Lonni Alameda • Head Coach • Florida State University
"Show And Go: An Inside Look at Managing Player and Staff Personalities" 
December 4, 3:00 PM • Gold/Silver/Platinum 

Heading into her seventh season as the head coach of the Florida State softball program, Lonni Alameda has guided the Seminoles back into one of the nation’s best teams. 

After seven Women’s College World Series appearances from 1987-2004, the Seminoles returned to the final site of women’s collegiate softball and also earned their 12th Atlantic Coast Conference Championship in 2014., when they posted their best season in a decade with a 55-9 record and set program records in runs scored (400), home runs (65), extra base hits (168), RBI (363), walks (318) and slugging percentage (.493).  Alameda earned ACC Coach of the Year honors for the second year in a row. 

Since arriving at FSU, Alameda has posted a 266-106 (.715) record with 26 top-25 victories and two ACC Championships (2011 and 2014). Since replacing Dr. JoAnne Graf, who retired after 30 seasons with the Seminoles, there have been four All-Americans, 11 NFCA All-Region players and 26 All-ACC members in her six seasons at the helm of Florida State. 

Alameda came to FSU from UNLV, where she spent five seasons reviving the Rebels program. She finished with a record of 157-158-1 at UNLV, with breakout seasons in 2005 and 2007 where she was named Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year.

Under Alameda’s direction, the Rebels enjoyed recognition at the conference and regional level. Five Rebels garnered Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Regional honors while 13 players earned All-MWC accolades, including two pitchers of the year and one freshman of the year awards.

Alameda moved to Las Vegas after eight seasons as the assistant coach at Stanford 
University, where she helped guide the Cardinal to a 320-179-1 record and six straight NCAA Regional appearances. She oversaw the pitching staff there and produced three All-Americans: Becky Blevins, Marcy Crouch and Dana Sorenson.

An all-around great athlete, Alameda began her collegiate career as a pitcher at St. Mary’s University (San Antonio, Texas) where she led the Rattlers to the NAIA Tournament in her only season. She later transferred to Oklahoma in 1989 and played softball and volleyball for the Sooners. She was a two-time All-Big Eight selection as a first and third baseman, while hitting .359 as a senior in 1992.

Alameda earned her bachelor’s degree in communications from Oklahoma in 1993 and played softball professionally in Europe for a season before beginning her coaching career. 

Larissa Anderson • Head Coach • Hofstra University
Travel Ball Curriculum: College Coach Panel
December 6, 2:00 PM • Skyview 5 & 6

Larissa Anderson was named the head coach of the Hofstra Softball program in May 2014. She has been a member of the Pride’s staff for the past 13 seasons. 

Anderson spent the previous 13 seasons on the Hofstra staff as an assistant, including the last 10 as the associate head coach under NFCA Hall of Famer Bill Edwards. She is just the sixth head coach in program history since 1980 and takes over for Edwards, who helmed the program from 1990 through 2014.

Anderson has helped lead Hofstra to 10 NCAA Tournament appearances and 10 Colonial Athletic Association championships during her tenure. As the team’s associate head coach, she helped Hofstra win 22 NCAA Tournament games including eight in the past three seasons, and make six appearances in the regional finals.
Under Anderson’s tutelage, Hofstra hurlers have won seven of the last eight CAA Pitcher of the Year awards, including four consecutive wins by Olivia Galati from 2010 to 2013 and three from Kayleigh Lotti from 2007 to 2009. 

Working closely with Edwards in all facets of the program, including recruiting, training and game-day preparation, Anderson has helped Hofstra post a 504-216-1 record (.700 winning percentage) since arriving on campus. She has been a part of a staff that has won seven NFCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year Awards. 

Kevin Blaskowski • Head Coach • West Texas A&M
"Preparing Your Team for the Postseason" • Roundtable Topics
December 6, 12:30 PM • Bronze 1 & 2

Hired to restart the West Texas A&M softball program following a 24-year absence in December 2004, Kevin Blaskowski wasted little time in building the Lady Buffs into a perennial national title contender, culminating in the 2014 NCAA Division II national championship.

With 22 years of head coaching experience, Blaskowski is nearing the 700-win plateau with an overall record of 672-496, including a 320-219 mark and four NCAA tournament berths at West Texas A&M. Blaskowski’s squads have claimed Lone Star Conference and LSC Tournament titles, two South Central Regional championships and a South Central Super Regional title.

 The Lady Buffs’ went 60-7 this past season, becoming just the fourth team in NCAA history to win a title while also reaching the 60-win mark (Cal State Northridge in 1985, Augustana in 1991,  North Dakota State in 2000), earning Blaskowski and his staff NFCA Division II National Coaching Staff of the Year, and Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year accolades.

Blaskowski came to West Texas A&M from Lone Star Conference rival Eastern New Mexico University and before that was instrumental in the start of the Southern Arkansas University program in 1999, where he served as head coach for the first five years, reaching the postseason every season.

Blaskowski’s first taste of starting a program came in 1996 when he skippered Phillips College through its first two years of existence. His program qualified for postseason play in each of those seasons before the school closed in 1998. He has also been the head coach at Washburn University and Kansas Wesleyan University.

