Lancaster Bible College, and the Lancaster Bible College Athletic Department, are pleased to announce John Clemens has been named the Lancaster Bible College Softball Head Coach. Clemens served as the interim head coach during the 2022 season, and led the Chargers to a 17-23 overall record, including a 13-15 mark in United East Conference play. With his hiring, Clemens becomes the 15th coach in program history.
 
Lancaster Bible's 17 wins set a new program recording, besting the previous record of 16 by the 2015 squad. The Chargers won their final six games of the regular season, and went 11-3 in their final 14 contests.
 
Clemens' impact was felt at the plate, as the Chargers hit .321 as a team during the 2022 campaign, and scored 237 runs. Of the team's 335 hits, 99 were for extra bases, including 76 doubles.
 
"John did a marvelous job of jumping in late last year," Lancaster Bible Director of Athletics Rod Baughman said. "He cares well for the student-athletes, and is building a great culture of hard work and excellence. I am truly excited for him to have the opportunity to continue moving the program forward."
 
Clemens said he learned a lot during his first season with the Chargers, but none more important than keeping his and the team's trust in the Lord throughout the highs and lows of the year.
 
"I was reminded that no matter what, to keep the team's trust in the Lord," Clemens said. "Despite our rocky start, the team never lost heart and kept everything in prayer. We ended up setting five program records and had two players named to the United East All-Conference Second Team. We also had several weeks were illness and injury threatened our ability to field a team for upcoming games, and these moments strengthened our faith, and we were reminded the Lord always provides as we did not have to forfeit any games due to lack of players. I also learned that an amazingly resilient and competitive group of ladies play softball at Lancaster Bible. Many stepped into positions they had never played before, and they worked hard to excel. Their efforts showed in a big way, as we set the program record for wins in a season."
 
In addition to learning through the highs and lows, Clemens is excited to continue the upward trend of the program.
 
"There were many positives last season, including five players batting over .300, so the plan is to continue to focus on improving our hitting and boos the confidence of the players on the team," Clemens said. "We'll also be reviewing defensive scenarios to improve mental readiness. Due to our unique roster with so many dual sport student-athletes, our fall focus will be on strength and conditioning and team building. Our preseason work will shift to drills and fundamentals, as well as scrimmages to solidify positions for each player. We will also continue our mission to play competitively, yet show the love of Christ. We look forward to being a witness to our opponents, umpires, friends, and family."
 
Lancaster Bible will conduct its non-traditional season this fall in preparation for the 2023 campaign next spring.