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Hutchinson Community
College pitchers have seen their share of success under Jana
Williams’ watch as the Lady Dragon pitching coach.
Williams is in her
third season at HCC. Her first two Lady Dragon pitching staffs
produced 69 wins, the most victories in a two-year span that the
program has had since the late 1980s. Williams also serves as first
base coach for the Lady Dragons.
Williams also serves as strength and conditioning coach. She also
works with the outfielders and both her and head coach Jaime Rose
works with the hitters.
The 2008 Lady Dragon
pitching staff produced a solid 3.39 team earned-run average and
posted 37 complete games and 10 shutouts. Opposing hitters had just
a .256 batting average against Williams’ pitchers in 2008.
Williams’ pitchers
posted eight two-hitters, three one-hitters and Kelli Walker tossed
a no-hitter against Neosho County.
In 2007, the Lady
Dragons’ team ERA was 4.17 and the opposing batting average was
.272. But with only one returning pitcher from the season before,
Williams brought a young pitching staff carefully along. Just a
month into the 2007 season, HCC’s team ERA was 6.13. That figure
dropped almost two full runs by the end of the season.
The 2007 Lady
Dragons had four two-hitters, two one-hitters and Kourtney Klein
tossed the first no-hitter of the Williams era against Hesston
College. The 2007 Lady Dragons finished 29-26, but tied its best
finish in Region VI history with a third-place effort.
Williams, a native
of Emporia, Kan., is no stranger to the Jayhawk Conference. She was
a player at Barton County Community College in 2001 and 2002. She
then served as Cougar softball assistant coach from 2003 to 2005.
As a player at
Barton County, Williams earned first-team All-Jayhawk West and
All-Region VI honors at second base. She continued her playing
career at Emporia State University and played second and third base.
Williams also
coached summer ball for two seasons with the Emporia Energy, serving
as an assistant in 2000 and head coach in 2001.
Williams graduated
from Emporia High School in 1999 and Barton County in 2002. She
earned a BS in Health and Human Performance from Fort Hays State
University in 2006. She will complete her master’s degree
in Health, Physical Education and Recreation
this May
from Emporia State University. She will also
certify in group fitness. |
