Former Long Beach City Head Coach Makes Division 1 Impact

Posted on: Jun 22 2000 11:27AM

Patty Gasso, the former head softball coach at Long Beach City College, guided her Oklahoma University Sooner softball team to their first-ever national championship this season by beating UCLA 3-1, in front of a record crowd of 8,049 and an ESPN television audience at Don E. Porter Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.

The title is the first by a women’s athletic program at Oklahoma. The Sooners finished the season with the best record in the country , 66-8.

While at LBCC, Gasso won the California Softball Coach of the Year award three times (1992, 1993 and 1994). She also was South Coast Conference Softball Coach of the Year honors during the same three seasons, when she led her team to three consecutive conference championships. Her 1994 LBCC squad finished with an overall record of 44-7 and was second in the state after losing the championship game to College of Sequoias, 2-1. She deserves much of the credit for putting together the Vikings' 1995 state championship team, guided by current head coach Shellie McCall, who was an assistant coach under Gasso for the previous two seasons.

Pitching the Vikings to the 1995 State Championship was Jennifer Jaime, 24-0 that year, who is currently the Oklahoma graduate assistant coach. She was the 1995 California Community College State Tournament Most Valuable Pitcher.

Gasso compiled an impressive overall record of 161-59-1 in five seasons at Long Beach City College, guiding her team to the playoffs every year, including three straight final four state tournament appearances. Even more impressive was her South Coast Conference record of 64-11, (a winning percentage of .853). She lost only twice in conference play during her final three years at Long Beach.

For more information contact Ben Chase, Long Beach City College sports publicist, at (562) 938-4243 or via e-mail: lbccsid@lbcc.cc.ca.us