Salisbury earns Atlantic Region Softball Coaching Staff of the Year
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced its 2009 Division III Regional Coaching Staff of the Year awards and the Salisbury University softball program was honored as the Atlantic Region recipients.
The Sea Gulls are coached by head coach Margie Knight and assisted by Tom Stitcher, Tee Dronenburg, Kyle Hall and Terri Sharpless.
The Sea Gull coaching staff helped guide 16 SU letterwinners to 40-7 record as the maroon and gold reached the 40-win plateau for the first time since 2005. The season included a 30-game win streak and the 13th consecutive and 14th overall Capital Athletic Conference championship. The Sea Gulls made the program's 14th NCAA tournament appearance and earned the sixth trip to the NCAA Division III Softball Championship after winning five consecutive games in the Salisbury, Md. First Round Tournament.
Knight finished her 13th season as the head coach at her Alma Mater. She ranks in the top five in NCAA Division III history for all-time winningest percentage with a 485-119-2 (.802) career record. For her performance guiding the No. 5 Sea Gulls in 2009 Knight was voted on by her peers as the CAC Coach of the Year for the eighth time in 13 seasons. The Catonsville, Md., native was inducted into the SU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Maryland State Softball Hall of Fame in the spring of 2008.
Stitcher wrapped up his 18th year with the Salisbury University softball program. Stitcher's primary duties included working with the infield and outfield defensively, assisting with the hitters and coaching first base. Due to Stitcher's work the Sea Gulls finished No. 10 in the nation in fielding percentage (.971) and had the nation's 17th best batting average (.347).
Dronenburg just finished her second year as a graduate assistant for the softball program. Dronenburg is a former three-time All-CAC performer as she was the catcher for the Sea Gulls from 2004-07. Dronenburg's worked primarily with the SU catchers and helped the hitters. Due to Dronenburg's work SU's three catchers had a fielding percentage .995 and junior catcher Lauren Brenneman was named a second-team All-American by the NFCA. The SU hitters finished with the nation's 17th best batting average (.347).
Hall is a current student at Salisbury University as he just wrapped up his sophomore year. Hall has an extensive baseball background that translated over well to the softball field. Hall assisted with the infield and outfield plus worked with the SU hitters. With Hall's assistance the Sea Gulls finished No. 10 in the nation in fielding percentage (.971) and held the nation's 17th best batting average (.347).
Sharpless returned to the SU softball program as an assistant after a long hiatus with the team. Sharpless served as an assistant coach in 1990 and is a former Sea Gull student-athlete. Sharpless pitched for the Sea Gulls from 1986-89 and was one of the best pitchers to don the maroon and gold. Sharpless was inducted into the Salisbury University Athletic Department Hall of Fame in 2000. Sharpless worked with the SU pitchers and helped the Sea Gulls finish with the nations 14th best ERA (1.29).
The Sea Gull coaching staff is up for the National Coaching Staff of the Year award which will be announced later this month. The other programs that are up for the honor include SUNY Cortland (Northeast Region), Gustavus Adolphus University (Midwest), Illinois Wesleyan University (Great Lakes), Linfield College (West), Messiah College (East), Ohio Northern University (Central), Tufts University (New England) and University of Texas-Tyler (West).
