Head coach Samantha “Sam” Kszepka is entering her sixth year at the helm of the Eagle softball program.  She made waves in the Landmark Conference during her inaugural season, leading the Eagles to the postseason for the first time since 2010.  Under Kszepka in 2013, Juniata finished with a 4-6 record against Landmark opponents, double the wins of the previous two seasons combined.  She also led the Eagles to their first win over Moravian College in the Landmark tournament and advanced to the conference semifinals.

Kszepka encourages all-around success in her student-athletes.  Five Eagles were named National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America Scholar-Athletes, four were placed on the Landmark Academic Honor Roll, while others picked up all-conference and player of the week honors.

A former All-American, Kszepka was a longtime collegiate assistant coach with stints at both Division I and Division III institutions.  She most recently served as an assistant coach at Bucknell University for the 2009 through 2012 seasons, where she worked with all facets of the program including recruiting; designing workouts for the Bison pitchers, catchers, and hitters; and educating players on game situation strategy with the use of scouting reports.

During her time at Bucknell, Kszepka helped guide Bison softball to the 2010 Patriot League championship – the first in program history – and coached Patriot League Rookie of the Year and Tournament MVP pitcher Alex MacLean.

Kszepka previously served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Norfolk State University (2008) with primary oversight of the pitchers and catchers while assisting with daily practice planning. She began her collegiate coaching career at Susquehanna University during the 2007 season, directing pitching workouts, implementing winter workout and conditioning programs, and providing skill instruction for all players.

Kszepka was a head coach at the high school level in 2006 at Willingboro (N.J.) High School, where she also worked for two years as a health and physical education teacher.

As a collegiate softball player, Kszepka earned Third Team All-America honors in 2002 as a utility player at William Paterson University. She was the 2002 ECAC and New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Player of the Year, after hitting a team-high .463 with three home runs and 30 runs batted in. In the circle, Kszepka posted a 13-4 record with a 0.86 ERA during her sophomore season in 2002.  For her career, Kszepka notched a 36-10 mark with a 1.50 ERA.

The New Egypt, N.J., native is a 2004 graduate of William Paterson with a bachelor's degree in exercise movement and science. She received her master's degree in sports management from California University of Pennsylvania in 2010.