By Jordan Walter ’24, staff writer 

An LVC coach is one of the few female assistant coaches in baseball in the NCAA and is presumed to be the only female full-time baseball assistant coach in the NCAA. 

Coach Beth Woerner joined the LVC baseball coaching staff during the summer of 2021. She helps coach the team in every aspect of the game but has a specific responsibility for coaching infielders.  

Before becoming a coach, she worked part-time on a research project for the Baseball Prospectus with international and women’s baseball data. Woerner then became an assistant coach for a developmental team at the University of Charleston (WV) for two seasons. She also has experience as an assistant coach in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League for the Newark Pilots.  

Woerner explains that she has always had a connection with the game of baseball, stemming from her relationship with her family.  

“I have always been around the game of baseball,” Woerner said. “My dad taught my brother and me to be Braves fans and we have followed the team my entire life.” 

She also states that she enjoys playing baseball in a women’s league in her free time.  

Through her experiences of coaching and playing, Woerner has developed an important coaching philosophy of putting the players first, which she believes has led her to success as a coach.  

“Sometimes coaches can get caught up in trying to get players better at the sport or trying to win that we forget that the players are people who have lives outside of practices,” Woerner said. “It is my goal to make sure that the players know that they are supported in who they are no matter how different or similar they are to the other members of the team.”  

Woerner explained that in the short amount of time that she has been coaching at LVC, she already feels accepted as part of the team. 

“Coach Fester has made sure that I am comfortable and have what I need to do my job at every part of the process here at LVC starting from the first phone call,” Woerner said. “The people I have worked with currently and in the past are still extremely supportive and that is more meaningful to talk about than the times when I was treated differently or discriminated against.” 

Woerner said she hopes for a terrific spring season.