University of Minnesota, Morris Women's Softball

Pennie-Roy - Head Coach (16th Season) Coming off the best season in program history, head softball coach and reigning UMAC Coach of the Year, Heather Pennie begins her 16th season on the bench for the Minnesota Morris softball team in 2014. After previously setting the record for wins in 2010, the Cougars did it again in 2011. Despite playing in four fewer games, the Cougars won a record 18, and had their first winning record in the regular season at 18-16. After an early exit from the UMAC Tourney, Morris finished with and 18-18 overall record. Pennie led the Cougars to a 15-6 mark in the UMAC as well in 2011, the most conference wins since joining the league in 2004, while finishing second for the first time. She also coached the UMAC leaders in batting average and strikeouts in third baseman Diane Blommel and pitcher Kaitlyn Randall respectively. Following the season she was honored as the UMAC Coach of the Year by her peers, claiming the honor the first career time. She also led four players to All-UMAC status, including first team honorees Blommel, Randall and Heather Breise. Blommel also finished her career as a three-time member of the All-Defensive Team. Under Pennies direction, Blommel finished her career as possibly the most decorated player in program history, earning All-Region honors from the NFCA in addition to her all-conference mention, while also claiming Academic All-District and Academic All-America honors from CoSIDA for her work in the classroom. During the summer of 2011, Pennie was also inducted into the Minnesota High School Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame, honoring her accomplishments as a high school athlete at Villard Public School (now consolidated with Minnewaska Area H.S.). Pennie won a host of awards as a high school player, earning West Central All-Area, All-Region, All-District and West Central Conference MVP honors in each of her final two years, before landing on the All-State team as a senior. In 2010 Pennie led the Cougars to a 16-24 mark which included a 13-8 mark in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference play. The 13 league wins were good enough for a third place tie in the final UMAC standings, earning the Cougars their second straight berth in the conference tournament. The 16 wins on the season were then a program record, bettering the 15 Pennie achieved in 2004, the Cougars first season in the UMAC. The Cougars also won 14 games in 2009, making the last three seasons the most prolific in the history of Cougar softball. The Cougars record 16th win of 2010 came on Apr. 30, 17-15 over Northwestern the team that finished just ahead of them in the final standings. It was doubly significant, as it was also the 100th win in Pennies career. The winningest coach in Cougar Softball history, Pennie is the first to reach the century mark in maroon and gold. In 2010 she led two players to First Team All-UMAC honors, and two more to Honorable Mention accolades. Diane Bommel was also named to the All-Defensive Team, the third straight year she earned the honor under Pennies tutelage. With the Cougars success in 2009, 2010 and 2011, each season saw four players honored on the All-UMAC teams, while in 2009 Pennie also had three players earn All-Defensive Team laurels. In the last four seasons Cougar softball had accumulated 20 total All-UMAC honors, as well as 39 All-Academic Team honors. Also a proud Morris alum, Pennie graduated after a prolific career where she was a standout on both the softball and volleyball teams, earning numerous All-Conference honors in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) as Division II athlete. Beginning in 1998 she then spent 10 years as the Cougars head softball and volleyball coach, before moving to an assistant volleyball coach role in 2008 to more solely focus her efforts on softball. She was inducted into the Cougar Hall of Fame in 2014. She was also inducted to the Minnewaska Lakers Hall of Fame in 2015. Beyond her coaching roles, Pennie is also an Assistant Athletic Director at Minnesota Morris, serving as the departments Senior Womens Administrator (SWA). Education B.A., University of Minnesota, Morris M.A., Northern State University Pennie Year-by-year 1999: 3-31 2000: 7-29 2001: 3-22 2002: 3-30-1 2003: 6-29 2004: 15-25, 5-7 UMAC 2005: 9-35, 6-8 UMAC 2006: 9-28: 7-7 UMAC 2007: 7-20, 6-8 UMAC 2008: 8-18, 7-14 UMAC 2009: 14-23, 12-9 UMAC 2010: 16-24, 13-8 UMAC 2011: 18-18, 15-6 UMAC 2012: 19-19, 14-7 UMAC 2013: 19-18, 14-7 UMAC 2014: 21-17, 15-6 UMAC Career Totals : 177-386-1, 114-87 UMAC