Athletics

2008-09 Softball
Coaching Staff

Gary VanCauwenberge Head Coach 6th Season
(ph): 440.375.7471 (fax) 440.375.7474 GaryV@lec.edu	Gary VanCauwenberge is in his sixth season as the head coach for the Lake Erie College softball team. He earned Co-Coach of the Year honors in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference in 2004 and his 2006 squad set the program record for wins in a season with 26. Under his direction, the team made three conference post-season appearances and posted the second above .500 season on record. Sixteen of his players have earned All-AMCC honors, including last year's record-high of eight honorees. Ten of his players have also earned AMCC Player of the Week accolades. Prior to his arrival, the team had never won a conference game nor had any player ever been selected as a conference player of the week. A 2000 graduate from Ohio Wesleyan University, VanCauwenberge earned a health and physical education degree. He played three seasons of volleyball as an outside and middle hitter for the Battling Bishops, serving as captain. VanCauwenberge also played one year as an outfielder for the Ohio Wesleyan baseball team. After graduating from OWU, VanCauwenberge received a Masters of Exercise and Sports Studies and a National Council for Accreditation of Coaching Education Level IV certificate from Smith College in 2002. In addition to his duties as head coach of the Storm softball team, VanCauwenberge serves as the head coach for the Lake Erie volleyball squad and is the academic liaison for the athletic department. Prior to coming to Lake Erie, VanCauwenberge spent two seasons at Amherst College in Massachusetts as an assistant volleyball coach. While at Amherst, the Jeffs made a second round appearance in the NCAA Championships and won the New England Small College Athletic Conference title. VanCAUWENBERGE FILE Year / Overall ; AMCC 2007 13-16; 11-7 2006 26-16-1; 14-4 2005 10-23; 7-11 2004 5-25; 1-11 2003 1-25; 0-12   TOTALS 55-105-1; 33-45

Jim Baldwin Assistant Coach 4th Season
(fax) 440.375.7474	Jim Baldwin is in his fourth season as an assistant with the Storm softball program. Prior to working at the collegiate level, he spent 10 years coaching at the Junior Olympic level. He has also been an executive director and athletics director of Y.E.S. since 2002, which is the Youth, Education and Sports organization. Baldwin bases his coaching on sportsmanship, leadership, logic and patience. He believes these qualities are the keys to success in almost every area of life.

Lisa Liotta Assistant Coach 1st Season
(ph): 440.375.7468 (fax) 440.375.7474 lliotta@lec.edu	Lisa Liotta begins her first season with the Lake Erie softball program after joining the college in August as the athletics facilities coordinator. A local product, she was a three-year varsity letter winner at Berkshire High School where she served as team captain for two seasons. Splitting time as a catcher and second baseman, she earned Second-Team All-Chagrin Valley Conference and All-News-Herald. She was also a part of the team's 2003 conference championship season. Liotta graduated magna cum laude from Baldwin-Wallace College with a bachelor's degree in sport management and business administration. She was a three-year varsity player for the Yellow Jackets, serving as team captain and earning First-Team Ohio Athletic Conference All-Academic and Academic All-American honors. On the coaching side of her career, she spent one year coaching winter ball at Pinnacle Sports with Medina Highland High School and two years with the Burton Youth League 18-and-Under team who won two regular season and two tournament championships.