In five years, Lycoming College softball head coach
Dan Lazorka has taken a team that won just two games in the two years prior to his arrival and built it into a contender in one of the toughest NCAA Division III softball leagues in the nation, the Commonwealth Conference.
Over that time, he has coached six all-conference selections, two CoSIDA Academic All-District selections and moved into second in school history with 65 career wins.
Lazorka continued to build the Warriors in 2013, leading the team to a 15-19 record, the most wins in a season for the program since 2005. He also mentored three all-conference selections, the most for the program since 2006. Lazorka also coached Holly Lansberry, who tossed the program's first seven-inning complete game perfect game and a no-hitter during the season. The team also rewrote the school's record book, including the marks for career hits, runs and RBI and single-season home runs.
In 2012, the Warriors won 10 games with a ferocious offense that hit .296 as a team. Lazorka oversaw freshman Caroline Lapano, who went on to earn all-conference honors and Allyson Marianelli, who became the first First Team CoSIDA Academic All-District selection since 2003, as well as Lansberry, who tied the school record with a 17-game hitting streak. The Warriors started the season perfect, as Brie Braga and Lapano combined for a perfect game in a 10-0, five-inning win over Principia.
While battling with the fierce spring weather that eventually cancelled 12 games, the 2011 Warriors sent shockwaves through the Commonwealth Conference en route to the program's first berth in the league's playoffs since joining the league in 2008, finishing 14-16 overall and 8-6 in the league. Lazorka's Warriors, which featured just one senior, proved tough-as-nails, though, as they stuggled through a mid-season slump to win their last five regular-season games, starting the stretch with a shocking 3-2 walk-off win over No. 6 Messiah. In all, the Warriors wrapped up the No. 4 seed in the tournament thanks to three walk-off wins in conference play.
Individually, Lazorka coached pitcher Lansberry to all-conference honors and Bethany Garnand earned Capital One Academic All-District accolades.
In 2010, Lazorka led the Warriors to a two-win improvement, finishing at 14-24, with a young lineup that featured just two seniors. A third of the Warriors lineup batted better than .300 and the team hit a solid .294 while playing in a program-record 38 games. He also helped Jess Nabholz earn All-Commonwealth Conference honors.
In Lazorka’s first year, Lycoming posted its first double-digit win season since 2006 with 12 wins. He coached one all-conference selection and pitcher Shauna Starr tossed a no-hitter against Keystone.
Lazorka came to Lycoming after serving as the head coach at Jersey Shore High School from 2005-08. He led the team to district runner-up honors in all four years while posting more than 20 wins each season.
Lazorka served as a volunteer assistant at Jersey Shore from 1995-2005 before taking over the program. While serving as a volunteer coach, he also served as the head coach of the middle school team and as a volunteer assistant coach with Misericordia University. During the summers from 1995-2006, Lazorka coached the ASA Silver Bullets travel team to three state championships and one national title in 2006.
During his coaching tenure, Lazorka has attended numerous camps and clinics and maintains close relationships with some of the top coaches in the country, including Mike Candrea, who coached the 2008 U.S. Olympic softball team. Lazorka was able to use his connections to bring Jenny Finch and six other Olympians to Williamsport in 2007 to conduct a youth camp. His relationship with the U.S. Olympic squad blossomed even further when Lazorka coached a regional All-Star team in an exhibition game against the U.S. Olympians when the “Bound for Beijing” tour stopped in Williamsport.
Lazorka and his wife, Pam, reside in South Williamsport. The couple has four grown children: Amber, Kirsten, Jeremy and Danielle.
The Lazorka File |
Hometown: Jersey Shore, Pa. |
Wife: Pam |
Son: Jeremy |
Daughters: Amber, Kirsten, Danielle |
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|
Coaching Experience |
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1995-05 |
Jersey Shore Area High School |
Volunteer Assistant Varsity Softball Coach |
2000-08 |
Jersey Shore Area Middle School |
Head Softball Coach |
2000-05 |
Misericordia University |
Volunteer Assistant Softball Coach |
2005-08 |
Jersey Shore Area High School |
Head Varsity Softball Coach |
2009-Pres. |
Lycoming College |
Head Softball Coach |
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|
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Lazorka Year-By-Year at Lycoming |
Year |
W |
L |
Pct. |
Note |
2009 |
12 |
22 |
.353 |
Shauna Starr tosses no-hitter against Keystone
|
2010 |
14 |
24 |
.368 |
Jess Nabholz earns All-Commonwealth Conference honors |
2011 |
14 |
16 |
.467 |
Warriors earn first bid in Commonwealth Conference playoffs since joining the league in 2008 |
2012 |
10 |
23 |
.303 |
Allyson Marianelli becomes first First Team CoSIDA Academic All-District pick since 2003 |
2013 |
15 |
19 |
.441 |
Program's most wins since 2005 |
Total |
65 |
104 |
.385 |
|