Photo by: Samuel Marshall
Lombardi Contract Extended
09/03/21 | Softball
EUGENE, Ore. – Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens announced on Friday that the University and head softball coach Melyssa Lombardi have agreed to a contract extension that will run through the 2025 season.
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"Missy Lombardi is an excellent leader for the Oregon softball program who has built a program around the holistic student-athlete experience," said Mullens. "Missy has a strong ability to develop our softball student-athletes to their fullest potential, and we are excited at the trajectory of our program and the bright future on the horizon for Oregon softball under Missy's leadership."
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The Ducks are coming off a 2021 season that saw them finish third in the Pac-12 and earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018. Oregon (40-14, 14-10 Pac-12) was ranked in the NFCA Coaches Poll top 10 for most of the season, reaching a high of No. 3 midway through the year.
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"I am extremely thankful to Rob Mullens, Lisa Peterson and the entire administration for their continued support and belief in our long-term vision for the Oregon softball program," said Lombardi. "It is a privilege to work with the tremendous student-athletes at Oregon. My staff and I are committed to making Oregon the top program in the country. We are blessed to work and play in a very supportive community and our great fans make Jane Sanders Stadium a special place we call home."
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A pair of Ducks earned All-America recognition in Lombardi's third season, with outfielder Haley Cruse and left-handed pitcher Brooke Yanez earning third-team honors. Following her graduation, Cruse moved on to the professional ranks with the USSSA Pride.
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Additionally, Oregon placed seven players on the 2021 NFCA All-Pacific Region team and six on the Pac-12 All-Conference team. Lombardi also helped lead a pitching staff that finished seventh nationally with a 4.48 strikeout-to-walk ratio while the Ducks were the only team in the country with at least three pitchers in the top 50 in strikeouts per seven innings.
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In Lombardi's second season in 2020, Oregon got off to the second-best start in program history through 24 games, going 22-2 before the coronavirus pandemic cut the season short. The Ducks opened the season with a 16-game winning streak, the second-longest to start a season in school history, and finished ranked in the top 10 of both the NFCA Coaches' Poll and USA Softball Poll.
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- www.GoDucks.com -
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"Missy Lombardi is an excellent leader for the Oregon softball program who has built a program around the holistic student-athlete experience," said Mullens. "Missy has a strong ability to develop our softball student-athletes to their fullest potential, and we are excited at the trajectory of our program and the bright future on the horizon for Oregon softball under Missy's leadership."
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The Ducks are coming off a 2021 season that saw them finish third in the Pac-12 and earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018. Oregon (40-14, 14-10 Pac-12) was ranked in the NFCA Coaches Poll top 10 for most of the season, reaching a high of No. 3 midway through the year.
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"I am extremely thankful to Rob Mullens, Lisa Peterson and the entire administration for their continued support and belief in our long-term vision for the Oregon softball program," said Lombardi. "It is a privilege to work with the tremendous student-athletes at Oregon. My staff and I are committed to making Oregon the top program in the country. We are blessed to work and play in a very supportive community and our great fans make Jane Sanders Stadium a special place we call home."
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A pair of Ducks earned All-America recognition in Lombardi's third season, with outfielder Haley Cruse and left-handed pitcher Brooke Yanez earning third-team honors. Following her graduation, Cruse moved on to the professional ranks with the USSSA Pride.
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Additionally, Oregon placed seven players on the 2021 NFCA All-Pacific Region team and six on the Pac-12 All-Conference team. Lombardi also helped lead a pitching staff that finished seventh nationally with a 4.48 strikeout-to-walk ratio while the Ducks were the only team in the country with at least three pitchers in the top 50 in strikeouts per seven innings.
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In Lombardi's second season in 2020, Oregon got off to the second-best start in program history through 24 games, going 22-2 before the coronavirus pandemic cut the season short. The Ducks opened the season with a 16-game winning streak, the second-longest to start a season in school history, and finished ranked in the top 10 of both the NFCA Coaches' Poll and USA Softball Poll.
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- www.GoDucks.com -
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Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
LHP
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