Norfolk State University

Norfolk State University Dept of Athletics
700 Park Ave Norfolk, VA 23504

Division 1 Virginia Northeast

Public Small National competitor

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Coaches

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James Inzana

Two-time MEAC Coach of the Year James Inzana steps into his fifth year leading the turnaround of a Norfolk State softball program during the 2021-22 academic year. NSU has finished no worse than tied for third in the MEAC Northern Division during that time, highlighted by a division title in 2019.

Most recently, the Spartans went 12-7 and placed second in the division in 2021, part of an overall 20-19 campaign. NSU has finished with a winning record five times since joining Division I, with two of those coming under Inzana’s watch. After missing most of the early part of the season due to illness and then leading the Spartans to the MEAC Tournament, he was named the 2021 MEAC Coach of the Year.

Six players were named All-MEAC, including first-team honorees Jazzmaine Hammond, Gabby Vaughan and Tuli Iosefa. Denisha Megginson and Kirsten Greene (second team) and Imani Moore (third team) helped give NSU its most all-conference honorees since 2014. NSU finished in the top 15 in the nation in stolen bases for the second time under his watch.

His overall record in three and a half seasons, including a COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, stands at 73-82 overall, 33-19 in the MEAC.

NSU finished 11-4 in the division in Inzana’s second season in 2019, its first ever regular season title since joining the league in the late 1990s. The Spartans went 25-20 overall for their first winning season in six years. They also won 13 non-conference games in the regular season, the most in 10 years. For his efforts, Inzana was named the MEAC Coach of the Year in 2019, another first for the program.

NSU had four players earn All-MEAC accolades in 2019, including a pair of first-team honorees in Kylee Lopez and Shelby DesChamps. Hunter Halford (second team) and Skylar Swain (third team) also earned all-conference nods. The latter two helped NSU set the school’s Division I record for team ERA at 2.67. The Spartans finished near the top 50 in the nation in ERA as well as 14th in stolen bases per game. Lopez and DesChamps earned VaSID All-State honors for the second year in a row.

Inzana’s third season in charge in 2020 was cancelled after March 12 but prior to the start of MEAC play due to COVID-19.

In his first season with the Spartans in 2018, NSU improved its overall win total by nine and its MEAC record by five games from the year before. The Spartans finished tied for third in the Northern Division at 10-8 and saw their team ERA drop by a run per game. NSU also improved its team batting average by 19 points while scoring a run more per game than it had the year before Inzana’s arrival.

Three players earned All-MEAC status in 2018 in Lopez (second team), and Halford and Jaylene Pryor (third team). Lopez helped lead the offensive resurgence, belting a school record 14 home runs as NSU set the school fastpitch record with 38.

Inzana arrived at NSU after spending eight seasons as an assistant coach with the Virginia Wesleyan softball team. He worked primarily with the pitching staff, infielders, and hitters and was instrumental in the Marlins capturing their first ever NCAA title in 2017 and the second overall national team title in the history of the athletics department. The Marlins won a national record 54 games and led the nation with a 0.80 ERA in 2017.

Freshman pitcher Hanna Hull led the nation in wins (32) and ERA (0.51) and was second in the nation with 372 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .123 batting average. She was named both the Schutt/NFCA National Player of the Year and National Freshman of the Year in addition to capturing the ODAC Pitcher and Rookie of the Year awards.

Inzana helped guide the Marlins to ODAC titles in 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017. The 2013 team finished the season with a 41-8 mark and an appearance in the NCAA Regional title game. The 2016 squad won 38 games and earned the first national No. 1 ranking in school history. The Marlins were consistently ranked in the top 25 during his time with the program.

His pitching staffs were among the nation’s best throughout his career, earning top 20 rankings in ERA on an annual basis. The 2016 squad posted a 1.11 ERA, the second-best mark in the country. Marlin pitchers, under his leadership, won a total of seven ODAC Pitcher of the Year awards in his eight seasons at Wesleyan. In 2016, Kandis Kresinske claimed ODAC Pitcher of the Year, ODAC Rookie of the Year, and Schutt/NFCA National Freshman of the Year.

He coached a total of 12 All-Americans during his time at Wesleyan: Tori Higginbotham (2012, 2013, 2014), Kristina Kargiorgis (2012, 2015), Courtney Bogan (2015, 2016), Kresinske (2016), Cassetty Howerin (2016, 2017), Hull (2017), and Kiersten Richardson (2017). In addition, Marlin players earned 30 All-Region accolades and 47 All-ODAC honors during his time. They also captured four VaSID State Pitcher of the Year awards and were named VaSID All-State a total of 32 times.

Inzana has over 30 years of softball coaching experience in Hawaii, California, South Carolina and Virginia. His 2003 travel team placed 14th nationally while his 2006 team won the Virginia state championship.

Prior to his arrival at Virginia Wesleyan, he served as an assistant varsity and head junior varsity coach at Deep Creek High School from 2001-08.

