TWU Home > Student
Life > Athletics > Hall
of Fame > Class of 1995
Inducted
Sept. 22, 1995
Dianne
Baker (Badminton, Field Hockey, Soccer, Softball, Tennis
-- 1971-75) Baker, who is the TWU head softball coach and
faculty member in the kinesiology department, lettered
in five sports during her four years. With Baker playing
shortstop, TWU won the AIAW state softball championship
(1975), finished as the AIAW state softball runner-up (1973
and 1974), and represented the state of Texas in the College
Softball World Series (1975). In addition to her softball
achievements, she won 25 championship titles and 18 runner-up
titles in tennis and badminton. As a senior in 1975, Baker
was the softball team captain and was named the Outstanding
College Athlete of America. Baker served as the head softball
coach at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches,
Texas, for 15 years, and led the Ladyjacks to an NCAA Division
II National Championship in 1986. She captured her 500th
career win April 24, 1995, against Northwestern State (La.)
University. Before the start of the 1997 season, Baker
had compiled a 500-292 career record, establishing her
among the winningest active coaches in the NCAA record
books. Her coaching honors include being named 1986 National
Coach of the Year, 1985 and 1986 Regional Coach of the
Year, and 1984 Gulf Star Conference Coach of the Year.
She has coached 17 All-Americans and one Olympian, Sandy
Green, a left fielder on the 1996 Canadian Olympic Team.
Baker has penned three books, published numerous articles,
and is the featured instructor in an eight-part softball
fundamentals videotape series called, "Softball." She
resides in Denton.
UPDATE (4/7/05) LEGENDARY SOFTBALL COACH TO RETIRE AFTER 30 YEARS
Kathy
Van Wyk (Softball -- 1978-81) Van Wyk, currently the
head softball coach at San Diego State University, was
the 1979 Texas AIAW Player of the Year and a catcher/pitcher
on TWU's 1979 national championship team. She transferred
to California State-Fullerton in 1981 after TWU dropped
its softball program. In 1982 at CSUF, Van Wyk posted a
35-1 record with a 0.18 earned run average. The victories
remain a school single-season record and the .972 winning
percentage is an NCAA record. She earned AIAW All-America
honors and won the Broderick Award, which honors the outstanding
collegiate softball player in the nation. She was also
named WCAA All-Conference, Orange County Athlete of the
Month, PONY All-Tournament pitcher, five-time American
Softball Association All-American, and won an NCAA postgraduate
scholarship with a 3.43 grade point average. She was the
first female inductee in the Orange County Sportswriters
Hall of Fame. Her 1982 stats included four no-hitters,
back-to-back perfect game, 27 shutouts, 278 innings pitched,
270 strikeouts, and six one-hitters. From 1985 to 1988,
Van Wyk played on the U.S. National Team. She was a CSUF
assistant coach from 1983 to 1987, and a part of the 1986
national championship team. After leaving Fullerton, Van
Wyk became a pitching instructor at Rod Carew's Baseball
School in Anaheim, Ca., from 1987 to 1989. She then went
to Azzano Decimo, Italy, to coach the Azzanase Softball
Club. From January to March, 1990, Van Wyk was the pitching
coach for the Walkerville Softball Club in Adelaide, South
Australia. She returned to Cal State Fullerton as an assistant
coach from 1991 to 1994. After 11 years at CSUF, Van Wyk
was named assistant coach at SDSU. She has produced seven
instructional videotapes on pitching, catching and strength
training for softball. Now SDSU's head coach, she also has added Senior Woman's Administrator responsiblities.
Lisa
Harlan Gandy (Gymnastics -- 1981-85) Gandy, who is
a physical therapist in Paris, Texas, was the first Pioneer
gymnast to win a national championship title (1982, floor
exercise) and also earn All-America honors. She was a three-time
TWU President's Award winner (1983-85), three-time Division
III All-American (1982), Division II Regional Floor Exercise
Champion (1984), and a Division II all-around individual
national qualifier (1984). Gandy's accomplishments were
recognized by the Texas Association for Intercollegiate
Athletics when she was awarded the Division III Gymnast
of the Year in 1982. She was also given the Gymnastics
Association of Texas Honor Award in 1982 for bringing national
recognition to Texas through her gymnastics achievements.
Gandy was the only college recipient of the award, which
is given to only five individuals in Texas each year. After
graduation from TWU, Harlan was selected to the Athletes
In Action Gymnastics Team and traveled to Bulgaria, Germany
and Kenya on a mission trip using gymnastics as a platform
of ministry. She has volunteered for the Multiple Sclerosis
Society, and for a therapeutic horsemanship program.
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