Donna Ference head shot

Donna Ference

  • Title
    Head Softball Coach
  • Email
    dlf32@psu.edu
  • Phone
    484-641-8222
Donna Ference enters her 13th season as the Nittany Lions head softball coach in 2025. She has been selected as the NEAC Coach of the Year six times (2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021 & 2025). Ference has guided the Nittany Lions to eight conference titles and eight trips to the NCAA Tournament.

After ten seasons, Ference is the all-time winningest coach in program history with an overall record of 274-117-1 (.719 winning percentage) and is 189-29 (.867 winning percentage) in conference play. The Nittany Lions were United East/NEAC Champions in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023. Under her guidance, the Nittany Lions have had 28 All-Conference First Team selections. Ference has also coached seven NEAC Pitcher of the Year recipients, one NEAC Rookie of the Year and four NEAC Player of the Year recipients. The team has had nine NFCA All-Region selections and one All-America Second Team recipient.

In 2023, Berks finished 28-11 overall and were second in the regular season after going 19-5 in the United East. In the postseason tournament, Berks defeated No.3 seed Penn State Harrisburg and top seed/host Penn College to head to the title game. Berks fell in the first game to Harrisburg, but battled back with a 9-1 five-inning victory over Harrisburg to claim the eighth title in program history. Briana Smith was named the United East Tournament MVP after her spectacular performance in the pitcher's circle. At the NCAA Tournament, the Nittany Lions dropped a 1-0 thriller in eight innings to No. 20 ranked Rowan University, before picking up a 5-4 win over host Marietta College. The season drew to a close with a 5-1 setback to Pfeiffer University. Under Ference's guidance, the Nittany Lions had the United East Player of the Year (Arizona Shreck), as well as three first team recipients (Shreck, Susan Duncan, Naomi Fay) and two on the second team (Veronica Maryanski, Briana Smith).

The Nittany Lions finished the 2022 season with an overall record of 27-13 and were 21-7 in the conference. Due to poor weather, the United East Tournament turned into a one-day, single-elimination tournament. Berks took down No. 2 seed Penn State Harrisburg by a score of 7-0, followed by a win over top seed/tournament host Penn College by a 5-3 margin. Briana Smith was named the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament after earning a pair of wins in the circle. With the win, the Nittany Lions won the conference tournament for the seventh time in program history and earned their seventh trip to the NCAA Tournament. At the regional tournament, Berks was edged by a 2-0 score by Endicott College, but kept the season alive with a bounce-back 9-5 win over Framingham State University. Endicott got the best of the Nittany Lions, 5-1, to bring the season to a close for Berks. Ference had the United East Player of the Year (Arizona Shreck), two first team recipients (Shreck, Susan Duncan), and three named to the second team (Briana Smith, Emily Strupp, Peyton Vivian).

In the 2021 season, Berks finished with a record of 17-4 overall. The regular season consisted of only games against NEAC opponents due to safety precautions with the global pandemic. In those contests, the Nittany Lions finished 16-2 and were regular season champions. Berks won the first game of a three-game series with Penn State Harrisburg, but the visitors won a pair of extra inning contests to eliminate Berks in the semifinal round of the conference tournament. Ference received the NEAC Coach of the Year award for the fifth time, Susan Duncan was named NEAC Player of the Year, and Briana Smith was selected as the NEAC Pitcher of the Year. Duncan, Briana Smith, Bri Smith, and Arizona Shreck garnered All-NEAC First Team honors, while Hunter Hart was a second team recipient.

The Nittany Lions went 1-7 on in a shortened 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2019 team finished tied for most wins in a season under Ference's guidance, after going 32-10 overall and 18-0 in the NEAC. The team hosted the postseason conference tournament and won the NEAC Crown for the sixth time in seven years. The 2019 team opened up the NCAA Tournament with a thrilling 5-3 victory over Brandeis University, before dropping the next two games. This marked the third straight year that the softball team won a game at the NCAA Regional. The squad reeled off a 24-game winning streak, that spanned the end of March and into the NCAA Tournament. This year's team held the program record for at-bats, doubles, hit by pitch, games played, and innings pitched. They ranked second in school history for hits, ERA, batting average against, and wins, while ranking third in batting average, strikeouts, complete games, and shutouts. Ference was again named NEAC Coach of the Year and senior standout Jess Rozick was named NEAC Pitcher of the Year. Rozick, Bri Smith, and Val Miller were named to the All-NEAC First Team, while Hunter Hart was a second team selection and Maddy Davidson earned third team honors. Rozick was an NFCA All-Region Second Team recipient and Bri Smith was named to the third team. For the second straight year, Smith was named the NEAC Tournament MVP.

