NPF Chicago Bandits

Steuerwald, Kolaitis to Lead Bandits in 2013

Published on May 3, 2013 under National Pro Fastpitch (NPF)
Chicago Bandits News Release


ROSEMONT -Owner/GM, Aaron Moore announced today that Michael Steuerwald will return as head coach of the Chicago Bandits for the 2013 season. Joining him as an assistant will be current University of South Alabama assistant coach, Jimmy Kolaitis.

"We are looking forward to having Stu back for his fourth season with the Bandits," said Moore. "He's been with us for some good moments and we're confident he's the right person to help us win our third championship.

"The addition of Coach Kolaitis to our coaching staff is one we're very excited about. He brings a wealth of experience to the team. He's doing some great things down at South Alabama. We feel like the fit between Jimmy and Stu will be a successful one."

Entering the league in 2009 as an assistant coach for the Rockford Thunder, Steuerwald served two seasons as the Bandits assistant before taking over co-head coaching duties last season when he and Keith Berg helped guide the Bandits to a 25-19 record. With an array of talent coming in this year, coach Steuerwald is looking forward to the upcoming season.

"I am very excited about the mix of players we have coming to Chicago for the 2013 season," said Steuerwald. "It is a very talented group and our owner, Bill Sokolis and GM, Aaron Moore did a great job of adding depth in the draft and free agent signings in the areas that we needed to improve. The 2013 version of the Bandits might be the most versatile group I have ever coached."

"I am also very excited about our core group that we have coming back. Not only are they great players on the field, but also great women off the field and each one of them does a great job of being a role model for the younger generation of softball players. With the mix of rookies and free agents we have coming in I am thrilled to see what this team is capable of, not just from a wins and losses standpoint, but even more importantly what we are doing in the Rosemont and Chicago communities to make a positive impact."

In 2010, as an assistant to head coach Mickey Dean, Steuerwald was honored as part of the NPF Coaching Staff of the Year, guiding the Bandits to a 30-20 record and their fifth regular season Championship in six seasons.

That next season, as an assistant under head coach, Darrick Brown, he helped lead the Bandits to a 20-20 regular season record and coached them to the 2011 NPF Championship, their second as a franchise.

"We will have several players with a lot of flexibility when it comes to playing different positions this season, which will make it a lot of fun because we will have competition every day for playing time," stated Steuerwald. "As a coach, it allows us do things in the game that you are not always able to do when you don't have depth or versatility."

In the off-season Steuerwald serves as an assistant coach for the softball team at Elon University in Elon, N.C. He previously served as the head coach at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, Calif. for two seasons before heading to Elon.

The newest addition to the Bandit's coaching staff, Jimmy Kolaitis, is entering his fifth season as assistant coach/recruiting coordinator with the South Alabama softball program.

From a statistic standpoint, Kolaitis has helped guide the 2013 South Alabama squad to one of the most successful seasons to date. Currently, the team is 41-7 and ranked 15th in the NCAA, owning single-season records in batting average (.319), slugging percentage (.522), on-base percentage (.406), most home runs (53), lowest ERA (.151), lowest opponent batting average (.180), most shutouts (17), fewest hits allowed (195) and fewest runs allowed (80), amongst several others.

"I am extremely excited about the opportunity to work with a first-class organization like the Chicago Bandits," said Kolaitis. "It is always humbling to be a part of something that has so much history and tradition. This will be an opportunity to work with great people and some of the best softball players in the world. I am really looking forward to this summer in Chicago."

Kolaitis arrived at South Alabama after spending four seasons at Troy as the Director of Baseball Operations for the Trojan program where he handled many of the program's administrative responsibilities.

Prior to his time at Troy, Kolaitis worked as an assistant coach at Southwest Tennessee Community College for three seasons. During his tenure, the program captured its first conference title and earned its first regional bid during the 2004 season, when they set a school record with 40 victories. Kolaitis served as hitting coach and recruiting coordinator at STCC from 2002-04. In Southwest's record-breaking season, their hitters broke 29 offensive records.

In the summer of 2008, Kolaitis joined the Mat-su Miners as hitting coach in the Alaskan League, a premier wood bat summer league for top collegiate players. The team led the league in home runs during his tenure as hitting coach.

Catch the squad in action on opening day scheduled for Wednesday, June 5 when Chicago hosts the Akron Racers for a four-game stint at The Ballpark at Rosemont.

For more information about the Chicago Bandits or to purchase tickets, visit www.chicagobandits.com or call the office at 877-722-6348.

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