HUNTINGDON, Pa. – Former All-American Samantha "Sam" Kszepka, a longtime collegiate assistant with stints at both Division I and Division III institutions, has been named Juniata College's new head softball coach.
Kszepka (pronounced "shep-ka") will begin her duties at Juniata immediately.
"We had a very strong pool of applicants from which to choose, but Sam clearly stood out and demonstrated her readiness to be a head coach," said Juniata athletics director Greg Curley. "She is a solid recruiter, understands the game at its deepest levels and has proven she can develop her players, and will bring a great deal of passion to our softball program."
"Most importantly, she clearly understands how to build a strong softball program in our region at an institution with a demanding academic curriculum, which makes her the perfect fit for Juniata," said Curley.
Kszepka 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.
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