Small Changes, Huge Impact

The Coach

TheDrivenAcademy

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Coach Butch McLaren- (Advanced Hitting & Pitching)

• After serving as an assistant coach at Nebraska Wesleyan University from 2001 to 2011, Coach Butch McLaren was recently named Head Coach of the Prairie Wolves. During his time as an NWU assistant McLaren also served as the head coach at Lincoln East High School. 
• While at NWU McLaren was a member of staffs that produced the five most successful seasons in program history. These Prairie Wolf teams garnered 84 All Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) selections (39 of whom were First Team), 75 NCAA DIII 1st Team Selections, four GPAC Pitcher of the Year winners, and one GPAC Player of the Year. He coached the two winningest pitchers in program history, including Alysia Wittmaack - a holder of 10 program records.  
• His time at Lincoln East High School is equally as decorated as the program collected its six highest win totals and a trip to the Nebraska Class A State Finals. The Spartans had 25 All-City selections and nine All-State honorees, including the Nebraska’s player of the year (pitcher Alysia Wittmaack) during McLaren’s tenure ('03-'11).
  

• Jordan started her coaching career in 2013 after graduating from Lincoln East High School and finishing her softball career with Nebraska Nemesis Gold. She chose to focus on academics in college, but loves the game too much to truly be done with it. She began coaching Nebraska Nemesis 16s in the fall of 2013 and got involved with The Driven Academy shortly after.
• She started her playing career at age 9. She caught for 8 years and became a 1st baseman by her sophomore year of high school, all while staying a consistent right handed hitter. She played Varsity at Lincoln East all four years and was name All-State Honorable mention 3 consecutive years. She currently holds many hitting records at East including season and career doubles, career and season batting average, career RBIs, and career hits.
• As a part of the Nebraska Nemesis Gold, she won a 16u USSSA World Series Championship title, 2 ASA State titles, and in 2013 completed the trifecta of winning all 3 ASA qualifying tournaments in the region.
  

• The Driven Academy is proud to add softball instructor Amanda Beeson to its staff. As a pitching and hitting instructor Beeson is currently finishing her career at Concordia University, Nebraska as a senior ace pitcher.
• Her previous accolades for the Bulldogs include Great Plains Athletic Conference player of the week in 2013 and All-GPAC honors in ’12 and ’13. Beeson will return to the mound in the spring of 2014 in quest of a conference championship and national tournament berth. 
• Beeson was also a standout at Waverly High School where she holds numerous pitching records for strikeouts, ERA, no-hitters, and perfect games. The four year starter earned All Conference and All State honors in ’07, ’08, and ’09. Beeson still remains as Waverly’s winningest pitcher.
  

• Kylee Dart started playing softball at the age of 8. She played on select traveling club teams which played tournaments throughout the country. Kylee played on teams that won a total of six Nebraska State Softball titles during the summers, including time on Coach Ekeler’s Twin River Vipers squad which finished 5th at USSSA Nationals and won ASA and USSSA State Titles.
• Kylee is a graduate of Lincoln Northeast High School, where she played four years of Varsity softball. She was an infielder as well as a pitcher for Coach Kari Amen. She broke many records at Lincoln Northeast High School which still stand today: Season records of 228 strikeouts in 2006 and an era of 0.87 in 2003; she also holds career records of 49 wins from 2003-2006, career ERA 1.39 from 2003-2006, strikeouts of 455 from 2003-2006. Kylee was also awarded All-Conference, All-City and All-State honors from 2005 thru 2007 by the Lincoln Journal Star and the Omaha World Herald. Kylee was also elected to play in the Nebraska Coaches Association All-Star game.
• Kylee was offered several scholarships but decided to focus on her educational goals at that time. However, softball has remained an ongoing passion and she has continued to coach as well as do lessons and clinics for young players.
  

• Katie Mosley recently joined The Driven Academy staff, with her primary duties being pitching instructruction. She has been giving individual lessons on her own to beginner pitchers since 2010.
• Mosley transferred from the University of Nebraska to Doane in fall 2009 and played softball for the Doane Tigers for two years where she pitched and played 1st base. She graduated in May 2012 with a Bachelors of Arts Degree with an emphasis in Graphic Design.
• Prior to Doane, Mosley lettered four years on varsity softball for Pius X High School as a pitcher and 1st baseman. In 2007 Mosley was honored by the Lincoln Sertoma Club as its selection for Fall Female Athlete for softball.
• Mosley is currently an assistant coach for the Nebraska Blue Diamonds 01’ team. Mosley started her pitching career at the age of nine with the now defunct Lincoln Blazers and then was a part of the Blue Diamonds in its first year in 2001; she played through 2008 and she joined the coaching staff in fall 2011. Mosley was a member of the Pius X coaching staff that won the 2013 State Championship, and she will be assisting with the Pius X softball varsity team this fall.
  

• Desirae Hakel joins The Driven Academy staff after a decorated career as a member of the Pius X High School Thunderbolts and Nebraska Nemesis Gold. As a member of the Thunderbolts, Desirae was named Honorable Mention by the Lincoln Journal Star in 2011, then followed that up with All-City and 1st Team Super-State selections in 2012. Much of this success was due to a switch in her offensive approach: Hakel became a fulltime slapper during the summer before her junior season. This late switch to the left-side was successful due to Hakel's work ethic and coachability.
• Hakel, who finished her high school academic career with a perfect 4.00 GPA, was named to the Journal Star's All-Academic team three years ('10, '11, '12), and was chosen team captain for the 2012 Class B State Champion Thunderbolts. She was also chosen as captain during her junior year, a rare honor. Des capped her high school career with a selection to the 2013 Nebraska All Star double-header, a prestigious event featuring a collection of the state's very best players.
• Her leadership and incredible work ethic were just as apparent in the summer, where she was named "Most Improved Offensive Player" and team captain for Coach Dave Sinkler's Nemesis Gold. Those teams, under Desirae's leadership, won two National Tournaments ('10, '11). At the conclusion of her prep career Desirae signed to play for the University of Nebraska-Kearney. Her younger brother, Nolan, is a standout for the Pius X High School and Union Bank Legion baseball teams, where he has started since his sophomore year.
  

• Linnea Detrick joins The Driven Academy staff while also entering her first season as graduate assistant softball coach at Concordia University in 2013-14.
• Detrick comes to Nebraska after completing her playing career as a catcher for the University of Illinois. She appeared in 42 games, making 19 starts behind the plate during her time playing for the Illini. For her career, she threw out 12 of 22 (.545) runners who attempted to steal on her.
• Linnea's specialty is working with young catchers, and she will provide both individual sessions as well as host clinics. She will also work with softball hitters and fundamentals of the game.