Jakubowski begins his 10th season at Gannon in 2018. The program has won 215 games, made seven Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament appearances, qualified for the NCAA Tournament and been among the nation’s best in academics during his first nine campaigns.
To say the Gannon softball program has excelled under Jakubowski is an understatement. The Lady Knights played in their first PSAC Tournament in 2011, igniting a string of seven consecutive postseason appearances. The program reached its apex in 2015 by advancing to the PSAC Championship Game for the first time in program history. The Lady Knights then secured their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2007.
Gannon finished the 2015 campaign with a 29-16 overall record and 19-7 PSAC mark. Individually, Jess Rectenwald was named PSAC Western Division Athlete of the Year and Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Player of the Year, becoming the first Lady Knight in program history to receive either award. Rectenwald, Alyssa Bates and Meghan Cunha earned all-region accolades. The first two joined Alexa Archambeault, Katie Dunn, Olivia Gumbita and Jen Moran on the All-PSAC teams.
The program recorded its sixth consecutive 20-win season and seventh in eight years under Jakubowski in 2016. The highlight of the campaign was a 3-1 victory against 12th-ranked West Chester during the opening contest of the PSAC Tournament. Gumbita and Jackie Martinez were honored with All-PSAC Western Division first-team selections.
A seventh consecutive 20-win campaign followed last year as the Lady Knights finished 28-14 overall. Predicted to finish last in the PSAC Western Division according to the preseason coaches poll, Gannon won the division with a 14-6 record in conference play. As a result, Jakubowski was named PSAC Western Division Coach of the Year. He became the second coach in program history to win 200 games with a 1-0 walk-off victory against Lake Erie on March 29.
Gumbita headlined the postseason awards after being named PSAC Western Division Pitcher of the Year. She was also named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America second team, Academic All-District first team and PSAC Spring Top 10. Gumbita, Martinez, Kherrin Morgan, Kellyn Perich and Maria Taliani earned all-conference accolades. The list brought Gannon’s total of all-conference (PSAC and ECAC) awards to 30 during Jakubowski’s nine years. Lady Knights have earned all-region honors eight times.
Gannon has been just as good academically under Jakubowski. The program has been among the nation’s top 22 academic teams during eight of the last nine seasons. The Lady Knights’ team grade point average ranked seventh (3.667) among all NCAA Division II programs in 2017, seventh (3.425) in 2009, eighth (3.498) in 2014, 13th in 2016 (3.55), 14th (3.381) in 2010, 17th (3.40) in 2012, 17th (3.443) in 2013 and 22nd (3.473) in 2015. In addition, Lady Knights have been named National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Scholar-Athletes 84 times during that time span. The program has also recorded the highest team GPA among all PSAC softball programs each of the last six years.
Jakubowski’s nine-year tenure has included Lady Knights being named PSAC Scholar-Athletes 139 times. In all, Gannon student-athletes have earned all-conference academic honors 179 times during the last 14 seasons. Twenty-two Lady Knights have earned Academic All-District accolades over the last 16 years, including four who became Academic All-Americans.
Gannon posted a 24-21 overall mark in 2014 with a 16-12 record in conference play. The Lady Knights clinched their fourth consecutive berth in the PSAC Tournament at the time after winning eight consecutive games to close the regular season. Rectenwald and Bates were named All-PSAC Western Division selections. Rectenwald earned first-team honors and Bates secured a second-team selection. Rectenwald was also chosen to the NFCA All-Atlantic Region second team.
Gannon finished 24-13 overall in 2013 while tying for second place in the PSAC Western Division and winning two postseason games at the conference tournament. It represented the program’s third consecutive 20-win season at the time. Three Lady Knights were named to the All-PSAC Western Division first team for the second consecutive season. Archambeault, Bates and Kirstie Cortazzo took home the honors. Archambeault was also named to the NFCA All-Atlantic Region second team.
The 2013 season capped a brilliant career for Samantha Scott under Jakubowski’s tutelage. The sensational shortstop was named to the Capital One Academic All-District first team, before later earning Academic All-America second-team accolades.
Personally, Jakubowski hit a coaching milestone with his 100th career victory during the 2013 campaign. He became the third coaching in program history to reach the plateau with a 5-4 victory against Bethel (Minn.) during the final contest of the National Training Center (NTC) Games in Clermont, Florida.
