Tuesday, July 13, 2010

SOFTBALL COACH JOHN BYRNE & STAFF NAMED NFCA EAST REGION
COACHING STAFF OF THE YEAR FOR 2010 SEASON

STARKVILLE, MS --- Moravian College head softball coach John Byrne and his staff of assistant coaches Ron Cardinal, Sarah Maulorico, Amy Rogersand Leah Homes have been named the 2010 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III East Region Coaching Staff of the Year announced by the NFCA.

East Texas Baptist University head coach Janae Shirley, along with assistants Bill Galloway, Dani Miller and Guy Shirley, were named the 2010 NFCA Division III Coaching Staff of the Year and the West Region Coaching Staff of the Year after leading the Tigers to the NCAA Division III National Championship this past May. All eight Regional Coaching Staffs of the Year, which can be found at www.nfca.org, will be honored at the 2010 NFCA Convention in San Diego, California this December.

Byrne and the rest of the staff led Moravian to a 24-15 record this season, the squad’s third consecutive Landmark Conference Championship, the 11th straight conference title, and the program’s 12th NCAA Division III Tournament berth in the last 13 years. The Greyhounds won their third NCAA Regional Championship and advanced to the NCAA Division III World Series for the third time in seven years.

In his 17 seasons as head coach of Moravian, Byrne has guided the Greyhounds to a 544-173 record, the school’s first 12 NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament berths, three trips to the NCAA Division III World Series with a runner-up finish in 2004, five Middle Atlantic Conference playoff appearances, three Landmark Conference Championships, seven Commonwealth Conference playoff berths and ten Commonwealth Conference Championships. Byrne has been named the Landmark Conference Coaching Staff of the Year once, the Commonwealth Conference Coach of the Year four times and his staff was the NFCA East Region Coaching Staff of the Year in 2003, 2004 and 2007 as well.

Byrne’s teams have won at least 23 games in each of his 17 seasons including a 23-8 mark during his debut season in 1994, and 12 of those 17 teams have topped the 30-win plateau including the 2004 squad, which was 40-6, a school record for victories by any sport. Byrne has also guided the Greyhounds to the postseason in each of the last 16 years with MAC playoff berths in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 2000; Landmark Conference Tournament appearances in 2008, 2009 and 2010; Commonwealth Conference Tournament appearances in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 and NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament berths in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010.  Moravian has played in the NCAA Regional Championship game six times, winning regionals in 2004, 2007 and 2010 to advance to the World Series.

Coach Byrne has surrounded himself with a staff of four very talented and experienced assistant coaches. Ron Cardinal, in his 14th season with the program, serves as first base coach and infield coach. Former NCAA Division II All-American and California high school coach, Sarah Maulorico, handles the pitchers and catchers. The outfielders are coached by former high school coach and University of Indiana player Amy Rogers. Former Moravian player Leah Holmes rounds out the coaching staff by assisting with the infielders.