Softball
- Title:
- Head Coach
Email: bjs040@bucknell.edu
Bonnie Skrenta was named the head coach at Bucknell in June 2012 after serving as the head coach at DePauw University for ten seasons. Skrenta guided DePauw to five NCAA Tournament appearances, and she left as the program's all-time winningest softball coach with a 280-127-2 (.687) record.
It didn't take long for Skrenta to turn things around at Bucknell. She took over a team that won 11 games the season prior to her arrival, and has since taken the Bison to the Patriot League Tournament in each of her first two seasons. Her players have earned nine All-Pariot League honors during that time.
Skrenta’s first year at the helm of the Bison softball program was full of success for the team and accolades for her players. Bucknell finished its season at 21-30 overall and 11-9 in the Patriot League, a ten-win increase to its overall record from 2012, and a six-win improvement in conference play. The Bison also returned to the conference tournament for the first time since 2010, earning the third-seed.
At the conclusion of her first season, five of Skrenta’s players earned post-season honors from the Patriot League. Cydnee Sanders was named first team All-Patriot League, while Erin Cox, Amanda Fazio and Kristen Zahn were voted to the second team. Sanders, Zahn and Cassie Greenhawk were also Academic All-Patriot League Team selections.
The improvements continued for the Bison in 2014 as they totaled 23 wins and a 10-8 record in the conference on their way to being the third seed in the Patriot League Tournament. Once there, the Bison won back-to-back elimination games to advance to the championship for the first time since 2010, finishing as the runner-up to Boston University.
Skrenta once again had players rack up postseason awards, led by junior shortstop Cydnee Sanders. In addition to being one of five All-Patriot League selections - Bucknell's most since 2008 - Sanders became the 11th Bison player to earn NFCA All-Region honors, while also being voted the Patriot League Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Additionally, the team had 11 players named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll and three selected Academic All-Patriot League.
Prior to her move to Lewisburg, Skrenta oversaw quite a turnaround during her tenure at DePauw. The Tigers finished 12-24-1 in the season before she assumed the head coaching duties at the age of 24. By her third season DePauw was back on the winning side of the ledger with a 19-18-1 record, and in year No. 4 the Tigers finished 31-10 and a perfect 12-0 in the Southern College Athletic Conference.
In 2007, Skrenta's squad finished 37-7 overall, 11-1 in the conference and earned the program's very first NCAA Division III Tournament berth. The 2007 squad also crowned the school's first All-American, and the 37 wins established a new program record, only to be surpassed a year later when the team finished 40-4. DePauw hit the 40-win mark again in 2010 when it went 40-9.
DePauw made five straight NCAA Regional Tournament appearances from 2007-11, and the Tigers advanced to the Division III College World Series in 2007, 2010 and 2011. The 2008 squad was ranked No. 1 in the nation at one point late in the season and produced a 37-game winning streak.
Skrenta, who was a three-time NFCA Central Region Coach of the Year, mentored three All-Americans, one Honda Division III Athlete of the Year finalist, 27 all-region players, 36 all-conference selections and four conference players of the year in her time at DePauw. In addition, each of her last six teams posted a combined grade-point average of at least 3.32.
In her time at DePauw, Skrenta served as a part-time faculty member in the department of kinesiology, where she taught classes in aerobic conditioning and free weights. She was also a member of the school's Eating Disorder Interdisciplinary Task Force and was an advisor to the Peer Mentor Leadership Program.
Beyond her coaching and teaching duties, Skrenta served as a member of the NCAA Central Region Ranking Committee and All-Region Committee. She sat on the NFCA All-America Committee in 2011 and was a member of the NCAA Championship Committee in 2012.
Skrenta was also an outstanding student-athlete herself. She started her undergraduate career at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, where she played varsity basketball and softball, earning NFCA third team All-Region honors on the diamond. Prior to her junior year she transferred to Providence College, where she was a two-year member of the Friars' Division I program. She captained the team as a senior in 2000 and received the Paul Connolly Award for Distinguished Student-Athletes. Skrenta graduated cum laude from Providence with a bachelor of arts degree in mathematics.
Skrenta went on to earn a masters degree in exercise and sport studies from Smith College in 2002. While at Smith she served as a graduate assistant softball coach and completed a teaching fellowship.
