Big Ten Softball Program Adds New Assistant Coach With Pro Baseball Experience

Credit: Minneota Athletics

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON www.si.com/onsi/softball

The University of Minnesota’s softball team announced additions to its coaching staff on Wednesday, hiring a former University of Wisconsin standout and minor league baseball coach, Stephanie Lombardo.

Lombardo joins the Gophers after serving as a development coach for the Greensboro Grasshoppers, the High-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Under the first female coach in team history, the Grasshoppers currently sit atop the South Atlantic League with a 76–33 record.

With four years in Greensboro under her belt, Lombardo will serve as an assistant coach of the Gophers under Piper Ritter. 

"Stephanie brings experience across professional and collegiate levels, and we're excited to welcome her to the Gopher family," Ritter said in the press release. "Her player development background, passion for teaching, and calm presence will be an incredible asset to our program.

Prior to making history in Greensboro, Lombardo worked as a development coach and operations assistant with the Pirates' Single-A affiliate, the Bradenton Marauders. She also served as a coaching and operations assistant for the FCL Pirates in 2023.

Serving as an infield coach for Los Caimanes de Barranquilla, Lombardo has much international coaching experience on her resume. A stop in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic, with the Dominican Instructional League additionally tops her career list. 

Lombardo’s Collegiate Highlights: 

• Two-Time NFCA Academic All-American

• Four-time Big Ten Scholar-Athlete

• Big Ten Distinguished Scholar

• Played in 55 games, starting 52 her senior year,  recording 39 hits, 10 doubles, eight home runs, and 38 RBIs as a designated hitter.

• Started all 52 games at first base and led the team with 440 putouts, the most by a Badger in a single season, which also led the Big Ten conference in 2017. 

•  Led the team with a .979 fielding percentage and had the Badgers’ fourth-best slugging percentage (.454) in 2017. 

After graduating from Wisconsin, Lombardo quickly began her coaching career at Eastern Kentucky University as a graduate assistant, where she guided EKU to its first Ohio Valley Conference Championship and NCAA Regional appearance since 2004. She returned to her alma mater shortly after as a volunteer assistant coach. 

Now aside Ritter, Lombardo’s experience will no doubt bring a fresh start to the Minnesota program. Finishing the 2025 season 20-30 overall, the Gophers snagged three strong transfers this offseason in hopes of having a better outcome in 2026. 

Margaret Tobias will join the team after three years at Kentucky, Presley Hosick after two seasons at Cal Baptist, and Cassie Johnson after redshirting with Texas Tech last season.