Blaskowski received a Bachelor of Science in education with a major in physical education from Valley City State University in North Dakota in 1986 and completed a Master of Science in education with an emphasis in health, physical education and recreation at Emporia State University in 1989.

Darci Brownell • Head Coach • Sierra College
"Team Chemistry" • Roundtable Topics
December 6, 12:30 PM • Bronze 1 & 2
Travel Ball Curriculum: College Coach Panel
December 6, 2:00 PM • Skyview 5 & 6

Coming off the program’s first state championship, Darci Brownell is in her 16th season as Sierra College’s head coach after serving two years as an assistant under CCCFCA Hall of Famer Karen Linde. 

Posting an astounding 602-171-1 record over her 15 seasons, Brownell’s guidance has seen two state championships, along with 15 straight playoff appearances and regional championships. Her teams have captured three Big 8 titles (2010, 2012 and 2014) and have played in nine Elite Eights and two Final Fours. In the 2014 run to the California Community College Athletic Association state title, the Wolverines compiled a 43-5 mark and won Big 8 and regionals titles.

Since 2000, Brownell has produced 29 NFCA All-Americans and her student-athletes have earned numerous All-State, All-NorCal, All-Conference and Academic All-Conference honors.  More than 100 Sierra players have earned scholarships to four-year schools and Brownell’s 2010 squad was named the USA’s top academic community college team. 

In 2009, she helped guide the team to a NorCal Championship and a state runner-up finish with 44 wins, the most in Sierra history. 

Brownell’s experience includes 10 years at the high school level, posting a 139-26 record. She led Del Campo to the playoffs six times with four CAL Championships and garnered 1993 coach of the year honors. A four-year catcher and outfielder at CSU Sacramento, Brownell earned her bachelor’s from in childhood development with a minor in physical education a master’s in education and curriculum.

Bill Edwards • Head Coach (Retired) • Hofstra University
Hall of Fame Panel 
December 4 • 4:00 PM • Gold/Silver/Platinum

Bill Edwards completed a run of unprecedented success as the head coach of the Hofstra Softball program after retiring following the conclusion of the 2014 season. In his 25 seasons at the helm, Edwards was the architect of a nationally prominent program. As a result of his success with the Pride, he was inducted into the NFCA Hall of Fame in 2009.

Edwards crafted a remarkable career from 1990-2014 that spanned 1,350 games, leading Hofstra to all 15 of the program’s NCAA Tournament appearances. Under his guidance, Hofstra went from a below .500 team in 1989 to a nationally respected power that captured 18 postseason conference championships, including 10 Colonial Athletic Association titles (including the first seven in the league’s history). In addition, Edwards’ squads won 22 NCAA Tournament games since 2003.
The Pride finished at least 10 games better than .500 in 23 of his 25 seasons which included 10 40-win seasons, including four straight from 2010-13. In his final season in 2014, Edwards earned career victory No. 900 and finished his NCAA run with a 928-419-3 record and a .687 winning percentage. Named an Honorary Alumnus by Hofstra in 2008, he is the winningest coach in any program of the Hofstra Department of Athletics.

Edwards was named the Regional Coach of the Year 12 times in his career. He was named the CAA’s Coach of the Year six consecutive times, winning the coaches ballot every season from 2008-13.

Edwards, a teacher in the Commack School District from 1967 through 1999, worked and coached at John F. Kennedy Junior High School, Wood Park Elementary School and Commack High School. In addition, Edwards also served as head ice hockey coach at Iona College from 1968 through 1979. At Iona, his teams posted a 174-58-14 record and captured four Metropolitan Collegiate championships. In 1989, Edwards was inducted into the Iona College Sports Hall of Fame.

Kelly Ford • Head Coach • Cal State Fullerton
"Drills, Drills, Drills"
December 6, 10:30 AM • Gold/Silver Platinum

Kelly Ford enters her third season as the head coach at Cal State Fullerton. In two seasons at the helm, Ford has posted a 61-49-1 record including a 26-19 Big West Conference mark. 

In 2014, Ford guided the Titans to an overall record of 33-21-1, reaching the 33-win mark for the first time since 2007. The Titans carded their first .300 team average since the 2000 season, improving in a whopping 10 offensive categories: batting avg. (.300), runs (303), hits (431), doubles (70), home runs (57), RBIs (253), total bases (690), slugging pct. (.479), walks (170) and on-base pct. (.385).

Prior to Cal State Fullerton, Ford guided the Mount San Antonio junior college program (2002-12) to four California State Championships, seven South Coast Conference Championships and has earned South Coach Conference Coach of the Year honors five times. In 11-seasons at the community college level, Ford compiled a 455-102-1 record.

She played on two NJCAA national championship teams at Central Arizona College for current Auburn coach Clint Myers before moving on to the University of Oklahoma.

