Natalie Lopez returned to the Eagles as part of a partnership between FGCU Strength & Conditioning and X3 Performance and Physical Therapy in 2025. She has been on staff with X3 Performance and Physical Therapy since 2022.
Her move to X3 came following two seasons as an assistant softball coach for the Eagles, a program for which she was a four-year player. In her two years in the dugout, FGCU went 24-15 in ASUN play and finished second in the conference in the regular season in 2021.
Prior to her stint as an assistant coach at FGCU, Lopez was an assistant coach at Boca Raton High School while pursuing her Master's Degree at FAU. She also served an internship with OMNI Athletic Performance, working with athletes to create programs tailored to their specific needs, demonstrating corrective exercises, movements and strength training regimens.
As a student-athlete at FGCU, Lopez helped the Eagles post a 124-104 record with a 38-35 mark in ASUN play. She was a key component of the Green and Blue claiming the ASUN Regular Season Championship in 2016 and a regular season runner-up finish in 2018. She accumulated 141 starts in 175 games, becoming a staple in center field. She left The Nest with a .323 career batting average, appearing in at least 50 games from 2015-17 until a knee injury in 2018 limited her to 16 games, where she batted .381. Always a threat on the base pads, Lopez swiped a career-high 20 bases in 2017 as she finished her career with 42, which ranks 10th all-time in FGCU history. In 2018, the FGCU Department of Athletics awarded Lopez with the Duane Swanson Sr., Inspirational award - an honor bestowed upon individuals who display perseverance, dedication, and determination when confronted with a life-altering event, while serving as a role model and inspiration to others. As a player,
More than just a letterwinner, Lopez graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in biology. She earned her Master's Degree in exercise science at Florida Atlantic University in 2021.
Last Updated: 2/6/2026
