There was no better way for Kenny Seibert to put his new bachelor’s degree in sports management and coaching to use than to hitch a ride with the Liberty University women’s softball team as it competes for a College World Series championship.
A 2021 Herculaneum High graduate, Seibert is in his second year as a student manager for the Flames, who were in Eugene, Ore. for the NCAA Super Regionals May 23-24. Liberty played the host Oregon Ducks for a chance to advance to the World Series, which starts today (May 29) in Oklahoma City and concludes June 5 or 6. Liberty (50-13) upset No. 1-ranked Texas A&M in the regionals May 18.
So what does a student-manager do? Anything that helps keep the players and coaches focused on the next opponent.
“I catch bullpen, set up and tear down practice,” said Seibert, 22. “Relace gloves. Anything I can do to help. The (players) are very appreciative of the time the managers put in.”
Seibert said a friend from Herky encouraged him to attend Liberty, where he’ll begin studying for a master’s degree in coaching and administration this fall. With that degree, Seibert will be able to not only coach at any level, but also serve as an athletic director.
“I love coaching,” he said. “I love the atmosphere youth sports brings. I love to coach older kids. Softball is so much fun because of all the chanting and cheering.”
Seibert is learning coaching from a master, Liberty head coach Dot Richardson. In her playing days, Richardson was on USA Olympic gold-medal teams in Atlanta in 1996 and Sydney, Australia in 2000. She founded the Dot Richardson Softball Association, a not-for-profit organization that provides instruction to coaches and athletes.
Richardson took over as head coach of the Flames in 2013. Liberty was ranked in the top 25 for the first time in 2021 and won Conference USA titles the last two years. Richardson was named Big South coach of the year in 2018-2019.
“I’ve learned so much from the coaching staff that’s more than just about the sport,” Seibert said.
When he was a student at Herculaneum, Seibert spent summers on a travel baseball team, played football his freshman year and was a thrower on the track and field team.
Traversing the country with the softball team has opened his eyes to all kinds of possibilities.
“It’s helped me prep for any kind of challenge in sports. I love this sport,” Seibert said. “This is my first time ever on the West Coast. We were definitely the underdogs against Texas A&M. This is the first time a No. 1 seed (Aggies) will not play in the Super Regionals since it was added in 2005. The exposure we got was incredible.”
Once the season ends, Seibert said he will come home and coach the St. Louis Redbirds 15U baseball team. Before attending Liberty, he earned an associate’s degree in Culinary Arts from Jefferson College. His family lives in Herky and Festus.
After he earns his masters degree, Seibert said he’d be happy to accept a coaching job with “any (NCAA Division I) school that will have me.
“I’ve put some thought (into) coming back to a local school, but I trust in God to let whatever happens, happen.”
Seibert isn’t the only local connection with the Liberty softball team. Northwest 2019 graduate Megan Fortner played infield for the Flames in 2022-2023. She hit 11 home runs and had 30 RBIs her senior season. In 2023, she started 48 games at first base. At Northwest, Fortner played basketball, volleyball, softball and track and field and won the 2019 Class 5 state championship in the javelin at 48.15 meters (158 feet).
This column was written on an early deadline. By the time you read this, the smaller schools (Classes 1-3) state track and field results will be in the books and the sport’s season will conclude for Classes 4-5 in Jefferson City on Friday and Saturday. Follow the Leader to the finish line by grabbing it out of your mailbox or at myleaderpaper.com.