Dr. JoAnne Graf • Head Coach & Professor (Retired) • Florida State University
Hall of Fame Panel 
December 4 • 4:00 PM • Gold/Silver/Platinum

Recently retired from teaching, Dr. JoAnne Graf served as an associate professor in sport management, recreation management and physical education at Florida State University, where she taught in the school’s sport management program. In addition to her teaching duties, Graf oversaw the Lifetime Activities Program’s 90-95 classes and 45-50 instructors and served as a liaison between the athletic 
department, intramural program and lifetime activities with regard to facility use.

Graf was the head softball coach at Florida State from 1978-2008, during which she posted a staggering career record of 1,437-478-6. She averaged over 50 wins a season and retired from coaching as the all-time leader in career triumphs. 

A 2003 inductee into the NFCA Hall of Fame, Graf was the first collegiate softball coach to earn 1,400 victories. Her numerous achievements with the Seminole softball program include AIAW slowpitch national championships in 1981 and 1982, seven trips to the NCAA Women’s College World Series after FSU switched to fastpitch following the 1982 season, 21 NCAA regional appearances and 10 Atlantic Coast Conference titles.

Named the ACC Coach of the Year six times, Graf’s tutelage produced 25 All-America, 96 All-Region and 74 All-ACC players. 

Over her 30 years in coaching, the Seminoles recorded 25 seasons of 40 or more 
victories, 15 seasons of 50 or more victories and three seasons where the team surpassed the 60-win mark. Graf was named the NFCA South Region Coach of the Year in 1986, and she and her staff earned NFCA Southeast Coaching Staff of the Year honors in 2001, 2002 and 2004.

In 2005, Florida State renamed the softball stadium JoAnne Graf Field at the Seminole Softball Complex. Graf is a 1975 graduate of Florida State. In 1992, she completed her doctorate degree in athletic administration at FSU. 

Rachel Hanson • Head Coach • Stanford
"Systematizing Your Softball World" • Roundtable Topics
December 6, 12:30 PM • Bronze 1 & 2 
"Measurements and Standards" • Travel Ball Curriculum
December 6, 4:30 PM • Skyview 5 & 6

Rachel Hanson enters her first year as the Stanford head coach after four seasons at Dartmouth, where she elevated the program to new levels of success and claimed the winningest seasons in the school’s past decade.

Hanson is coming off a 2014 season in which she led the Big Green to its first Ivy League Championship with an 18-2 conference record. She guided her team to a 31-19 overall mark and a trip to the NCAA Tempe Regional. The 18 conference victories are the most in Dartmouth history and the 31 wins overall ranks second all-time.

Under Hanson’s leadership, Dartmouth student-athletes garnered a variety of individual honors including the 2014 Ivy League Player of the Year, 2013 Rookie of the Year, the 2013 and 2014 Ivy League Pitcher of the Year, NFCA All-Region honors, Ivy League first- and second-team selections and Ivy League All-Academic recognition.            

Prior to leading Dartmouth, Hanson coached the University of Dallas softball team for five seasons and set a program record of 80 wins. In 2009, she led the Crusaders to a program-best 20 victories and top-20 rankings in team scoring, doubles and triples. A 2005 graduate of Trinity with a degree in political science, Hanson was a three-time all-conference selection and captained her team to a conference championship in her senior year.

Kristine Himes • Associate Head Coach • University of Kentucky
"Drills, Drills, Drills"
December 6, 10:30 AM • Gold/Silver/Platinum

Kristine Himes is in her eighth season at Kentucky and fourth as the program’s associate head coach. 

Responsible for the day-to-day aspects of the entire program and the development of the Wildcats’ infield, Himes also serves as hitting coach. During her time with the UK hitters, Himes’ tutelage has led to some of the highest powered offenses in school history.

 On the field, Kentucky’s batters have improved dramatically since Himes’ arrival. The Wildcats’ charted an improved team batting average in five of Himes’ first six seasons. In fact, in the six years before Himes arrived at Kentucky, the Wildcats had only posted a team batting average over .255 two times, while Kentucky has earned that honor every year under Himes’ tutelage.

Himes has coached three of the program’s top four career RBI leaders, and she has tutored five of the program’s top eight career home run leaders. Last season, Himes helped guide Kentucky to its first-ever Women’s College World Series appearance behind a program-record 50 wins. Along the way, the Wildcats tied the school record for home runs in a game with five and broke the single-season record for runs scored, doubles, home runs, RBI, total bases and walks drawn. The Kentucky defense also set a school record for fielding percentage.

Jeff Janssen • Founder & President • Janssen Sports Leadership Center 
“Building and Sustaining a Championship Culture”
December 3 • 12:00 PM • Silver Ballroom

Widely considered one of the world’s top experts on Sports Leadership, Jeff Janssen is the founder and president of the Janssen Sports Leadership Center. 
Janssen’s pioneering work on sports leadership development with student-athletes and coaches has led to the creation of cutting edge Leadership Academies at Michigan, North Carolina, Illinois, Notre Dame, LSU, Baylor, Houston, Arkansas, Pitt, N.C. State, Colgate, Lafayette, Holy Cross, George Washington, Colby, Fordham, Boston University, Colorado, Loyola and Lehigh.  He has worked with over 25 different teams that have won NCAA national championships so he knows what it takes to build and sustain a championship culture.

