Mitchell hired to take over softball program

Douglas High School introduced its fifth head softball coach in as many years earlier in the week.

Athletic director Jeff Evans announced that Andy Mitchell will be taking the reigns of the highly-successful program.

Mitchell is coming off coaching with the Carson Valley Hurricanes regional traveling softball program for the last three years.

"He showed interest early on when the job opened up," Evans said. "He knows a lot of the girls already and he brings an impressive resume to the table. We were very happy to offer him the job."

One of the biggest positives Mitchell brought to the table was that he was willing to take on a three-year committment to coach the team.

"Getting some continuity back in this program would be huge for us," Evans said. "He said he'd be a three-year guy and that was a huge plus for us."

Mitchell began coaching in the Carson Valley Girls' Softball Association for his daughter Megan's team.

While Megan no longer plays softball (she was an all-league performer for the Tiger volleyball team this fall, Mitchell has continued to coach the sport.

"My hope would be to continue coaching as long as they'll have me," Mitchell said. "I made the three-year committment because that's when my daughter will be graduating, and you just never know what will happen. My hope would be to continue to do this however."

Mitchell came with a number of favorable recomendations and wants to get started as soon as possible.

"I'm hoping to start some offseason conditioning up as soon as I can find some space and availability for the team," he said. "As a coach, I am pretty laid back and low key.

"I try to focus on being positive and catch the girls doing things right without waiting for them to get something wrong.

"I really try to be a teacher and show them what they did or didn't do as situations come up."

Mitchell inherits an experienced core of veterans and a talented crop of junior varsity players that went undefeated on the year while outscoring their opponents 271-27. Mitchell's wife, Beth, was an assistant coach with that team.

"I know just about every girls that will be out there from my involvement with the recreation league and with the Hurricanes," he said.

Expected to return are first-team all-leaguers Lauren Hoppe (outfield) and Tisha Luken (shortstop). A number of other key players returning will be catcher Kayla Moore, infielder Morgan Barone, utility player Donna Judd, pitcher/outfielder Stephanie Harper and outfielder Nicole LaPorte.

Douglas finished third in the Sierra League last year and was ranked No. 5 in the Sierra Nevada Sports Media Poll at the close of the season.

"In order, I'd probably say our strengths will be experience, defense, hitting, speed and pitching," Mitchell said. "We won't have dominating pitching like Spanish Springs, but our defense and hitting should keep us in most games, especially in the Sierra League. We should be pretty strong across the board."

Mitchell moved to the area in 1994 and has worked for Chip Hanley, the owner of Syncon Homes, since 1984.

He bowled at the collegiate level for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and had thoughts about going pro, but said there wasn't much money in it back then and that he already had another job lined up.

-- Joey Crandall can be reached at jcrandall@recordcourier.com or at (775) 782-5121, ext. 212.