West Liberty Softball Camps

COACHING STAFF

JIM WELSH
ASSISTANT SOFTBALL COACH

Jim Welsh is in his 18th year of coaching fastpitch and enters his first season at West Liberty in 2024. Over those 18 years he has experience coaching travel ball in various organizations in Western Pennsylvania and Western New York, while also gaining six years of coaching experience in the Netherlands on the international level. Helping to develop many current and former college players at all levels, Welsh brings a vast amount of the latest knowledge on hitting, slapping, base-running, fielding, throwing, and the mental side of the game. He was a former Division I baseball player at Duquesne University (88-91) in the Atlantic 10 Conference and has extensive experience playing baseball and softball in various regions of the country.

Welsh holds a Bachelors degree in Accounting/Finance from Duquesne University and a Masters degree from Waynesburg University in Business Administration and Organizational Leadership. He is a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) and a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and is currently the Internal Audit Director for a local financial institution. Jim currently resides in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, with his wife Beth. They are the parents of Molly (27) and Evan (23).

HEATHER PINNEY
GRADUATE ASSISTANT COACH

Heather Pinney returns to the softball dugout for her second season as a graduate assistant coach with the Softball Hilltopper program.

Pinney was a 3-year starter for nearby Wheeling University after a stellar high school career at North Canton (Ohio) Hoover High School. An All-Conference corner infielder on the Vikings' 2014 Ohio state championship squad, Pinney posted a .359 career batting average during her three high school seasons.

Pinney graduated from Wheeling in 2022 as an Early Childhood and Special Education major with a minor in Psychology and is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Special Education at West Liberty. The Uniontown, Ohio native is the daughter of John Pinney and Renee Vogley.

BROOKE WEBBER
GRADUATE ASSISTANT COACH

Brooke Webber enters her second season as a graduate assistant for the West Liberty softball program in the 2024 season, focusing on hitting and outfield coaching.

Playing four years of softball collegiately, she started her playing career with a stellar freshman campaign at Lincoln Land Community College where she was named All-MWAC First Team, leading the Loggers with a .427 batting average. After two years at LLCC, she then transferred to Wheeling University for her final two years of eligibility, where she played in 47 career games with the Cardinals. During her time at WU she was also recognized for her work in the classroom, being named to the MEC All-Academic Team in 2021 and 2022.

The Edwardsville, Illinois, native graduated with an Associates in Arts from Lincoln Land CC in 2020, and a Bachelors in Secondary Education and Minor in Psychology from Wheeling in 2022. She is set to complete her Masters in Sports Leadership and Coaching in May of 2024 from West Liberty.