In the 2018 season, Ference directed the Nittany Lions to a 25-10 overall record and 14-0 mark against conference opponents. The team hosted the NEAC Tournament and fell into the consolation bracket after dropping going 1-1 on the first day. The team then battled back and won three games on championship Saturday to win the NEAC Championship title for the second straight season and fifth time in six years. At the NCAA Tournament, Berks defeated No. 23 ranked Rowan University, 3-2 in the opener. They then dropped a game to No. 5 ranked Randolph-Macon and an elimination game to Rowan. Standout pitcher Jess Rozick was an NFCA All-Region Second Team selection, as well as being named NEAC Pitcher of the Year and NEAC Player of the Year. Rozick also earned a spot on the All-NEAC First Team, where she was joined by Hunter Hart. Becca Faust, Bri Smith, and Val Miller were named to the second team and Ashley Malek landed on the third team. Bri Smith was named the NEAC Tournament MVP after batting .684 (13-for-19) with two doubles, one triple, one home run, six runs scored and eight RBI.

Ference and the Nittany Lions enjoyed a breakthrough season on the national level in 2017. The team finished 29-9 overall and went 19-1 in the conference. They cruised through the NEAC Tournament to earn their fourth trip in five years to the NCAA Tournament. At the NCAA Regional, the Nittany Lions dropped a 3-0 heartbreaker to Ithaca College, before bouncing back with the first-ever win at the NCAA Tournament in program history. Berks came to bat in the bottom of the seventh tied 4-4 with Susquehanna University, when Ashley Malek smacked a two-out solo home run for the walk off win. The team saw its magical season come to an end with a 5-3 setback to Ithaca. Ference was named the NEAC Coach of the Year for the third time in her career. She also had an NFCA All-American Second Team selection (Jenna Heffner) and two NFCA All-Region First Team recipients (Heffner, Jessica Rozick). The 2017 squad had the NEAC Player of the Year (Heffner), Pitcher of the Year (Rozick), three All-NEAC First Team, and two All-NEAC Second Team honorees.

Ference guided the softball team to one of its best season's in program history on her way to being named the 2016 NEAC Softball Coach of the Year. The team finished with an overall record of 32-5 and finished as the runner-up in the conference tournament. In the regular season, the Nittany Lions went 20-0 in conference play, marking the first time the program went undefeated through the regular season. It was just the second year that the Nittany Lions finished with 30 or more wins and the team had a program-best 25 game winning streak throughout the season. She had two players earn NFCA All-Region honors, the NEAC Player of the Year (Jenna Heffner), NEAC Pitcher of the Year (Jessica Rozick), and six all-conference selections.

In the 2015 season, the Nittany Lions finished 19-14 overall and were 15-5 in the conference. They won 10 of their final 11 conference games to finish as the NEAC Regular Season Champions and earned the right to host the conference tournament. The Nittany Lions won by the mercy rule in the first two games of the tournament before pulling off a thrilling 5-4 victory over Penn State Abington in the NEAC title game to earn their third straight trip to the NCAA Regional Tournament. At regionals, the Nittany Lions suffered a 3-2 setback to Moravian College, who ranked in the top-25 in most offensive categories. The season came to a close with a 4-0 loss to the University of Rochester.

In her first season at the helm of the Nittany Lions, Ference was named the NEAC Coach of the Year. The team went 29-10 overall and 18-2 in conference play. Berks won the south division regular season and went on to win its second straight NEAC Championship to earn a return trip to the NCAA Regional Tournament. At the regional, the Nittany Lions dropped a heartbreaking 5-2 decision to No. 4 ranked and eventual national runner-up Salisbury University. The 2014 squad had the most explosive offense in program history, leading the nation with an 8.23 runs per game average. They were 14th in the country with a .358 batting average and were 29th with a .496 slugging percentage. The team set the school record for runs scored (321), hits (399), RBI (275), batting average (.358), doubles (73), home runs (20), slugging percentage (.496), and total bases (552).

Ference was an assistant coach at Division-I Lafayette College for four seasons. After a season at Emmaus High School, Ference spent the next 13 years coaching the Palisades High School varsity team. She won two championship titles during her three year stint at St. Michael’s Middle School. Ference was also coaching the Lehigh Valley Tournament team before moving on to Lafayette College. Most recently, Ference has coached the 16-under Storm Tournament Team.

During her collegiate career, Ference played two seasons at Bucks County Community College. The team went to regionals both years and went to nationals, where they finished ninth in the country. She played first base and right field and earned one of the teams wins at nationals in the pitcher’s circle. Ference then played two seasons at Shippensburg University where the team qualified for postseason play both years.

After college Ference played in the Easton Women’s Slow-Pitch Softball League. The team reached states multiple times and won the championship to earn at trip to nationals in Portland, Oregon.

Ference earned her Associates Degree in Business from Bucks County Community College in 1979 and went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Education from Shippensburg University in 1981. Ference resides in Fleetwood with her husband and they have one son.
 
Overall Conference
Year Wins Losses Ties Wins Losses
2014 29 10 18 2
2015 19 14 15 5
2016 32 5 20 0
2017 29 9 19 1
2018 25 10 1 14 0
2019 32 10 18 0
2020 1 7
2021 17 4 16 2
2022 27 13 21 7
2023 28 11 19 5
2023 0 0 0 0
Total 239 93 1 160 22