Lancaster Bible College and the Lancaster Bible College Athletic Department are pleased to announce that Jen Weitzel has been hired as the Head Softball Coach. Weitzel replaces Tracy Cromer who was at the helm for the past two seasons.
 
Weitzel was an assistant coach for the Chargers during the 2018 season, and prior to that served as the head coach at York Suburban High School in York, Pa. for the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Weitzel helped lead the Trojans to their first winning season in a decade during the 2015 season, and followed with a 10-6 record during the 2016 campaign.
 
Prior to her coaching days, Weitzel played collegiate softball at NCAA Division I Rider University, as she captained the Broncos during the 2010 and 2011 seasons. A catcher and infielder, Weitzel led the Broncos in hits, runs scored and assists during her two seasons in Lawrenceville, N.J., and ranked as one of the toughest players to strike out in all of NCAA Division I. Weitzel began her collegiate softball career at then-Philadelphia Biblical University, and led the program to its first North Eastern Athletic Conference postseason berth during the 2008 season. She was a NEAC All-Conference First Team selection during the 2008 season and started and played all 64 games over two seasons for PBU.
 
The Chargers finished 5-31 in 2018, but Weitzel believes the team has lots of potential and needs to return to the fundamentals of the game.
 
"I'm excited to work with the girls individually on position-specific items," Weitzel said. "I truly believe we have talent in this program, but we need to get more of it, and we need to get back to basics in terms of the game. We need to understand what to do with the ball when we get it, and we need to be more consistent with our overall game."
 
The aforementioned Division I student-athlete, Weitzel said she also hopes to bring a higher-level mentality about things both on and off the field as a way to help recruiting in the program.
 
"I want to improve the way we practice and prepare for games," Weitzel said. "I think a big way to improve the program and bring in recruits is to show everyone how hard we play not only in games, but during each practice as well. Recruits want to come to a place where they can see that competition is not only happening on game days, but at each and every practice."
 
Weitzel's passion for softball builds a bridge to many other things in her life, specifically her faith, as she believes the game can serve as a launching board into a better relationship with the Lord.
 
"Starting conversations about softball come very naturally to me, and usually somewhere in there is a chance to not only talk about my faith, but build on it," Weitzel said. "I want our program to glorify God with our play. I want student-athletes who want to play hard, work on their game, be good students, and glorify God."
 
Lancaster Bible Director of Athletics Pete Beers is excited by Weitzel's passion for both the game of softball, and her love of the Lord.
 
"We are very excited to welcome Coach Weitzel to the program," Beers said. "Her passion for both softball and the Lord are key components to the development of our team. Lord-willing, under her guidance, the program can develop into a competitive program that can expand the platform for what Lancaster Bible Athletics is all about."
 
Weitzel will have a familiar person assisting her in the program, as her father, Ken Steward will be the team's assistant coach, something Weitzel couldn't be more excited about.
 
"He has coached me my whole life to get me to where I am today," Weitzel explained. "If it wasn't for him believing in me and pushing me to play at the highest level of competition, I would not be the woman of God I am today."