OKLAHOMA CITY –– USA Softball has announced the assistant coaches selected to join Head Coach Heather Tarr (Head Coach at Washington) in leading the 2022 Women’s National Team (WNT) at the Canada Cup and Japan All-Star Series this summer. Cindy Ball-Malone (Head Coach at UCF) will assist Tarr in both events alongside Brian Kolze (Head Coach at Pacific) and Jimmy Kolaitis (Assistant Coach at ASU) for the Canada Cup slated for June 20-26 in Surrey, BC, Canada while Chris Malveaux (Assistant Coach at Tennessee) and Mike Steuerwald (Head Coach at Gaston College) will join Ball-Malone and Tarr at the helm for the Japan All-Star Series held in Fukushima and Yokohama, Japan August 1-9.
“The coaching staffs selected to lead our Women’s National Team this summer include highly experienced and knowledgeable coaches that I am so excited to work alongside,” said Tarr. “They each garner exceptional qualifications that I trust will be an asset to our athletes as we continue to work toward successful events in Canada and Japan. This season is crucial for these women, the coaches and the sport as we continue laying the foundation for what I am confident the game of softball is capable of being. Let’s have some fun this summer!”
Previously named an assistant coach for the 2022 World Games, Ball-Malone joins the WNT coaching staff after leading Team USA to a gold medal finish at the 2019 U-19 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Women’sSoftballWorld Cup in Lima, Peru. Currently in her fourth season as Head Coach for the University of Central Florida (UCF), Ball-Malone has led the Knights to 11 appearances in the 2022 ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll while most recently clinching the American Conference regular season title for the first time since 2015. Ball-Malone holds the second longest win-streak in UCF program history with 18-straight victories at the start of the 2022 season following a standout 2021 season with three wins over top-five teams and a NCAA Tournament appearance. Prior to joining UCF in 2018, Ball-Malone led the Boise State softball program for four seasons where she guided the team to its first-ever back-to-back postseason appearance (2017, 2018) in addition to being crowned 2018 Mountain West Champions – another first in program history.
“It is such a privilege to work alongside Coach Tarr once again,” said Coach Ball-Malone. “I am honored to wear the Red, White and Blue for another season while representing our country on the international stage. The women who will be representing our country are not only the best in our game, but truly amazing people both on and off the field. We love competing, we love our sport, and we look forward to showcasing our talent while growing the game of softball.”
Coaching alongside Coach Tarr for the sixth time in his career, Kolze joins the Canada Cup coaching staff after playing an integral part in Tarr’s rookie coaching career from 1999-2004. The Pacific coaching staff that included Kolze and Tarr earned NFCA West Region Coaching Staff of the Year in 2001 after guiding the Tigers to three wins in the NCAA Regional to advance within one game of the Women’s College World Series. Currently in his 30th season at the helm of the University of Pacific softball program, Kolze served as an assistant coach for the 2005 Women’s National Team Elite Team which earned a silver medal at the Canada Cup and a gold medal at the Intercontinental Cup and was a member of the 2007 Olympic Trials coaching staff. Kolze has earned his spot as the winningest coach in Pacific softball history with over 800 wins during his head coaching tenure while ranking 28th among active NCAA Division I coaches in wins entering the 2022 season. Since joining the Tiger softball program, Kolze has led the squad to eight NCAA Regional appearances and one Big West Conference title (2011), a feat that named him 2011 Big West Coach of the Year.
“It is truly an honor to be selected as a part of the Women’s National Team coaching staff and to be able to work Team USA once again,” said Kolze. “To get to work with such elite coaches as well as elite athletes is something I am truly am looking forward to.”
Kolaitis joins the USA Softball WNT coaching staff for his first stint as an assistant coach after garnering various coaching experience at the international, professional and collegiate levels. Named an assistant coach at Arizona State University (ASU) in 2020, Kolaitis boasts a resume filled with nearly 20 years of elite coaching experience highlighted by Pac-12 Conference Championships, four trips to the NCAA Women’s College World Series (WCWS) and a National Professional Fastpitch League Championship. Prior to joining the ASU coaching staff, Kolaitis led the University of Alabama-Birmingham softball program for two seasons following his five seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Oregon. While under his leadership, the UAB offense connected more at the plate for an improved batting average and slugging percentage while cutting strikeouts in half during his first season as Head Coach. Well-versed in college softball, Kolaitis also brings a wealth of top-notch professional softball knowledge from the National Pro Fastpitch League, having worked with the Scrap Yard Dogs and the Chicago Bandits.
“I am extremely excited and humbled to have the opportunity to represent our Women’s National Team this summer while working with some of the best athletes and coaches in the world,” said Kolaitis. “I look forward to playing a part in the continued development of the USA Softball organization as the sport continues to work toward another Olympic opportunity in the future. I can’t wait to get the international competition started. It’s going to be a great summer!”
Preparing for his debut on the USA Softball WNT coaching staff, Malveaux brings a wealth of knowledge to the 2022 Japan All-Star Series roster following a coaching career that spans more than 18 years. Named an assistant coach for the University of Tennessee softball program in June of 2021, Malveaux spent the 2019-2021 seasons as an assistant coach and associate head coach at the University of Missouri where he helped improve the offense each year. Prior to joining Missouri, Malveaux was the video coordinator at the University of Kansas and served as the associate head coach at the University of Louisiana from 2016-2017 following his previous tenure with the Ragin’ Cajuns as an assistant coach from 2009-2011. Additionally, Malveaux served as an assistant coach at the University of Bradley from 2012-2015 and was the head coach at McNeese State from 2005-2008 after being promoted from assistant coach, a title he held at McNeese from 2002-2004.
“It is truly an honor to be a part of the Women’s National Team coaching staff,” said Malveaux. “I can’t wait to be around these amazing athletes this summer while helping them compete at the highest level. I’m extremely humbled for this opportunity and am excited to get to work!”
Steuerwald joins the Japan All-Star Series coaching staff with various years of coaching experience at the collegiate and professional levels while also assisting in multiple USA Softball Women’s and Junior Women’s National Team Selection Trials. Named head coach of the newly initiated Gaston College softball program in 2022, Steuerwald’s coaching resume includes assistant coaching positions at Syracuse University, Elon University and Cuesta College as well as an associate head coach position at Utah Valley University. In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, Steuerwald was a member of the National Professional Fastpitch League “Coaching Staff of the Year” in both 2010 and 2013 while winning five league championships.
"It is the highest privilege to get to represent one's country and I am honored to have the opportunity to wear USA across my chest while representing the Red, White, and Blue,” said Steuerwald. “I am grateful for the chance to coach alongside Coach Tarr, the rest of the coaching staff and our incredible athletes that will be competing for our country. I can't wait to get after it this summer. Go USA!"
For more information on the USA Softball National Teams program, visit USASoftball.com.