Sept. 3, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Head coach Robin Petrini announced the hiring of Lisa Banse (nee Birocci) as Penn State softball's new assistant coach on Friday. Banse was the 2003 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year her sophomore season at the University of Iowa.
"I'm very excited that Lisa has chosen to join the Penn State staff," said Petrini. "Her vast experiences in international play and coaching at multiple levels will be a tremendous asset to the program. I'm eager to have her work with our entire team, especially the pitchers and catchers."
Banse enjoys an extensive playing career as evidenced by being a member of the D.E.S. Caserta professional softball team in Caserta, Italy after a successful four-year career at Iowa. During the 2009 season in Caserta, she was named the most valuable player of the Italian Serie A softball league. Banse has also featured as an Italian National Team member in 2005, 2006 and 2009. She recently participated in the 2010 European Champions Cup hosted in Harlem, Netherlands.
"I want to thank Coach Petrini and Coach McIntyre," Banse said. "For the honor of being part of the Penn State softball program. I am excited to be back in the Big Ten and to be part of a successful program with an exciting future. I look forward to working closely with the student-athletes and administration at Penn State University to make this program one of the best in the country."
The right-hander is an accomplished coach as well as a superb all-around player. She has been a part of the University of Iowa softball clinic scene since 2001 and was an assistant coach at Bethune-Cookman University in 2006-07. At Bethune-Cookman, Banse worked with the pitching staff and outfielders while organizing team travel, hotels and other travel related to the program. She was also influential on the recruiting front at B-CU. Most recently, Birocci spent time as head coach of the Regina Catholic High School softball program in Iowa City.
As a collegiate student-athlete, Banse was a two-time NFCA All-American Third Team member (2003 and 2005), while earning first-team All-Region honors three straight seasons (2003-05). The right-handed pitcher earned Big Ten Pitcher of the Year honors in 2003 when she initially broke the Iowa single-season strikeout record with 267. She would go on to fan 313 her junior season and 288 her senior season in 2005 en route to her second All-Big Ten First Team honor. Banse twice won 29 games in a single year doing so in both the 2003 and 2005 seasons.
She currently ranks second all-time in strikeouts at Iowa with 946 career strikeouts as well as second in shutouts (40), third in appearances (175), fifth in wins (90), sixth in complete games (81), seventh in earned run average (1.20), and ninth in innings pitched (579). Banse was a powerful hitter blasting 17 dingers in her four years in Iowa City, good for seventh all-time at Iowa.
Banse is married to Andrew Banse and will begin working with the Penn State softball team immediately.
Last year, the 2010 Nittany Lion softball team went 29-22, a 12-win improvement from 2009. PSU loses just one starter in Academic All-America Third Team honoree Ashley Griffith. Next season will be Petrini's 15th in charge of the Nittany Lions as the winningest coach in program history. Penn State also opens brand new Nittany Lion Park, a $10.2 million stadium complex, which will be one of the finest softball facilities in the country.
For complete coverage of all the Nittany Lion softball this season, visit GoPSUsports.com.
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--NITTANY LIONS--