Head
Coach Jessica Jones-Sitzmann
Phone:
712-274-5223
E-Mail:
jonessitzmann@morningside.edu
Jessica Jones-Sitzmann is the winningest softball coach in Morningside history with a 364-235 career record over the past 11 seasons. Jones-Sitzmann was a Morningside assistant coach for four years before she was promoted to the head post in 1999.
Jones-Sitzmann has guided the Mustangs to a school-record seven consecutive 30-win seasons, including three 40-win campaigns. Jones-Sitzmann was named the 2009 GPAC Co-Coach of the Year after she led the Mustangs to the GPAC regular season championship and a NAIA National Tournament berth. She guided the Mustangs to a 40-12 record, the GPAC Post-Season Tournament championship, and a fifth consecutive NAIA Region Tournament appearance in 2008. Her 2007 team posted a 43-13 record to set school records for wins in a season and with a .768 winning percentage. Jones-Sitzmann was named the 2007 GPAC Coach of the Year after she led the Mustangs to that season’s GPAC regular season championship.
Jones-Sitzmann is a 1993 graduate of South Dakota State University, where she was a standout pitcher. She posted a 42-39 record with the Jackrabbits and established a school record with a 1.81 career earned run average. She earned NCAA Division II All-America honors as a junior in 1992 to become the Jackrabbits' first-ever softball All-American.
As a prep senior, Jones-Sitzmann led Sioux City East High School to a seventh place finish at the 1989 state tournament. Jones-Sitzmann tossed a no-hitter against North Scott in the opening round of the state tourney. She posted a 32-7 record with a sparkling 0.78 earned run average and struck out 225 batters in 224 innings pitched during her senior campaign en route to first-team all-state honors. She earned fifth-team all-state laurels as an outfielder when she batted .402 as a junior.
Assistant
Coach Kendra Klein
Kendra Klein is in her first season as a Morningside assistant coach following a standout playing career for the Mustangs.
Klein batted .345 with 44 doubles, four triples, 27 home runs and 177 RBIs during her playing career to make her one of the most productive hitters in Morningside history. Her 177 career RBIs is the second highest total in school history.
Her best season came as a junior when she hit .386 with 11 doubles, two triples, eight home runs, and 54 RBIs en route to second-team NAIA All-America and GPAC Player of the Year honors.
Klein, a native of Remsen, Iowa, graduated from Morningside in 2009 with a major in business administration. She is a past graduate of Remsen St. Mary’s High School.