A prolific author, Janssen has authored numerous books including “The Team Captain’s Leadership Manual,” “Championship Team Building,” “The Commitment Continuum System,” “How to Build a Championship Culture,” “How to Develop Relentless Competitors,” and “The Seven Secrets of Successful Coaches.”

Mike Lambros • Head Coach • North Davidson (N.C.) High School
"Drills, Drills, Drills"
December 6, 10:30 AM • Gold/Silver/Platinum

A 26-time conference coach of the year, North Davidson High’s Mike Lambros is the winningest softball coach in North Carolina with a 799-115 record. He guided North Davidson to a perfect 33-0 record and the 2010 North Carolina 4A state championship, which earned the Knights the No. 1 spot in the final USA Today/NFCA poll. In addition, Lambros’ squads have compiled 32 conference championships, five western NCHAA championships and have finished as the state runner up seven times and reached the final four 15 times. 

An NFCA  Three-Star Master coach, he was instrumental in converting North Carolina softball from slowpitch to fastpitch and was recently voted into the North Carolina Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame as well being selected the Harvey Reid NCHSSAA State Coach of The Year.

In his 33 years at North Davidson, Lambros has coached softball, football and wrestling.

Dan Lier, Head Coach • Motivational Speaker and Author
Keynote Speaker 
December 3 • 4:30 PM • Platinum/Gold

Dan Lier is a Las Vegas-based and internationally- known motivational speaker and best-selling author, who specializes in delivering a talk that impacts and entertains everyone in his convention audience. 

With two decades of experience presenting motivational keynotes for corporate events, Lier is the most requested speaker in Las Vegas. In the past two years alone, Lier has spoken in over 30 countries sharing his proven strategies to “Maximize Your True Potential.” Overall, he has presented over 3,500 customized talks to companies and organizations around the globe.

He is host of his own TV show “Your True Potential” and was a regular on the Home Shopping Network as America’s Coach where he shares his “Strategies for Success” with millions. Lier’s work has been covered by NBC’s Today Show and Inside Edition, along with being a featured guest on CNN, Sirius XM satellite radio’s Howard Stern show and Fox News’  The O’Reilly Factor.  

A former international speaker and top performer for motivational speaker Anthony Robbins’ company, Lier’s high-impact message and charismatic delivery style connects with his audience, and provides attendees with inspiration along with proven strategies for achievement.

In Lier’s early career, he earned the rank of the No. 1 sales performer in the country, and athletically won back-to-back national titles in 1984 and 1985 as a college basketball player at NCAA Division II Fort Hays State University.  He also was a graduate assistant men’s basketball coach at fellow Division II program Eastern New Mexico University.

Matt Lisle • Assistant Coach • Santa Clara University
"Hitting Common Faults and Fixes"
December 5 • 11:00 AM • Gold/Silver/Platinum

Matt Lisle is in his first year as an assistant coach at Santa Clara with his primary focus being on hitting and recruiting. Lisle comes to Santa Clara after serving as the lead assistant coach at Cal State University - East Bay during the 2013-2014 season. He also serves as an Associate Scout for the Detroit Tigers where he helps to identify and evaluate amateur & professional prospects in the Northern California area for the organization.

As the batting and catching coach in his lone season at CSUEB, Lisle’s guidance led to an offensive turnaround that saw the Pioneer bats go from seven home runs in 2013 to a California Collegiate Athletic Conference leading 48 in 2014. The Pioneers ranked second in the CCAA in conference SLG% at .455 and RBI with 156 and finished the season ranked No. 36 in the NCAA in home runs per game. 

Prior to his stop at CSUEB, Lisle worked with hitters and catchers at the University of Oregon as a member of the coaching staff that helped lead the Ducks to their first ever Pac-12 Conference title.

Lisle came to Oregon after spending 14 years coaching collegiate and high school baseball. His previous stops include two years as the head baseball coach at College Park High School in Pleasant Hill, Calif. Lisle was named the 2012 Diablo Valley Athletic League (DVAL) Coach of the Year.

Michelle Martin-Diltz • Strength & Conditioning Coach • University of Alabama
"Polishing An Athlete: Complex Training for Power & Speed Strength"
December 5 • 4:30 PM • Gold/Silver/Platinum

Michelle Martin-Diltz has been the strength and conditioning coach for the University of Alabama softball and women’s golf teams since 2005. During this time, she has been a part of five SEC softball championships and two SEC golf championships.  

Martin-Diltz holds a bachelor of science in kinesiology from Texas Woman’s University, where was an outfielder for the Pioneer softball team under NFCA Hall of Fame coach Dianne Baker. She earned her master of science in sports physiology from Texas A&M with a focus on the performance of athletes. While in College Station, Martin-Diltz was a graduate intern with the Strength and Conditioning Department under master strength coach Raychelle Ellsworth as well as being a manager for the Aggie softball team under head coach Jo Evans. 

Martin-Diltz believes that high forces and rapid loading are an inherent fact of sports, and the role of the strength and conditioning coach is to systematically prepare the athletes to handle these forces in order to reduce the chance of injury while improving performance.

