Lombardi named nation’s top assistant softball coach

NORMAN — Oklahoma softball associate head coach Melyssa Lombardi has been named the NFCA Division I Assistant Coach of the Year, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced Monday.

Lombardi, who’s entering her 21st year at Oklahoma, has been the Sooners’ associate head coach since 2007.

She’s groomed and coached some of college softball’s most dominant pitchers in Paige Parker, Paige Lowary, Keilani Ricketts and Michelle Gascoigne.

She’s also played a vital role in developing OU catchers such as Jessica Shults, Whitney Ellis and Heather Scaglione.

Last year, three of OU’s pitchers threw at least 100 innings and all five members of the pitching staff had ERAs of 2.08 or lower. As a staff, the Sooners’ ERA was 1.55. Parker earned another All-America nod, and she was named Big 12 Pitcher of the Year for the third consecutive season.

Lowary also picked up first-team conference honors in her first season with OU after transferring from Missouri. Freshman Mariah Lopez went 18-1 in her first season and recorded 109 strikeouts in 101 innings.

Before becoming a coach at OU, Lombardi was a Sooners’ catcher from 1995-96.

After helping OU to its fourth national title of her tenure, Lombardi received a $76,000 raise last week.

[PHOTO BY CHRIS LANDSBERGER, THE OKLAHOMAN] OU pitching coach Melyssa Lombardi, left, was named the nation’s top assistant softball coach Monday. She has been on head coach Patty Gasso’s staff for 21 years.