Skania Valencia Announced as Head Softball Coach and Intramurals Director

WESTFIELD, Mass. –   Westfield State University athletics has announced the hire of Skania Valencia as softball coach and intramurals director.

Valencia, who has been on staff for several weeks running the Owls fall ball season, comes to Westfield after stints coaching at Division II Mercy College, and working in event operations for the San Diego Padres.

She served for three years as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Mercy (N.Y.) College, where her primary focus was as hitting coach and working with the outfielders.   She assisted in all areas of the program including academic monitoring, video analysis and team travel and equipment.

"We are excited that we have been able to add Skania to our staff, and that we were able to create a full-time position which combines coaching softball with managing our campus intramurals program," said Westfield State director of athletics Richard Lenfest, Jr.  "Skania brings a strong playing background as an All-Conference Division II athlete, and has a foundation in coaching after several years at the Division II level."

"It's a huge benefit to our program to have this as a full-time position on campus," added Lenfest. "It creates more opportunity for Skania to be a resource to her student-athletes, and the intramural program is extremely popular among Westfield State students, so it was important that we were able to fill that role as well as we come out of the pandemic and are able to offer more recreational activities for students as well."

As a player, Valencia had a stellar two-year playing career in Dobbs Ferry, graduating in 2018 after transferring from Southwestern Community College. The native of Chula Vista, California, was a two-time NFCA All-East Region selection and a two-time All-ECC selection.

Valencia was named First-Team All-East Region and First-Team All-ECC as a junior after ranking third on the team with a .404 average and second on the team with 63 hits and 33 RBI. Valencia also smacked a team-best six triples and had seven home runs as a junior.

During her senior season, Valencia was a Second Team All-East Region selection and Second Team All-ECC after batting a team-high .399 with 59 hits, 36 runs, 13 doubles, nine home runs and 48 RBI. She ranked in the top five in the ECC in batting average, RBI and home runs and broke the single-season school record for RBI in a season.

Valencia ended her Mercy career with a .401 average, 16 home runs, 81 RBI, 122 hits and 69 runs scored in 96 games. Valencia also produced in the classroom having been named to the ECC Commissioner's Honor Roll twice was tabbed CoSIDA Academic All-District during her senior year.

Prior to transferring to Mercy, she attended Southwestern College in Chula Vista, California.   She was a member of 2014 All Nor Cal Team and 2015 All So-Cal Team while a student athlete at Mater Dei Catholic High School.

She earned a bachelor of science degree in business administration and sport management from Mercy, and added a MBA in finance while coaching at Mercy.

Her work experience includes coaching at the San Diego Padres summer youth camp, and roles with Intergrated Sports producing corporate events featuring professional athletes and ticket sales and concessions with the Vermont Lake Monsters baseball team.

The 2022 season will begin in March, with an anticipated trip south. Details on the Owls planned southern swing are still being finalized.