Inzana retired from active duty in the United States Navy in 2005 after 20 years of service. He earned a bachelor’s degree in education and computer information systems from Liberty in 2009 and a graduate degree in sports management from Liberty in 2012.

Inzana and his wife Tina reside in Chesapeake. The pair have three daughters, Jaimee, Katy and Lindsey, and five grandchildren, Kyleigh, Aiden, Payton, Julian and Weston.

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Carrie Hoeft

Carrie Hoeft begins her first season as assistant coach for the Norfolk State softball program during the 2021-22 academic year. She spent the 2021 season as a volunteer assistant before being hired for the full-time role.

She is no stranger to softball in the Hampton Roads area, having run a softball and baseball academy in her hometown of Chesapeake for more than 15 years in addition to serving as head coach at Paul D. Camp Community College.

Hoeft joined NSU for the 2021 season, serving as the third base coach and assisting with all facets of on-field coaching as a volunteer assistant. She helped guide the program during the early part of the season when head coach James Inzana missed time due to illness.

With Hoeft on board, the Spartans posted a 20-19 overall record, 12-7 in the MEAC. NSU finished second in the Northern Division to advance to the MEAC Tournament. Six players earned all-conference honors as the program posted the fifth overall winning record in its Division I era.

Prior to her volunteer stint with NSU, she served as head coach at Camp CC in 2019 and 2020, helping to start the program during its first two years at the school. The Hurricanes made the conference tournament in their inaugural season in 2019. She coached five all-region players in her two years there, including Region X Player of the Year and All-American Morgan Owens.

As part of the program start-up, Hoeft assisted with field selection and renovation, helped design and purchase equipment and uniform, recruited for the first seasons, and developed the budget and scholarship program while establishing fundraising goals.

She served as athletics director at Camp CC for the 2019-20 academic year, overseeing the budget, scheduling, travel, recruiting, fundraising, compliance, and the actual staff for the school’s athletics teams. Hoeft also served as an academic advisor during her two years there, helping students meet educational goals through academic scheduling and degree requirements. She advised students on specific programs and worked with at-risk students to improve their academic success.

Prior to her time at Camp CC, Hoeft was an assistant coach at Stratford University in Newport News for the 2018 season. She assisted in all aspects of the softball program, including workouts, practices and gamedays in addition to field maintenance, student-athlete recruitment and registration, and mental and social skills development.

Hoeft served as a softball instructor, strength coach and manager at the Grand Slam 2 Baseball and Softball Academy in Chesapeake from January 2003 through the summer of 2018. She implemented conditioning and weight-lifting workouts in addition to coaching players on their softball skills. As manager, she served as the accountant for the academy, tracked and sold inventory, trained staff, and ran the general day-to-day operations.

She also started up the Tidewater Bomber AAU softball program in 2003 and served as the head coach of the program for nearly nine years until the summer of 2012.

A member of the softball team at Virginia State, Hoeft earned her bachelor’s in physical education from VSU in December of 2007 as well as her master’s in sport management from Liberty in May of 2020. She attended high school at both Great Bridge and Hickory high schools in Chesapeake and is currently working toward her doctorate in strategic leadership from Liberty.

Hoeft resides in Chesapeake with her husband and their daughter and two sons.

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Mike Johnson

Mike Johnson will begin his fifth season as an assistant coach with the Norfolk State softball team in 2022. He has served on a coaching staff that has turned around the program in just a few short years. NSU has gone 33-19 in the MEAC during his time with the program.

Most recently, the Spartans placed second in the MEAC Northern Division at 12-7 in 2021 with a 20-19 overall mark. It marked the second winning overall record for the Spartans since Johnson joined the staff. A total of six players were named All-MEAC, including first-team honorees Jazzmaine Hammond, Gabby Vaughan and Tuli Iosefa. Kirsten Greene and Denisha Megginson (second team) and Imani Moore (third team) gave NSU its most all-conference players since 2014.

Johnson’s second year in 2019 saw the Spartans capture the MEAC Northern Division title at 11-4. It marked the program’s first regular season title in the league. In addition, NSU went 25-20 overall for its first winning record in six years. Kylee Lopez, Shelby DesChamps, Hunter Halford and Skylar Swain were each named All-MEAC, with Lopez and DesChamps earning VaSID All-State accolades for the second year in a row.

The Spartans finished 10-8 in the MEAC and tied for third in the Northern Division in Johnson’s first season in 2018. NSU also improved its win total by nine, while Lopez, Halford and Jaylene Pryor each earned All-MEAC status.

Johnson’s third year as assistant coach in 2020 was cut short after March 12 due to COVID-19, less than halfway through the season.

Johnson spent a combined 12 years as the head JV coach at both Deep Creek and Woodrow Wilson high schools. He also coached at the AAU level for more than 25 years. He played center field and shortstop on the men’s fastpitch team from 1975-76 while a member of the U.S. Army.