Gannon recorded the program’s most victories in a season since 2007 with a 30-17 overall record and 10-6 PSAC Western Division mark in 2012. Megan Dragon, Cortazzo and Jalessa Sledge were named to the All-PSAC Western Division first team. Cortazzo later landed a spot on the Daktronics All-Atlantic Region second team. Erica Bartholow earned Capital One Academic All-District first-team accolades.
Jakubowski brought the Gannon program back to regional prominence in 2011 when he guided the Lady Knights to a 20-20 overall record that included seven wins in conference action. The campaign concluded with Gannon advancing to the PSAC Tournament for the first time since the school joined the conference. Sledge and Dragon were honored as All-PSAC selections following the conclusion of the season.
Under Jakubowski, the Lady Knights won 18 games in 2010. During his first season at the helm in 2009, Jakubowski led Gannon to a 22-21 overall record and narrowly missed the postseason. Kara Hensley was named to the Daktronics All-Region, All-PSAC and ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II second teams. Holli Michaels also landed a spot on the all-conference second team.
Prior to accepting the Gannon head coaching position, Jakubowski served as the pitching coach for NCAA Division III Penn State Behrend during the 2008 season. The Lions finished 33-14 overall, won the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) and advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the second time in school history. The program was led by a pitching staff which produced a sparkling 2.41 team earned run average and 2.2 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Jakubowski is also known locally for his long tenure at McDowell (Pa.) High School, where he served as a coach, teacher and athletic administrator for 34 years (1973-2007). He was the Assistant Director of Athletics for eight years (1992-99), before being elevated to the Director of Athletics for the next eight years (2000-07). In 2006, he was recognized as the Pennsylvania Region III Athletics Director of the Year.
On the field, Jakubowski has seen tremendous success. In addition to his Penn State Behrend experience, Jakubowski posted a 156-57 record during 11 seasons as the McDowell head softball coach. During that span, the Lady Trojans won six league titles and a District 10 championship.
Jakubowski coached softball, baseball, football, volleyball and bowling during his tenure at McDowell. He boasts an impressive overall coaching mark of 551-205-2 while leading those programs at McDowell.
The Erie, Pa., native was a member of the District 10 Athletics Directors Association Executive Board (2003-07), as well as being the Vice President (2001-03) and President (2003-05).
Jakubowski still serves as the director for the District 10 softball tournament and the assistant director for the District 10 wrestling tournament. He graduated from Edinboro University in 1972 with a bachelor’s degree in secondary mathematics. He and his wife, Mary Ann, are the parents of two daughters, Amanda (32) and Lindsay (27).
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|
|
Overall |
PSAC |
|
| Year |
School |
Wins |
Losses |
Winning Percentage |
Wins |
Losses |
Winning Percentage |
Postseason |
| 2009 |
Gannon University |
22 |
21 |
.512 |
5 |
11 |
.313 |
|
| 2010 |
Gannon University |
18 |
21 |
.462 |
4 |
12 |
.250 |
|
| 2011 |
Gannon University |
20 |
20 |
.500 |
7 |
9 |
.438 |
PSAC Tournament |
| 2012 |
Gannon University |
30 |
17 |
.638 |
10 |
6 |
.625 |
PSAC Tournament |
| 2013 |
Gannon University |
24 |
13 |
.649 |
7 |
9 |
.438 |
PSAC Tournament |
| 2014 |
Gannon University |
24 |
21 |
.533 |
16 |
12 |
.571 |
PSAC Tournament |
| 2015 |
Gannon University |
29 |
16 |
.644 |
19 |
7 |
.731 |
PSAC Tournament
PSAC Championship Game
NCAA Tournament
|
| 2016 |
Gannon University |
20 |
21 |
.488 |
10 |
10 |
.500 |
PSAC Tournament |
| 2017 |
Gannon University |
28 |
14 |
.667 |
14 |
6 |
.700 |
PSACÂ Tournament |
| Total |
9 Seasons |
215 |
164 |
.567 |
92 |
82 |
.529 |
7Â PSAC Tournament Appearances
1 PSAC Championship Game
1 NCAA Tournament Appearance |
