Seip takes reins as A-J softball coach

Rodney Seip will take over as the new Anna-Jonesboro Community High School softball coach for the 2017 season.

Seip, a former outstanding Egyptian High School baseball player, was named to the post at a regular meeting of the A-JCHS District No. 81 Board of Education on Nov. 21. 

He succeeds Pat Pitts as the Lady Wildcats head softball coach.

“This is the right opportunity for me,” Seip said. “I’m banking on five or six seniors to come out and play.”

Out of high school, Seip played minor league baseball in the Texas Rangers organization for five seasons. 

He has also coached the Southern Express softball team for the past five seasons. Southern Express is a traveling fast-pitch softball team. 

Seip will become the third head coach at A-J in the last four years.

“They haven’t had much stability,” he said. “Hopefully, this will work out and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”

He does know about the competition in the Southern Illinois River-to-River Conference Mississippi Division in which the Lady Wildcats play.

“They play a tough schedule,” he said.

Seip hasn’t named his assistant coaches yet and they will be announced at a later date.

In other spring 2017 coaching assignments at A-J, the track coach is Michael Eudy with assistants Mike Chamness and Kyle Kueker; the baseball coach is Aaron Roberts with assistants Joel Dallas, Nathan Guined and Brandon Craig; and the girls’ soccer coach is Sarah Konecek and assistant is David Galvin.