Dr. Chris Mazoue • Orthopedic Surgeon • University of South Carolina
"Epidemic of Overuse Injuries in Softball" 
December 6, 4:00 PM • Gold/Silver/Platinum

Dr. Chris Mazoue is a board certified Orthopedic Surgeon with a subspecialty in Sports Medicine and Arthroscopic Surgery and is currently an Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. Mazoue’s clinical expertise includes complex shoulder and elbow surgery, shoulder reconstruction, shoulder replacement and complex knee injuries.

With extensive experience caring for athletes at all levels, Mazoue has treated patients from youth to professional leagues. Through USC Sports Medicine, he provides care for numerous local middle schools, high schools and colleges. He is the team physician for the University of South Carolina, South Carolina State University and Benedict College.

Mazoue received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in economics from Cornell University and was a member of the Big Red football program. 

After receiving his medical degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans, La., with election to the AOA Honors medical society. He completed his residency in Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Jen McIntyre • Head Coach • University of Connecticut
Travel Ball Curriculum: College Coach Panel
December 6, 2:00 PM • Skyview 5 & 6

Jen McIntyre, who has been part of coaching staffs that have made seven NCAA tournament appearances since 2001, was named the head coach at the University of Connecticut in July after serving as the associate head coach at Boston University for the 2014 season. The Terriers won the Patriot League tournament and qualified for the NCAA regionals.

McIntyre joined the Terriers after spending the last 12 years (2002-13) on the Penn State coaching staff, including the last three as associate head coach. During her tenure, PSU reached six NCAA tournaments, highlighted by a regional final appearance in 2011.

McIntyre spent the 2000 and 2001 season at Indiana as the second assistant coach. During her time in Bloomington, three players were named to the All-Big Ten team.

A 1998 graduate of Penn State with a degree in kinesiology, McIntyre was the starting third baseman for the Nittany Lions from 1995-98. McIntyre earned her master’s degree in kinesiology/sports management and athletic administration at Indiana.

Pat Moyer • Co-Founder and Director • Fury Fastpitch (Tenn.)
Travel Ball Curriculum
December 6, 4:05-4:50 PM • Skyview 5 & 6

Pat Moyer, along with three other coaches, founded the Fury Fastpitch Organization in 2006. Moyer currently serves as the organization’s director and has seen the growth of one of the premier fastpitch organization in the United States, which expanded into baseball in 2009.

Moyer is also enjoying a successful business career. He is President of Balta U.S., Inc., one of the largest manufacturers of floor covering in the world.

A 2011 inductee into the Maryville College Hall of Fame, Moyer was a two-sport standout in baseball and football for the Scots. He was a four-year starting quarterback and on the diamond, Moyer was a very versatile player, seeing time at pitcher, catcher and third base.

He showcased his leadership off the field, founding a Fellowship of Christian Athletes campus organization during his sophomore year and served as its first President.

Tori Nyberg • Elevate Performance Counseling
"The Mind Matters: Why You Should Fully Commit to Training Your Athletes' Mental Game as Part of Regular Preparation and How To Do It" 
December 6, 4:00 PM • Gold/Platinum/Silver

Tori Nyberg is the founder of two Chicago-based companies, Elevate Performance Counseling and Tori Nyberg Pitching. Since Elevate’s inception in 2011, Nyberg has worked with teams and individuals across the country to train them in the performance enhancement skills they need to put them in the best position for success. 

Several teams have had record-breaking seasons following their work with Nyberg and Elevate, and individuals are always pleased to see how much training their mental skills truly gives them an edge. 

Nyberg coached softball for one season at the University of Illinois-Chicago (2003-04), and six seasons at Northwestern University (2004-10), where she was a part of teams that won Horizon League and Big Ten Conference Championships, as well as competed in the Women’s College World Series, finishing second nationally in 2006.

In addition to her work with Elevate, Nyberg gives private pitching instruction in the Chicago area, and she works to incorporate mental skills training into her regular sessions with all her pitchers. 

Nyberg graduated from Stanford in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and from Northwestern in 2009 with a master’s in counseling psychology. She is a licensed counselor in the state of Illinois.

Keith Parr • Head Coach • Christopher Newport
Travel Ball Curriculum: College Coach Panel
December 6, 2:00 PM • Skyview 5 & 6

Keith Parr has overseen an amazing era in Christopher Newport softball history, as the Captains have become one of the elite NCAA Division III programs in the nation. Through 11 seasons at the helm, Parr has posted an overall record of 375-125-1, winning three-quarters of his games and leading the Captains to the NCAA tournament the last eight seasons.

Parr’s success has been especially evident in conference play, as the Captains have posted a record of 146-32-2 (.817) in the USA South and Capital Athletic Conference. 

Christopher Newport went 38-8 and captured the Capital Athletic Conference title behind an 11-1 mark in 2014, its first year of membership in the league, and advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals. It was the eighth straight season Parr’s Captains posted 30 or more victories.

In 2013, his squad finished 34-13, and in 2012 went 37-11. In 2011, CNU went 38-12 and advanced to the Division III national championship game in Salem, Va., for the first time in program history.

