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Lady netters start season under new coach
Gallegos brings experience, enthusiasm to struggling program
Dan Gallegos
Lady Lions finish season with record-breaking win total
by John Musser
Collegian Sports Editor
The women's softball team
has accomplished what no other
varsity squad at Behrend could do
last year.
The Lady Lions finished with
a winning record, and at the same
time set a new mark for wins in a
season for the second year in a
row.
In the 'B9 season, the lady
softballers won 18 games,
breaking the old school record of
10 in 1980. They also qualified
for post-season play for the first
time since the school joined the
NCAA in 1985.
The 18-win record didn't last
for long. The Lady Lions, despite
struggling early on, finished the
'9O season last May with 19
wins.
They also had the distinction
of being the only team of the
nine varsity sports at Behrend to
post a winning record.
For those with a short
memory, softball has not always
been this successful.
Before Sports Information
Director Brett Banker took over
the coaching reins, the softball
program at Behrend was average
at best, miserable at worst
In the seven years prior to
Banker's first year, the softball
team had a record of 37-98. Under
the direction of Banker, the
softball team has won 37 games
against 20 losses in only two
years, facing the same rigorous
schedule as his predecessors.
Why has the softball program
at Behrend become so successful?
Coach Banker explains:
"The school has made this a
full-time position, which is very
important for recruiting, talking
to players daily off the field, and
making contacts with high
by Robert Kitchen
Collegian Staff Writer
The 1990 women's tennis
team is enthusiastic about the
upcoming season.
Dan Gallegos will be the new
head coach for this year's team.
The lady netters finished 4-6 last
year under Michael Grignol, who
retired at the end of the season.
There are three returnees from
last year's squad.
They are Melissa Clark,
Steffani Rasche, and Karen
Major.
New to the team are Linda
Marquardt, Kathy Nicolls, Kathy
Hartman, Jenniffer Scribner,
Katherine Rozumny, Louisa
Urgo, and Michelle Schaffner.
Other players may be joining
in the future. The number of
players out for the team is up
over previous year's teams.
A new concept built into the
tennis program this year is that
the women and men practice
together. Gallegos is confident
these methods will help the team.
school coaches."
Banker continues: "In the
past, the softball coaching
position was part-time and those
people had other jobs. Those jobs
were off-campus, and they
couldn't devote the time needed to
the program," he said.
It also doesn't hurt that the
team has a solid group of talented
athletes, most of whom are
returning for another season.
That group includes Tammy
Altsman, Melanie Dunn, Kellie
Jordan, Jen Mowris, Cathy
Perevuznik, and Erica Scribner,
all of whom batted above the
.300 level.
Dunn and Scribner had the
second and third best averages in
school history, respectively (.383
and .373). As a team, the Lady
Lions hit .308.
Scribner’s performance netted
her All-Region honors.
The pitching staff was also
superb. Erika Renwick (7-6,1.10
ERA) and Michelle Hoover (7-1,
1.69 ERA) were the aces on the
mound.
In fact, Renwick suffered three
one-run losses, while Hoover's
only loss came against nationally
ranked Allegheny on the final at
bat, 1-0.
Also, Beth Balizet (3-2, 2.26
ERA) led the team in saves.
Winning seasons are not
foreign to the softball skipper.
Banker rarely fields a losing
team.
In 13 years of coaching at
various levels (high school,
American Softball Association
Fastpitch, and college) he has
suffered only one losing season.
When Banker came onto the
Behrend sports scene two years
ago, he said that he wanted to
"develop consistently competitive
teams” and was "fully committed
to building a quality softball
The Collegian
"It gives the women all levels
of competition," said the recently
hired coach.
Rasche said, "It helps improve
our game because we play people
better than ourselves. Also, the
guys get preseason practice."
Strong points for the team
include enthusiasm and a good
work ethic.
Weaknesses are a late start in
practicing and inexperienced
players.
Gallegos is an Erie native and
a graduate of Clarion University.
He served as a tennis head coach
at Rocky Grove High School
(Franklin, PA) from '69-76. He
compiled a 69-15 match record.
He was also an assistant at
Allegheny College in '76-77.
Additionally, he is a former
Middle States Tennis Allegheny
and Mountain Tennis Coach of
the Year winner, both in 76.
Gallegos' goals for the season
are, "For everybody to enjoy
themselves" and to "improve
their skills."
When asked if there would be
photo by Mike Schell
Ready at second: Cathy Perevuznik takes a defensive stance during
action from a game last spring. In the background is rightfielder Pam
Torrelli, who threw out six runners at first base
program." Fortunately, with the success
It s safe to say that the team 0 n the field. Banker has found
has reached this goal. Their coach recruiting easier than when he
believes it's time to do it again. first arrived here.
"I think we have achieved that
goal (a quality program)," says
Banker. "But to prove yourself,
you have to have that quality year
in and year out A two year quick
fix is not what we want
"We need to continue this
(success)."
Banker says the team will also
strive for higher goals this
season.
To reach this goal, recruiting
will be vital to the team's future.
"One of the final goals is an
NCAA bid and to remain under
consideration for a bid for as
many years as possible."
Thursday, September 6, 1990
one thing he would like to see
accomplished this season,
Gallegos said, " I want to lay a
foundation for the future."
The hardest thing to overcome
this season according to Gallegos
is that "we only have 10 days to
get ready for the first match."
Clark, the number one seed
from last year, says her
expectations for the team this
year are, "To win as many games
as we can and to be strong and
play the best we can while
having fun.”
Clark comments on Coach
Gallegos by saying, "He seems
to be a really great guy. He's
eager to coach and eager to teach
us. Winning isn't one of his top
priorities, he wants to make it
fun for us.”
Major says "We’ve been
working hard, and working on a
lot of drills. Our new coach
seems very, very qualified. He's
"The more you win, the
expectations become higher," said
Banker. "Bur it also gives the
opportunity to recruit better
athletes each year.
"Now I know where to go.
And with our success, coaches
and kids now call me.”
Even if recruiting is getting
easier, it will be difficult to top
last year's recruiting class. The
class provided not only the
excellent pitching of Hoover, but
also starters Darcie Bradley
(shortstop) and Pam Torrelli
(rightfield).
"It's difficult to imagine a
really nice and he knows what
he's talking about."
Rasche comments on the
season by saying, "I think that
this year we are going to have a
stronger team than last year. We
have more enthusiasm this year
than last. The coach is going to
be a definite benefit to our team
this year.
"He's an exceptional coach.
He takes everybody's concerns
into consideration. He helps
improve everybody's concerns
into consideration. He helps
improve everybody's game and
enjoys what he does."
The tennis team's first match
is this afternoon September 6th
against SUNY-Fredonia. The
match is at home and will begin
at 3 pm.
better class than last year's," says
Banker. "Time will tell how good
they will be."
This year's freshmen should
also prove to be excellent. There
are seven recruited frosh plus
several walk-ons.
Looks like this could be
another record-breaking season.
NOTES: The first test for
the Lady Lions will be
September 22 and 23 on the City
of Erie softball fields. The two
day marathon event will include
local rivals Allegheny, Gannon,
and Mercyhurst. Robert Morris,
an NCAA Division I school from
Pittsburgh, is also scheduled to
attend the event.