MSU Billings Hires Softball Coach (5/30/06)

BILLINGS, MT – Dr. Gary Gray, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at Montana State University-Billings, announced Tuesday that Kim Lemmens has been hired as the school’s new head softball coach.  Lemmens becomes the program’s third head coach, replacing interim head coach Sean McGary.

“We are excited that Coach Lemmens has accepted our offer to become the next head softball coach at MSU Billings,” said Gray.  “She has a wealth of softball experience, both as a player and a coach.  Her expertise in the area of pitching will be very beneficial to our young players, as will her commitment to discipline and hard work.”

Most recently Lemmens was the first assistant coach at Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas.  At Fort Hays she was responsible for recruiting, budget management, fund raising, and coaching pitchers, catchers and hitters.  Before her one season at Fort Hays State, Lemmens was the pitching coach at Colorado State University for four years.  At CSU, Lemmens helped two pitchers earn All-Mountain West honors.  One of them was also the Mountain West Tournament MVP in 2003, and the other was the Mountain West Freshman of the Year in 2004.  The Rams won two Mountain West titles during Lemmens’s four years with the program.

“It’s an exciting opportunity for me,” said Lemmens of her first head coaching assignment.  “I think it’s a perfect fit.  The support and leadership of the current administration and staff will be a great asset for me to begin my head coaching career.  The other thing that is a plus is that it’s a fairly young team.  I think they’re eager and hungry to learn.  It’s nice to have a young team to mold and teach the traditions and foundations we want the program to stand for.”

Lemmens is originally from Denmark, Wisconsin.  She played softball for four years at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, an NCAA Division III school.  She helped Wisconsin-Whitewater to two conference championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances.  Lemmens had a 21-9 career record as a pitcher for the Warhawks with a 1.62 earned run average.  She still ranks in the top 15 in school history for both categories.

Lemmens graduated from Wisconsin-Whitewater in 1989 after majoring in sociology and psychology.  She then went on to earn her teaching certification from University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.  In 1993 Lemmens joined the United States Air Force and served for nine years at a variety of duty stations, including Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls.  While in the Air Force, Lemmens earned associate degrees in Financial Management and Criminal Justice.

The Yellowjackets were 20-31 this season and posted a 12-12 mark in the Heartland Conference.  There were 10 freshmen on the roster, including all three pitchers.  Only two seniors will graduate from the 2006 squad after the program graduated nine in 2005.  MSUB qualified as the No. 5 seed in the Heartland Conference tournament, where the Jackets were 1-2.  Their win at the conference tourney was against Incarnate Word, which went on to play in the NCAA South Central Region championship game.