Oregon softball has hired Oklahoma assistant coach Melyssa Lombardi, who accepted the job on Saturday night, according to the Oklahoman.
Former head coach Mike White left the Ducks for Texas after nine seasons and a 435-111-1 record that included five Women’s College World Series appearances. UO has not made an official announcement, but told the Register-Guard that an announcement regarding the softball head coach vacancy would be announced in “the coming days.”
After losing their starting catcher, third baseman, shortstop and second baseman, the Ducks were already preparing for a rebuilding season before White left for Texas.
Lombardi served as an assistant on Oklahoma’s coaching staff for 21 years, including as a graduate assistant following her playing career for the Sooners. Over those 21 years, she helped the Sooners win four national titles in 12 WCWS appearances.
Lombardi, who played catcher, was named the Oklahoma pitching coach in 1997 and held that position for a decade. She will inherit one of the most talented pitching staffs in the nation with senior Megan Kleist and juniors Miranda Elish and Maggie Balint. The trio combined for a 1.38 ERA as the Ducks went 53-10 in 2018 in a run to the WCWS as the No. 1 overall seed.
Oregon beat Oklahoma 5-0 in a one-game exhibition in Eugene during this past season and fell to the Sooners, eliminating the Ducks from the WCWS in 2017.
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