BATON ROUGE — LSU softball head coach Yvette Girouard announced the return of Lori Osterberg as an assistant coach for the upcoming season on Friday.
Osterberg replaces Ashlee Ducote-Eddy who left the softball program at the conclusion of the 2003 season.
An assistant for the Tigers during the 2001 season, Osterberg rejoins the program after two years as a teacher and softball coach at North Scott High School in Eldridge, Iowa. In just her first season, she guided the softball program to the Iowa state championship in 2002. She then led her team to the state championship game in 2003. For her efforts she was named the East Iowa Regional Coach of the Year for both seasons.
“We are absolutely ecstatic that Lori has rejoined our program,” said Girouard. “She is the complete package in an assistant coach. She is a fantastic teacher and a great motivator.”
During her one-year stint as an assistant at LSU in 2001, the Tigers earned their first berth in the Women’s College World Series and finished the season with their highest final national ranking, No. 3 in the NFCA/USA Today Coaches poll. For their efforts, Osterberg and the LSU coaching staff were named the National Coaching Staff of the Year by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.
“Lori did an outstanding job in her first stint at LSU and we expect the same result again,” said Girouard.
A former player for Girouard at UL-Lafayette, Osterberg was a four-year starter at shortstop from 1995-1998. She participated in two Women’s College World Series and was named to the NFCA All-South Region team. She then served as a student assistant for Girouard in 1999 and graduated with a degree in secondary special education.
LSU opens the 2004 season with the Tiger Classic from Feb. 6-8 at Tiger Park. Along with LSU, the three-day tournament features Oklahoma, Illinois, Centenary and Southeastern Louisiana.