Baca Named Ladyjacks' Assistant Coach
6/18/2019 8:00:00 AM | Softball
Former Lamar catcher spent previous two seasons at NCAA Division II Southern Arkansas
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - In an announcement made Tuesday morning by head coach Nicole Dickson, the SFA softball team has announced the addition of Brynn Baca who will be an assistant coach for the Ladyjacks beginning in the 2019-20 academic year.
Fresh off a highly successful two-year stint at NCAA Division II institution Southern Arkansas, Baca will work with the Ladyjacks' catchers and hitters.
Over the past two seasons, Baca's energies were focused solely on turning Southern Arkansas University into one of the most dominant NCAA Division II softball programs in the nation. During her two seasons on staff, Baca helped the Lady Muleriders pile up an impressive 106-24 (.815) record which included a 72-13 (.847) mark in Great American Conference (GAC) action. Baca served as a graduate assistant coach for the Lady Muleriders and worked predominantly with the team's catchers and hitters.
Baca helped Southern Arkansas secure GAC regular season titles in each of her two seasons on staff and in 2018 she helped author the single greatest season in Lady Mulerider history. That year, Southern Arkansas went an astounding 60-11 and secured an NCAA Division II Central Region crown to go along with its GAC regular season title.
Powered by an offense which led the GAC in such statistical categories as batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, runs scored, RBI, home runs, total bases and walks, Southern Arkansas raced to a third-place finish at the NCAA Division II Women's College World Series. For their efforts, Baca and the rest of the Lady Mulerider coaching staff earned the title of NFCA Central Region Coaching Staff of the Year. Baca prepped All-GAC Second Team product Rachel Miller that year as the former outfielder made a successful transition to catcher. Miller finished the season among the top 10 in no fewer than 10 statistical categories in the GAC including chances (second, 392) and putouts (second, 367).
The following year, Southern Arkansas again locked down the GAC regular season title before making the cut for the 2019 NCAA Division II Softball Championship. In all, no fewer than 14 Southern Arkansas student-athletes collected All-GAC accolades through Baca's two seasons in Magnolia, Ark., with four of them securing GAC major awards.
Already familiar with the ins and outs of Southland Conference softball, Baca constructed one of the finest careers in the history of Lamar softball through her four-year career with the Cardinals. From 2013-17, the product of Round Rock, Texas, took part in 199 games and emerged as one of the league's best catchers by claiming a pair of All-Southland Conference First Team citations.
Once her career came to an end following the 2017 campaign, Baca's name was etched all over the Cardinals' record books as she ended her playing days as Lamar's program leader in both hit-by-pitch (46), on-base percentage (.446) and steals (37). For her career, Baca hit .315 which stands as the third-highest career batting average in Lamar history.
In 2017, Baca helped lead the Cardinals to a runner-up finish in the inaugural National Invitational Softball Championships. Through Lamar's nine-game run in the tournament, Baca hit .360 and earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Baca's final collegiate campaign was a banner one as she topped the team charts in assists (275) while hitting .313 with 33 RBI. Through the year, she reached base safely in 25 consecutive contests - the second-lengthiest reached base streak in program history - and established a new single-season program record after drawing 18 HBP.
The epitome of a student-athlete, Baca collected a number of academic awards through her collegiate career including a spot on the Southland Conference All-Academic First Team as a junior. Once her playing career was in the books, Baca got an invitation from USA Baseball to take part in the Women's National Team Development program in the summer of 2017. The previous year, Baca was a finalist for the U.S. National Team that competed in the Women's Baseball World Cup.
What they're saying about Baca
Nicole Dickson • SFA head softball coach | "I'm excited for Brynn to join our staff. Her skill set aligns perfectly with our current program needs and direction. Her main focus will include catchers and assisting with the offense and coming from Southern Arkansas she has worked with a staff that has high expectations and also knows how to win championships. Brynn is a hard-working individual and maintains a high level of passion for the game. She will also be an asset in helping call pitches while also serving as a positive role model and mentor to our athletes. Brynn has also had success as a player in the Southland and understands the demands for the student-athletes on and off the field."
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