July 24, 2002

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Lee Anne "Beanie" Ketcham was named as Samford University's new softball coach Wednesday by Director of Athletics Bob Roller.

Ketcham has spent the past four seasons as an assistant coach at Samford under Mark Voisard. A graduate of Vestavia Hills High School and Oklahoma State University, Ketcham played for four seasons with the Colorado Silver Bullets, a women's professional baseball team. She had 14 strikeouts and was the winning pitcher in the Silver Bullets first ever victory over a men's team in 1994.

"Beanie has been a tremendous asset to our softball program as an assistant coach. She is well respected in the coaching community and by our players. As head coach we believe she will effectively lead our program in its final year of play in the Atlantic Sun and in the transition to the Ohio Valley Conference." said Roller.

"I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to remain at Samford," said Ketcham. "I believe that we have a solid group of players coming back next season and that we can be competitive in our final season in the Atlantic Sun Conference."