Eastern softball will have a new assistant coach to help develop the nine newcomers to its roster in the 2004 season.

Eastern head coach Llyodene Searle has announced former Louisville assistant Tiffany Ozbun will join the Panther staff.

“There’s a lot of work she’ll be doing with the pitchers,” Searle said. “She’ll be able to relate to the kids.”

The Panthers have a young team returning with a new ballpark in 2004, and the excitement hasn’t stopped for Searle now that she has an assistant.

“She comes from a very good Division I program in Louisville with an immediate hands-on approach,” Searle said. “She’s eager and has the experience because I always learn from my assistant.”

As a volunteer for the Cardinals, Ozbun assisted with coaching, clinics, game day preparation and team travel.

“She has the tricks from the trade for stimulating a good motivational practice,” Searle said.

According to Searle, the two aspects of the team that need improvement are hitting and speed.

“We now have some big kids that are powerful but can really move,” Searle said. “We’ve worked so hard with running and conditioning.”

The nine newcomers will have to adjust to a new coach, but these young players are from the hotbeds of the softball talent pool.

“These kids played on summer teams in Florida, California and Illinois,” Searle said. “It’s the excitement with youth this season.”

Searle will have a special relationship with her assistant coach this year because of past softball positions.

“She was a catcher, and I was a pitcher so we both know the game inside and out,” Searle said. “We have high hopes for this season, and she’s really excited to get started.”