Rick Pauly • Pitching Coach • University of Georgia
"Pitchng Performance Measures"
December 6, 2:00 PM • Gold/Silver/Platinum

In addition to being the Pitching Coach at the University of Georgia, Rick Pauly is a recent selection to the USA National Team Coaching Pool for the 2015-16 timeframe. Pauly joined the Georgia softball staff in the summer of 2014, having spent three years as a volunteer assistant coach at USC Upstate.

In his three years at USC Upstate, Pauly coached two Atlantic Sun Conference Freshmen of the Year, and last season coached the Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Year, an NFCA All-Region selection and two First Team Atlantic Sun selections. 

Last season, he guided USC Upstate to the NCAA’s fifth-best ERA (1.55), which was tops in the nation for most of 2014, en route to an NCAA Regional appearance. Three Spartan pitchers had sub-2.00 ERAs.

Prior to USC Upstate, Pauly spent one season as the pitching coach at South Carolina. He also served as the head coach at Spartanburg Methodist College from 2004-09, leading the Lady Pioneers to back-to-back NJCAA World Series appearances in 2008 and 2009, finishing fifth and ninth, respectfully.

Since the completion of his playing days, Pauly has been involved in coaching fastpitch at all levels of the game. Focusing primarily on pitching, he has coached at the 14U, 16U, 18U and 18 Gold levels of travel ball He spent many years with the nationally ranked Lil’ Saints in Arizona, where he also was a volunteer assistant coach in the Arizona high school ranks. Together with his daughter, Sarah, he formed the “PaulyGirl Fastpitch” company. They travel the United States and Canada hosting their “High Performance Pitching” clinics. Together, they’ve developed pitching training videos and analysis software.

Dr. Gerry Pinkston • Head Coach, Professor (Retired) • University of Central Oklahoma
Hall of Fame Panel 
December 4 • 4:00 PM • Gold/Silver/Platinum

A 1995 NFCA Hall of Fame inductee, Dr. Gerry Pinkston compiled a 418-271-1 record over 22 seasons as the softball coach at the University of Central Oklahoma.

A 1971 graduate of Oklahoma State, Pinkston earned a master’s degree from Central Oklahoma in 1975 and a Doctor of Education from Oklahoma State in 1982. 

Besides her coaching duties, Pinkston taught at UCO from 1975-2006 and earned numerous teaching honors including the UCO PanHellenic Outstanding Educator Award (2003); UCO John Kessler Spirit Award for commitment and dedication (2003); and UCO AAUP Excellence in Teaching Award (2004). She was inducted into
the Oklahoma State University College of Education Hall of Fame in 2004.

Pinkston has always been involved in professional and governing organizations, and held many leadership positions in the NAIA, NCAA Division II and AIAW, including AIAW state president in 1982. She helped her institution transition from DGWS to AIAW in the late 1970s, to NAIA in 1983, and to NCAA Division II in 1990.

Pat Reardon • Head Coach • Central Methodist
Travel Ball Curriculum: College Coach Panel
December 6, 2:00 PM • Skyview 5 & 6

Pat Reardon enters his 23nd season as head coach of the Central Methodist softball team in 2015. His record with the Eagles and overall career record is 560-449-1.

Reardon guided Central Methodist to its fourth straight HAAC regular-season title and third straight tournament championship in 2014, going 43-8. The Eagles made their second straight appearance in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round after playing in the Rogers State (Okla.) Bracket.

Reardon ranks 14th on the NAIA all-time softball coaching victories list and has posted seven straight years of 30 or more victories.

For their efforts, Reardon and has staff were named the NFCA NAIA Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year for a third straight year and fourth time in his career.

Randy Schneider • Associate Head Coach • University of Wisconsin
"Creative Teaching: Thinking Outside the Box"
December 5 • 10:00 AM • Gold/Silver/Platinum

After serving four seasons as an assistant coach at Wisconsin, Randy Schneiderbegins his first season as associate head coach of the Badgers during the 2014-15 season.

The move comes following another record-breaking campaign for the Badgers in which they won 36 games, including 15 in Big Ten play — both tied for the second most in school history — and reached the conference semifinals and NCAA Regional Championships for the second-straight year.

In 2013, Schneider’s hard work paid off at the plate for the Badgers, as the team set single-season records in seven offensive categories. With Schneider’s help, the Badgers qualified for the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2005, setting a school record with 44 wins and recording a program-best .772 winning percentage. UW’s 16 Big Ten wins were the most in school history and its 28 non-conference and 24 neutral site wins also topped the list.

Before joining Wisconsin, Schneider served as the head coach at Valparaiso for seven seasons, leaving as the program’s all-time winningest coach. The Crusaders enjoyed winning seasons in his last four years and won 20 or more games in six of Schneider’s seven seasons after reaching the mark just three times in the program’s first 22 years. Schneider was named the Horizon League Co-Coach of the Year in 2008 after his team, which was in its first year in the conference, finished second. In 2009, he led the Crusaders to a school-record 35 wins and a third-place finish at the Horizon League Championship.

