| Lonni Alameda |
|
|
Career Record: 245-192-1
Lonni Alameda came to Florida State prior to the 2009 season and went on to surpass 200 career coaching victories in her first season in Tallahassee.
Under Alameda's guidance, the Seminoles finished the 2009 campaign with a 44-16 record and achieved the best conference record in school history with a 17-4 league mark. In her second season as head coach, Alameda led the Seminoles to a 44-18 record and second-consecutive appearance in not just the ACC Championship Game but the NCAA Tournament.
In 2010, FSU earned a spot in the field of 64 and made its 11th-straight appearance in the NCAA Division I Softball Championship. The Seminoles hit the road for their regional and played in Athens, Ga. before falling to Georgia and Radford.
Before traveling to the Peach State, FSU was on the campus of Virginia Tech for the 2010 ACC Softball Championship. While in Blacksburg, Va., the 'Noles beat Maryland and the host Hokies before losing to Georgia Tech in the title game. FSU's championship-game appearance marked the 14th time in school history it had the chance to play for a title - a total number that is more than any other school in the conference.
As a team under Alameda's guidance, the 2010 Seminoles accomplished a lot of statistical feats. Not only did FSU get off to its best start since 1993 by starting this year 20-2, but the team capped off the year with high marks in a bevy of categories. The Seminoles' .297 batting average was the best since 2003 and the team's 212 total walks were the most since the 2004 season, just to name a few. The 'Noles also posted just a 226 strikeouts; the fewest since the 1998 campaign.
Individually, Alameda coached several FSU student-athletes that earned recognition for their hard work on the field and in the classroom. Carly Wynn was named an All-ACC First Team selection and Terese Gober, Sarah Hamilton and Ashley Stager were each placed on the All-ACC Second Team. Robin Ahrberg, Tiffani Brown and Hamilton each got the nod on the ACC's All-Tournament team, too. Wynn and Hamilton also captured Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-Southeast Region Second Team honors. Wynn was even named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Third Team.
For her team's exploits on the field in 2009, Alameda and the Seminoles had the opportunity to host a regional in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2004 season. FSU wound up losing to Oklahoma State but the success of 2009 will not soon be forgotten. Alameda coached several Seminoles that garnered postseason awards as sophomore Hamilton was named a Third Team Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-American. Hamilton was also named ACC Pitcher of the Year, an ACC First Team member and to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Southeast Region Team. Senior catcher Kaleigh Rafter was also named to that teamandas an All-ACC First Team member. Wynn and Gober (both second team) were also student-athletes coached by Alameda that were recognized as All-ACC players.
An All-Big Eight selection as a player at Oklahoma, Alameda came to FSU from UNLV, where she spent five seasons reviving the Rebels' program. She replaced Dr. JoAnne Graf, who retired after 30 seasons with the Seminoles.
Alameda boasts impressive coaching experience on the international level and, since 2004, has helped in the development of Canada's National Team. She aided Canada up until the 2004 Summer Olympics and resumed as an assistant following the Rebels' 2005 season. In the summer of 2006, Canada qualified for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, after its showing in the World Championships. Alameda spent the summer of 2008 with the Canadian team which ended its quest for the gold with a fourth-place finish at the Beijing Olympic Games.
Prior to Alameda's arrival at UNLV, the Rebels had seven straight seasons below .500 and hadn't participated in NCAA Regional play since 1996. In 2005, just her second season at the helm of the program, Alameda guided UNLV to a 44-19 record, including a program-best 17 Mountain West Conference wins, and a trip to Los Angeles for NCAA Regionals. Alameda was named Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year in 2005 and again in 2007 and the entire staff garnered NFCA West Regional Coaching Staff the Year in 2005.
After a second place finish in the Mountain West in 2007 and an overall 37-27 record, Alameda and UNLV had high hopes for 2008 and had the Rebels ranked in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll for the first time in program history. After starting the season 9-1-1, the Rebels moved up to No. 18 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll, but injuries to four starters proved costly as the season progressed.
Alameda went 25-35 in her first season, which was a four-game improvement over 2003's final tally. She completely flipped the record to the right side with the staggering 44-19 mark in 2005 and the program's first trip to NCAA Regionals since 1996. In 2006, the squad was set back by injuries and fell to 26-37, but, as previously mentioned, saw a 180-degree turnaround in 2007.
The 2005 season featured the Rebels' assault on the program's record book, appearances in the national rankings, a trip to Los Angeles for the NCAA Regionals and the introduction of several conference and national award winners. The 44 wins were the third-most in the program's history, while the 17 Mountain West Conference wins were the most-ever since joining the league in 1999. After being predicted to finish last in the league, UNLV excelled, placing second in the league in both the regular season and Mountain West Conference tournament.
Under Alameda's direction, the Rebels have enjoyed recognition at the conference and regional level. Five Rebels have garnered Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Regional honors while thirteen players have earned all-Mountain West Conference accolades, including two Pitchers of the Year and one Freshman of the Year awards.
To Alameda, academics are just as important as on-the-field production. Since taking over the program, the Rebels had 58 Academic All-MWC honorees. Over that time span, the team had 10 or more honored four times, including 11 softball student-athletes in 2008. The softball program had 21 MWC Scholar-Athletes selected, as well.
During her tenure at UNLV, Alameda also stressed the importance of community service and had players volunteer their time at the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation and Child Haven while participating in breast cancer walks and blood drives.
Alameda came to Las Vegas after eight seasons as the assistant coach at Stanford University (Palo Alto, Calif.) where she helped guide the Cardinal to a 320-179-1 record and six straight NCAA Regional appearances. She oversaw the pitching staff there and produced three All-Americans: Becky Blevins, Marcy Crouch and Dana Sorenson.
Prior to her stint at Stanford, Alameda spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Barry University (Miami Shores, Fla.). She helped the Buccaneers to a fifth-place NCAA Division II finish in her first year. She also spent some time on the international stage, serving as instructor for both the Aruba (1995) and Spanish (2000) national teams.
An all-around great athlete, Alameda began her collegiate career as a pitcher at St. Mary's University (San Antonio, Texas) where she led the Rattlers to the NAIA Tournament in her only season. She later transferred to Oklahoma in 1989 and played softball and volleyball for the Sooners. She was a two-time All-Big Eight selection as a first and third baseman, while hitting .359 as a senior in 1992.
Alameda earned her bachelor's degree in communications from Oklahoma in 1993 and played softball professionally in Europe for a season before beginning her coaching career.