1999 University of Virginia Winter Softball Clinic

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December 15, 1998

Clinic’s Purpose

The 1999 University of Virginia Winter Softball Clinic sessions have been planned to improve your basic fundamental skills. Sessions will include pitching (basic mechanics, rise, drop, off-speed, curve), fielding, hitting and bunting. Sportsmanship and fair play will be emphasized at this clinic.

Clinic Objective

• To improve basic softball skills
• Group instructions based upon skill and age level
• To improve individual instructions at a ratio of 5 to 1
• Identification and correction of individual skills
• Enhancement of the individual’s knowledge and understanding of softball

When

	Saturday, January 30, 1999	10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.         Pitching	1:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.           Fielding	5:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.           Hitting

Where
The location of the clinic will be held at the University of Virginia Athletic “Cage”. The “Cage” is located in the lower level of Onesty Hall, which is the building directly on the west side of University Hall. Please park in the parking lot nearest the railroad tracks and use the side door entrance. Once inside, follow the signs to the area in which the clinic will be held. Directions and confirmations will be sent after registration is received.

Cost

• $50.00 per session NON-REFUNDABLE
• $150.00 for all three sessions

Deadline
Entries to the clinic are limited to the first 50 enrolled in each session.

Payment and Registration Due
Tuesday, January 26, 1999

What to Bring
Each athlete must bring her own glove, tennis shoes, sweats, shorts, T-shirt, socks and batting gloves if needed. Bats and helmets are optional. The Virginia Softball Program will provide those items.

University of Virginia Winter Clinic Instructors
Cheryl Sprangel begins her second season at the helm of the University of Virginia women’s softball program. Sprangel came to Charlottesville with the intention of building Virginia into a softball power, and it didn’t take long for her to accomplish that goal. The Cavaliers responded to her presence by posting a record of 38-28 overall. UVa finished 8-9 in the Southern Atlantic Softball Alliance (3-5 in the ACC) and finished 3-2 in the ACC tournament, good for second place. Sprangel guided the 1998 Cavaliers to the winningest season under a first-year head coach in the 19 year history of Virginia’s softball program, and helped UVa establish the second highest win total in a single season at Virginia. On April 18, 1998, Sprangel earned her 500th career win as a head coach when UVa swept a pair of games from the 14th ranked Florida State Seminoles.

Prior to arriving at Virginia, Sprangel served as the head coach for the women’s softball team at the University of Toledo for 14 seasons. She helped transform a (3-24) last-place team in the Mid-American Conference into a (44-23) MAC championship team in her first two years. The 44 overall victories is the most in the history of the softball program at Toledo. Under Sprangel, Toledo had a winning record 12 of the 14 seasons she coached the Rockets. She led Toledo to a 466-355-1 record for a (.568) winning percentage. The Rockets finished in either first or second place nine out of 14 seasons under Sprangel’s direction. Sprangel’s record in MAC play is 247-125-1 (.662). Her teams won at least 35 games on five occasions and recorded at least 20 wins within the MAC seven times.

Sprangel helped guide Toledo to three Mid-American Conference titles in 1985, 1989 and 1992. Her three MAC titles are tied for the most by any coach in the history of University of Toledo women’s athletics. Sprangel’s 1989 team captured the NCAA Midwest Regional title and advanced to the College World Series, where the Rockets eventually tied for seventh place. That represents the furthest that a Toledo women’s program has ever advanced on a national scale. Sprangel’s teams earned top 20 national ranking in 1985, 1989, and 1992. Her 1992 squad was ranked first in the Midwest Region.

Before her coaching stint at Toledo, Sprangel was an assistant coach at Central Michigan during the 1983 season. Prior to that, she spent two seasons coaching softball, volleyball, and basketball at the high school level in Lansing, Mich.

A native of Addison, Mich., Sprangel graduated from Michigan State University in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education. She also holds a master’s degree in athletic administration from Central Michigan University (1986). Sprangel was a standout pitcher at Michigan State and Jackson Community College. She has earned four softball letters and two letters in basketball and volleyball.

Jamie Pinkerton is in his first season as an assistant softball coach at the University of Virginia. Pinkerton, a native of Tulsa, Okla., is a 1997 graduate of the University of Tulsa. Prior to arriving at Virginia, he served as an assistant coach at Northeast Louisiana University in 1997, where he helped guide the Indians to 24 victories. Before Pinkerton’s coaching stint at NLU, he was an assistant coach at Tulsa from 1994-97. The Golden Hurricane, who won 18 games in its first two seasons prior to Pinkerton’s arrival, went on to record 51 victories over the next three seasons with his assistance.

Pinkerton began his coaching background as the head coach for the Oklahoma Mustangs (1986-1994), a Metro Tulsa ASA travel team. He guided the Mustangs to three National Championship berths in ’90, ’91 and ’94. Pinkerton went on to serve as an assistant coach at Claremore-Sequoyah High School (Okla.) in 1994, where he helped the Eagles finish as the Oklahoma 2A State runner-up.

JoAnne Ferguson enters her second season as an assistant coach at Virginia. She is a master’s degree candidate at UVa, studying sport psychology. Prior to coaching at Virginia, Ferguson attended Shippensburg University (Pa.) where played softball. She competed in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) and gathered time at catcher and first base. At Shippensburg, Ferguson batted .275 with 52 RBI in 151 games and helped assists the Raiders to a 103-67-1 record while she was in uniform.

Mail Registration and Checks Payable To:
University of Virginia Softball
C/O James Pinkerton
P.O. Box 3785
371-A McCue Hall
Charlottesville, Va. 22903

For More Information Concerning the 1999 University of Virginia Softball Clinic,Please Contact:

Cheryl Sprangel: (804) 982-5736 – cts6n@virginia.edu
or
Jamie Pinkerton: (804) 982-5737 – jdp6b@virginia.edu