LOUISVILLE, Ky. – First-time NAIA national champions Our Lady of the Lake University was voted by their peers as the 2024 ATEC/NFCA NAIA National Coaching Staff of the Year, the Association announced on Wednesday.
Under the direction of head coach Bruce Lennington, assistant coach Jody Armijo, pitching assistant Katrisha Arocha and student assistants Gilbert Alvrado and Rebecca Duran, the Saints (57-3) went on a perfect 7-0 run through the postseason to capture their first red banner at the 2024 NAIA Softball World Series in Columbus, Ga. It marked the second straight appearance at the World Series for the NAIA’s wire-to-wire No. 1 program. OLLU has combined for an 108-11 (.908) record the past two seasons, setting the program record for wins in each of those years.
In its run to the school’s first-ever national title, OLLU recorded six shutouts (62 scoreless innings), which included a streak of five straight to open their postseason march. The Saints were not scored upon until the second inning of the national semifinal tilt against University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma, a 4-3 win in eight innings, and capped off the season with their final shutout, 2-0 versus Jessup. During the regular season, OLLU enjoyed a 45-game winning streak and registered a perfect 24-0 mark in Red River Athletic Conference action. The Saints have now won 53 straight RRAC matchups dating back to the last game of the 2022 season.
Our Lady of the Lake, a representative of Region II, was joined by Georgia Gwinnett College (Region I), Oklahoma City University (Region III), Jessup University (Region IV), Central Methodist University (Region V) and University of the Cumberlands (Region VI) - as NAIA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year recipients.
Lennington, Armijo, Arocha, Alvarado and Duran will be recognized at the NFCA Awards Brunch on Dec. 7 at the 2024 NFCA Convention in Dallas, Texas.
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