Pine assistant softball coach Mary McGinnis has been named the team’s new head coach.
“We had a really young team last year, so we have the ability to be better than they have been the last few years,” McGinnis said. “The key will be for our young pitchers to improve and for our upperclassmen to be leaders because we’ll be super young.”
McGinnis has been at Pine the last two years and has been an assistant coach with the team for both seasons.
She said there’s really not a lot of transition.
“I was in charge of pitching and coaching third, so I’ll have those responsibilities and some others,” McGinnis said.
McGinnis, who is also the school’s girls basketball coach, will remain in that position.
Under McGinnis, the basketball team has reached the playoffs in both of her seasons.
Pine principal Jennifer Thomas had nothing but praise for McGinnis for her work in the classroom and in sports.
Thomas said McGinnis, who teaches five math classes, is an awesome teacher and a team player. Thomas said that when she told McGinnis she was looking for somebody for softball, Thomas said that McGinnis told her that she would take it.
“She will do anything to help this school,” Thomas said. “I love her pride. Mrs. Mary takes care of business. She is awesome. She is just awesome in that way. First and foremost, like I said, she is a great teacher, but she is an outstanding coach and a mentor to her girls. We are very lucky to have her. We are looking forward to softball this year with her transitioning into that. I know that she’s done a really good job of basketball, so I look forward to the same thing for softball.”
McGinnis takes over for Tammy Voth, who guided the softball team to two playoff berths in her four seasons. Voth is also volleyball coach and will remain in that position.