8-29-08

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Dan Lazorka has been named the head softball coach at Lycoming College, it was announced by Scott Kennell, director of athletics. Lazorka replaces Christen Ditzler, who will remain on staff as the head women’s basketball coach and senior woman administrator for the athletics department.

“We are very pleased to welcome Dan to the Lycoming staff,” said Kennell. “Chris has done a terrific job with the program in her time as the head coach and we’re excited about the enhanced administrative role she will hold within the department.”

Ditzler, who served as the head coach of the program for 16 years, will focus her efforts on the women’s basketball program and serving as senior woman administrator. Her administrative role will involve monitoring NCAA compliance, supervision and support of the part-time coaching staff and other general departmental administrative support.

Lazorka comes to Lycoming after serving as the head coach at Jersey Shore High School from 2005-08. While at Jersey Shore, Lazorka led the team to District runner-up honors in all three years while posting more than 20 wins each season.

Lazorka served as a volunteer assistant at Jersey Shore from 1995-2005 before taking over the program. While serving as a volunteer coach, he also served as the head coach of the middle school team and as a volunteer assistant coach with Misericordia.

During the summers from 1995-2006, Lazorka coached the ASA Silver Bullets travel team to three state championships and one national title in 2006.

During his coaching tenure, Lazorka has attended numerous camps and clinics and maintains close relationships with some of the top coaches in the country, including Mike Candrea, who coached the 2008 U.S. Olympic softball team. Lazorka was able to use his connections to bring Jenny Finch and six other Olympians to Williamsport in 2007 to conduct a youth camp at the Muncy Sports Dome. His relationship with the U.S. Olympic squad blossomed even further when Lazorka coached the regional All-Star team in an exhibition game against the U.S. Olympians when the “Bound for Beijing” tour stopped in Williamsport earlier this year.

Lazorka and his wife, Pam, reside in South Williamsport. The couple has four children: Amber, 26, Kirsten, 24, Jeremy, 22 and Danielle, 19.