LAKE WALES, Fla. –Warner University softball coach Shawn Gary announced Thursday the hiring of Lindsay Littlejohn-Egli as an assistant coach. Littlejohn-Egli, one of the Polk County softball greats returns home to Polk County after recently graduating from the University of Florida with her Master’s in Education in May.
Littlejohn-Egli was known as Lindsay Littlejohn during her playing time at Bartow High School when she was dominating batters on her way to leading Bartow to four consecutive FHSAA State Championships, the first pitcher to earn that feat. Throughout her illustrious career at Bartow, she earned several accolades including being named the Polk County Prep Player of the Year four consecutive years, four-time First Team All-State honoree, two time PCASA Female Amateur Athlete of the Year and the 2004 FHSAA Kissimmee Klassic MVP. On the travel ball and club circuit she earned F.A.C.A All Star Softball Classic East MVP and was named MVP 11 different times in ISA, NSA and ASA Tournaments.
Littlejohn-Egli’s decorated high school career earned her a scholarship to the University of Florida where she earned the distinction as the first University of Florida freshman pitcher to throw a no-hitter. She also earned SEC Academic Honor Roll as a Gator; however injuries curtailed her playing career causing her to end her playing career prematurely.
With softball no longer a major factor in her life, outside of giving pitching lessons once a week in Gainesville, Fla., Littlejohn-Egli delved deeper into her academics and transferred her drive for excellence in softball into school and graduated with her B.A. in Health Education in three years and went on to earn her Master’s in two years.
Now that she has completed school, Littlejohn-Egli can return her focus to softball where she will make her collegiate coaching debut working specifically with the Royals pitching staff. “Bringing Lindsay here shows how committed Warner is to winning, so much of the game is pitching and I think Lindsay can continue to elevate the program to new heights,” said Gary.
A devout Christian, Littlejohn-Egli was attracted to Warner because of its Christian values, “I have grown as a Christian and I wanted to be able to glorify God at work as much as I do on Sunday’s,” answered Littlejohn-Egli when asked why she wanted to work at Warner. She will also serve as a full-time Instructor for Physical Education.
Littlejohn-Egli recently married Brent Egli back in January 2010 and they reside in Bartow, Fla.