Randy Denlinger will enter his second year as an assistant softball coach in the upcoming 2014 season.
The 2013 team finished 36-5, doubling the previous program high for wins in a season (18) set in 2008 and 2011. The Nittany Lions hosted the NEAC Tournament after finishing 19-1 in conference play. At the tournament, Berks defeated SUNYIT and then won its first NEAC title after knocking off six-time conference champion Keuka College. The Nittany Lions were then awarded their first ever trip to the NCAA Tournament, where they went 0-2 at the Atlantic Regional in Ithaca, N.Y.
The 2013 squad set the single-season team record for batting average (.341), slugging percentage (.455), at-bats (1094), runs scored (316), hits (373), doubles (64), home runs (13), RBI (256), walks (151), ERA (1.65), batting average against (.198), complete games (34), shutouts (18), innings pitched (257.0), and strikeouts (251).
The Nittany Lions had three players named to the All-NEAC First Team and two selected to the second team. In addition, Jess Epler was named NEAC Player of the Year, NFCA All-East Region First Team, and NFCA All-America First Team. Casey Hafer was named the NEAC Tournament MVP.
Before joining the Berks coaching staff, Denlinger coached at the junior and varsity level at Governor Mifflin High School from 2006-12 alongside head coach Frank Keating Jr. Under Keating and Denlinger, Governor Mifflin won six consecutive Berks I titles (2006-11), one Berks County Championship (2011), one District 3 Championship (2009), and reached the PIAA State Semifinals (2010). During his tenure, the Mustangs appeared in the state tournament four times and made three trips to the District 3 Championship.
He has coached and held various other positions with Sting Fastpitch since 2004. He started out as an assistant in 2004 and became the head coach in 2005, a position that he still holds to this day. Denlinger was the vice president in 2005 and 2006 and became the president from 2007-10. He reached the highest state and national level while coaching the Sting program.
Denlinger is the president of Discount Mattress, which is located in Lancaster, for 14 years. He resides in Sinking Spring with his wife Linda and two daughters, Samantha (20) and Elizabeth (12).
