout playing career as well as a pair of seasons in the college coaching ranks.

In 2016, Bump was at Lafayette College, where she was the top assistant softball coach. The Leopards more than tripled their win total (from four to 13), improved their batting average by 26 points (.219 to .245) and broke the program record with a .967 fielding percentage. In addition, the squad set the program mark with a 3.52 GPA during the fall 2015 semester and topped it with a 3.58 GPA this past spring.

Prior to her stint at Lafayette, Bump was the graduate assistant coach at Kentucky during the 2015 season. She was part of a staff that steered the Wildcats to an appearance in the NCAA Super Regionals against eventual national champion Florida.

A 2014 graduate of Binghamton, Bump was a two-time, first-team America East all-conference selection (2013 & 2014) and a first-team ECAC All-Star in 2013. In 2013, she was named the Binghamton University Co-Female Athlete of the Year as well as the America East Scholar Athlete of the Year. In addition, Bump was a three-time National Fastpitch Coaches' Association (NFCA) Scholar-Athlete and was inducted into the National College Athlete Honor Society in 2012. 

Before coming to Binghamton, Bump graduated from nearby Windsor High School in 2010, where she was named all-state twice by the New York State Sports Writers Association (NYSSWA).

BINGHAMTON SOFTBALL UNDER COACH BUMP
- 2025 America East Champions
- 2024 & 2025 America East Regular-Season Champions
- 2025 NCAA Tournament qualifier
- 98 victories over the past three seasons (2023-25) - its best three-year stretch in program history
- Ranked in the 2025 D1Softball.com Mid-Major Poll
- 6 First-Team All-Mid-Atlantic Region selections
- 5 ECAC All-Stars
- 25 All-Conference selections
- 11 America East All-Academic selections
- 7 America East All-Rookie selections
- The 2024 & 2025 America East Player of the Year
- The 2023 & 2025 America East Rookie of the Year
- The 2025 America East Pitcher of the Year
- The 2025 America East Elite 18 Winner
- 15 CSC Academic All-District selections

THE BUMP FILE
2022-present: Head Coach, Binghamton University
2017-21: Assistant Coach, Binghamton University
2016: Assistant Coach, Lafayette College
2015: Graduate Assistant Coach, University of Kentucky

COACHING HONORS
2025 America East Coach of the Year
2024 America East Co-Coach of the Year

PLAYING HONORS
- A two-time, first-team America East All-Conference selection (2013 & 2014)
- A three-time America East All-Academic selection (2012, 2013 & 2014)
- A first-team ECAC All-Star in 2013
- The America East Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2013