Jen Schroeder • Former UCLA Catcher • Owner Jen Schro Catching
"A Catcher's Grind: Molding the Defensive Difference Maker"
December 5 • 9:00 AM • Gold/Silver/Platinum

Jen Schroeder played for UCLA from 2004-08 where she was an All Pac-10 catcher and competed in three Women’s College World Series, including the national championship series in 2005. 

While at UCLA she was President of the Bruin Athletic Council and earned a degree 
in history.  

In her own experience of learning to catch late in her high school career, Schroeder had to learn every facet of the game behind the plate in a very short amount of time. She became obsessive with both the mechanical workings and the leadership role catching represented. With the ability to control the pace of the game, manipulate the strike zone, use her voice, and develop a pitcher’s goals within the game, she found out catcher isn’t just a receiver or a thankless soldier of her pitcher.

Since then Schroeder opened The Softball Performance Workshop in Orange 
County, Calif., with her dad, Mike, and sees an average of 100 catchers weekly. She also travels with The Packaged Deal clinic series, putting on unique events all over the nation and is the Dick’s Sporting Goods softball ambassador, the first female athlete the chain has ever signed. In the spring, Schroeder calls Big West softball games for ESPN 3.

Kevin Shelton • Head Coach • Texas Glory
Travel Ball Curriculum:
December 6, 3:40 PM • Skyview 5 & 6

Kevin Shelton served as an assistant coach until August of 2007 when he took over the management of the Texas Glory Gold.
Shelton started coaching as an assistant with the Black Sox from 1997-2000.

Prior to that he served as a Commissioner in the U.S. Navy and spent an additional eight years, one month and 14 days in the submarine force. While in the Navy, he earned his master’s in information systems.

After leaving the Navy in 1995, Shelton worked in the corporate world for Procter and Gamble and Frito Lay, where he served as a member of their marketing departments.

He is a graduate of Clearlake High School in Houston, Texas, where he played football and ran track, finishing in the top 10 percent in his graduating class. He also graduated from Texas A&M University, where he studied nuclear engineering.

Randy Simkins • Head Coach • Dixie State University
Travel Ball Curriculum: College Coach Panel
December 6, 2:00 PM • Skyview 5 & 6

Randy Simkins enters his seventh year as head coach of the Red Storm softball program. This is Simkins’ second stint as Dixie State head coach. In 2004, he led the the Rebels to a school-best 49-6 record while the school was an NJCAA program. In 2014, the Red Storm squad recorded their most wins as a Division II program with 51 victories.

In his six seasons, Simkins has accumulated a 250-71 record for a winning percentage of .779.

Dixie State set records for wins in a season, consecutive wins (27), highest batting average in the NCAA (.365), won a second straight Pacific West Championship and registered its first win in the Division II national championships, earning Simkins PacWest Coach of the Year honors.

In 2013, the Red Storm went 40-14 and 25-7 in league play to share the Pac-West title and fell just short of a trip to the Super Regionals, after dropping a wild 15-inning game.

Chris Steiner-Wilcoxson • Head Coach • Alabama State University
"Championship Defense: Getting Game Ready"
December 5 • 3:30 PM • Gold/Silver/Platinum

Chris Steiner-Wilcoxson, who led Auburn-Montgomery to the 2014 NAIA national championship, was named head softball coach at NCAA Division I Alabama State in August.

In six seasons at AUM, Steiner-Wilcoxson led the Warhawks to three consecutive NAIA Tournament appearances and the first national championship in program history. Compiling a 234-97-2 record, AUM won at least 30 games every season, including 40 or more victories in each of her final three seasons. 

In her final season, Steiner-Wilcoxson guided the Warhawks to a 44-7 record, including a school-record 24-game winning streak and a Southern States Athletic Conference regular season championship with a 25-1 record. For her efforts, she earned SSAC Coach of the Year accolades for the second time in her career, as well as being named the NAIA Coach of the Year,  the NFCA Coaching Staff of the Year & East Region Coaching Staff of the Year, and the SSAC Female Coach of the Year.  
 During her tenure, AUM ranked in the NAIA Coaches’ Top-25 Poll for 44 consecutive weeks, including 22 straight weeks inside the top 10.  

Prior to AUM, Steiner-Wilcoxson spent three seasons at Reinhardt College (Waleska, Ga.), where she launched the Eagles’ softball program in 2005 and compiled 84-80 overall and 55-31 conference marks. In her nine-year collegiate coaching career, Steiner-Wilcoxson has posted a 318-177-2, winning more than 64 percent of her games and posting eight straight 30-win seasons.

A two-time team captain at Auburn University, Steiner-Wilcoxson was a three-year starter for the Tigers during the program’s first three seasons of existence. She hit the first home run in Tigers’ softball history and was selected to the Southeastern Conference All-Academic team twice.

