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And the hits just keep on coming ... literally ... for Louisiana Tech head coach Sarah Dawson and the Lady Techster softball program.
While shattering numerous team and individual offensive records, Louisiana Tech has recorded two of the best seasons in the last 15 years as head coach Sarah Dawson continues to rebuild a program that participated in numerous college world series and NCAA Tournaments during the 1980s and early '90s.
Dawson, who is set to begin her eighth year as the Lady Techster head coach, has done it by recruiting her type of players and molding them into winners both on and off the diamond.
The success of the last two years is proof that her philosophy and coaching method is paying off.
During Dawson's tenure at LA Tech, the Lady Techsters have boasted some impressive results ... on the field and in the classroom.
On the field, Tech has:
• recorded a trio of top-four finishes in the highly-competitive Western Athletic Conference, including back-to-back fourth place finishes over the last two seasons.
• captured the 2008 WAC Tournament title, defeating four Top 25 ranked teams in four days (Tech has posted eight wins over Top 25 teams in the last two years).
• earned a berth in the 2008 NCAA Tournament where it defeated SEC foe Auburn twice before eventually falling to national runner-up Texas A&M. It was Tech's first NCAA Tournament since 1995.
• finished ranked 33rd in the country in the 2008 USA Today/NFCA Division I poll.
• placed 23 players on the All-Western Athletic Conference team, including 14 first teamers. This includes 14 different players garnering awards over the last seven seasons.
• placed 25 players on the Louisiana Sports Writers all-state team, including 10 first teamers.
• seen shortstop Amberly Waits become the first LA Tech player to ever win the WAC Player of the Year Award in 2009. Waits was also named the LSWA State Hitter of the Year.
• hit 59 home runs in 2009, shattering the previous mark of 34 (set in 2008). Tech ranked 19th in the country in home runs per game.
• seen its team ERA improve from 5.07 in 2006 to 2.49 in 2009; its team fielding percentage rise from .935 in 2006 to .964 in 2009; and its team home run total rise from 26 in 2006 to 59 in 2009.
Off the field, Tech has:
• had 50 student-athletes earn Academic All-WAC awards
• posted its best Academic Progress Rate (APR) ever with a 987 in 2007-08.
• recorded hundreds of community service hours, including raising more than $8,000 for the local chapter of DART with the charity softball game against Fresno State this past April.
Dawson, now 12 years removed from her playing days where she was an All-American pitcher at Northeast Louisiana (now Louisiana-Monroe), works tirelessly as a head coach to help mold her players into great softball players, top-notch students and first class citizens.
Part of Dawson's philosophy involves getting her players actively involved in service projects so they learn how to be an integral part of their community. During her time at Tech, Dawson's players have averaged over 200 hours of community service, ranging from visiting nursing homes, working with area churches and helping with the Louisiana Tech student-athlete Halloween carnival.
In addition to community service projects, Dawson incorporates the NCAA's CHAMPS/Lifeskills Leadership Program on a regular basis with her team. Throughout the school year, Dawson arranges speakers to talk to her players about such topics as domestic violence, drugs and alcohol, sexual responsibility, interviewing skills, and other areas that will impact their lives.
Dawson and her coaching staff along with the players instituted a recycling program in the Louisiana Tech Athletic Department.
Dawson also emphasizes education, and it has paid off during her tenure at Louisiana Tech. During the previous seven years at Tech, a total of 50 of LA Tech softball players have earned Academic All-Western Athletic Conference honors, ranking among the most in the league during that time.
The team also recorded its highest single year Academic Progress Rate (APR) score ever with a 987 for the 2007-08 season.
Dawson, who has compiled a 153-245 record at Tech in her seven years, has also had a positive effect on her players on the playing field during her time at Louisiana Tech. Dawson's competitive spirit rubs off on her players.
She brings that competitiveness and dedication that helped her garner success as a collegiate and professional player to the Louisiana Tech program.
Twenty-three of her players have earned all-Western Athletic Conference honors, including at least one every year and a program-record five in 2009. Junior shortstop Amberly Waits became the first LA Tech player to ever earn the WAC Player of the Year award as she was an easy selection in 2009 after winning the WAC Triple Crowe (led league in average, home runs and RBI).
Dawson has also had 17 of her players named to the Louisiana Sports Writers Association all-state team, including Waits who was named the 2009 Hitter of the Year and outfielder Emma Barnes was named the state Freshman of the Year in 2006.
Dawson's effect on her players can be seen in a number of different ways, including their lives following college. Three of her former players are currently or have coached in the Division ranks including current Tech assistant Amber Miles as well as Marla Pinkston and Eric Chernicky.
Prior to coming to Louisiana Tech in 2000, Dawson served as an assistant coach at UL-Monroe from 2000 through 2002 and at Marshall University in 1999.
During her four years on the mound at UL-Monroe, she produced some incredibly impressive numbers that still rank on the NCAA Division I all-time single season and career records list.
In her career, Dawson amassed a record of 120-56 while registering 151 complete games, 1,242.1 innings pitched, 1,280 strikeouts and 74 career shutouts. Her complete games, innings pitched, strikeouts and career shutouts all ranked in the top 10 in NCAA Division I history while her 120 career wins ranked sixth.
In 1997 during her senior season at UL-Monroe, Dawson earned a spot on the Louisville Slugger NCAA Division I All-American first team. During that year Dawson registered 446 strikeouts in 400.2 innings while recording 50 complete games in only 54 starts and amassing a record of 45-10.
She still holds the school record for career victories, lowest earned run average (0.69), inning pitched, strikeouts, shutouts, games pitched, games started and complete games.
She continued to be successful after her collegiate career, joining the Women's Professional Fast-pitch League in the summer of 1997, where she earned the first year league's inaugural Most Valuable Player award, ranking No. 1 in wins (30) and saves (4) and second in shutouts, complete games, earned run average and opponents batting average.
Dawson earned her bachelor's degree in finance from UL-Monroe in 1998.