Tim Walton • Head Coach • University of Florida
Travel Ball Curriculum: College Coach Panel
December 6, 2:00 PM • Skyview 5 & 6

Tim Walton has established the Gator softball program as a national powerhouse during his nine seasons in Gainesville. Under Walton’s tutelage, Florida became the first Southeastern Conference institution in history to earn four consecutive Women’s College World Series berths (2008-11). The Orange and Blue have made a total of six WCWS appearances since Walton’s arrival in 2006, with three championship series appearances and the program’s first national title in 2014.  

Walton reached a career milestone when he earned career win No. 600 in just his 12th season as a head coach in 2014. Coming in his 774th game as a head coach, the Gators used an 8-0 mercy-rule victory at SEC rival Texas A&M to complete a three-game sweep on Easter Sunday. The win made Walton the fastest active head coach in the Southeastern Conference to reach 600 lifetime victories.

Tracy Warren • Attorney • Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak and Stewart
"How to Protect Yourself In Your Job"
December 6 • 8:00 PM • Bronze 1 & 2

Tracy Warren is a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ San Diego office and her practice emphasizes employment counsel and litigation, business defense and litigation, religious entity defense, appellate practice, sports negotiation as well as health care and medical malpractice defense.

Warren has appeared before the California Court of Appeals, the San Diego and Los Angeles Superior Courts, the United States District Court Southern District of California, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA), JAMS California and Philadelphia, Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR), the Superior Courts of New Jersey and the Circuit Courts of Maryland. Warren is admitted to the United States Supreme Court, the California, New Jersey and Maryland courts.

She is a regular speaker at conferences, and has presented before the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators, College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and Sports Leadership Conference at the University of Notre Dame.

Margie Wright • Head Coach (Retired) • Fresno State University
Hall of Fame Panel 
December 4 • 4:00 PM • Gold/Silver/Platinum

In 27 seasons as head coach of the Fresno State softball program, Margie Wrightdirected the Bulldogs to a national title (1998) while guiding the program to the NCAA Women’s College World Series 10 times out of the program’s 12 appearances.

Wright, who became the NCAA’s all-time winningest coach in 2000, prior to wrapping up a 27-year school mark of 1,294-450-1 (.742) and a 33-year career record of 1,457-542-3 (.729), guided Fresno State to a 1998 national championship, which came during a stretch of 26 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. In addition, she garnered 10 coach of the year honors, while her teams earned 17 outright or shared conference titles, three WAC tournament championships and  10 regional championship crowns. 

Fresno State captured its first national title and gave the university its first NCAA championship crown by any sport on May 25, 1998 while capping its season off with a No. 1 national ranking in the final USA Today/NFCA Coaches Top 25 Poll.
On May 3, 2014, Fresno State, who had unanimous support from the California State University Board of Trustees, renamed Bulldog Diamond to Margie Wright Diamond. A driving force behind the construction of the then one-of-a-kind softball stadium on the collegiate softball level, she also was bestowed emeritus status by the university. Still further, she was inducted into her 15th Hall of Fame on November 10, 2013 when was enshrined into the ASA Softball Hall of Fame for meritorious service. She is a 2000 NFCA Hall of Fame inductee.

Wright led the USA National Team to a gold medal as the head coach at the 1998 ISF World Championship, capturing an unprecedented fourth world title in Japan and served as an assistant coach for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games where she helped the first-ever United States Olympic Softball Team capture gold in the inaugural year of softball as a medal sport.

Prior to her arrival at Fresno State, Wright was 163-92-2 (.638) in six years at Illinois State. She guided the Redbirds to the 1981 AIAW Softball College World Series. She also directed ISU to three state championships from 1980-82.
Wright has played 34 years of softball, including 29 years in the ASA Major Women’s Open Division and three years in the Women’s Professional Softball League (1977-79) while sitting out two years conducting clinics. Wright pitched for the St. Louis Hummers (WPSL) and was selected as the 1977 International Pro Softball Association’s Rookie of the Year.

Currently serving as player and coach development director for the Wheatlands Spike travel program in Naperville, Ill., Wright is a highly sought after public speaker who is nationally and internationally renowned as well as published author. Wright has been featured in USA Today, showcased in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd” and featured in two books -- “She Can Coach!” and “Celebrating Women Coaches: A Biographical Dictionary.”

Joe Yegge • Head Coach • Kirkwood Community College
Travel Ball Curriculum: College Coach Panel
December 6, 2:00 PM • Skyview 5 & 6

Joe Yegge is entering his eighth season as the head coach at Kirkwood Community College. During his tenure, he has built a record of 328-77 and his teams have won five ICCAC regular season championships, two regional championships, two district crowns and have advanced twice to the NJCAA tournament.  

He and his staff have been named the NFCA Midwest Coaching Staff of the Year twice. This past summer, Yegge was selected to be on the staff of the NJCAA all-star team that played in the Canadian Open International Division against teams like Team USA, as well as the Japanese and Canadian squads. 

Yegge spent five seasons as the top assistant at NCAA Division I Indiana State University, where he was in charge of the team’s hitters.  Those teams leaped into the school record books for home runs, doubles, base on balls and total at bats.

From 1998-2002, he was the head coach at North Iowa Area Community College, after serving as the assistant coach for two seasons. During that time,Yegge led the team to its first 30-win season in eight years.