Lansdowne Sports Notebook: Izdebski Wins Baltimore Sun Coach of the Year

Prior to Lansdowne’s 2011 campaign, head coach Jamie Izdebski reeled off a laundry list of team goals that included winning county and state titles and, arguably most importantly, beating heated rival Eastern Tech.  

As the “mother” of her family of girls, Izdebski gave zero thought to individual accolades.

However, after a season where the Vikings made appearances in county and state championship games, knocked off Eastern Tech in the 2A North regional final and played to a 19-4 overall record, Izdebski was happy to take home the Baltimore Sun’s Coach of the Year honors.

Making the award even more special is the fact that Izdebski earned it with the help of players she’s coached for the last three to four years.

“Watching them grow and mature over the years and being able to see them all the way through and make it as a collective group, it meant a lot to me,” Izdebski said. “To see them make it that far, be that happy … it was a special team. It made it even more special of a season.” 

The magical season wasn’t without some personal trials for Izdebski who missed a handful of games while in the hospital for bladder surgery and had her grandmother pass away at the beginning of the season.

However, through all of it was the constant support from her team, with her every step of the way.

“I wasn’t physically there, but the girls knew I was there for them and vice versa,” Izdebski said. “In the hospital they were still calling me; they sent a card to funeral home. That’s what made this team so special, the care and compassion we all had for one another.”   

On the field, her Vikings were dominant, particularly in the regional section of the state tournament where Lansdowne outscored its opponents 34-1 before a state semifinal win over McDonough (10-7) and an 8-5 loss to 2A champ Easton.

Arguably the highest moment of Lansdowne’s season was its 5-1 victory over Eastern Tech to make it to the state semis, which fittingly fell on Izdebski’s 38^th birthday.

When it comes to the award, her players couldn’t be more proud.

“I’m extremely happy because she deserves it a lot and she’s worked hard with us the past couple years,” senior outfielder Kelli Pease said. “She motivates us a lot, she tells us it how it is, and she works with us—she doesn’t yell at us. We love to play for her and work hard for her because she motivates us.”

Pease, McCourry Named to All-Metro Teams

Coach Izdebski wasn’t the only member of the Lansdowne softball family to be honored by the Sun. Unveiling its All-Metro teams last week, senior outfielder Kelli Pease was named to the first-team squad and junior pitcher Maude McCourry earned second-team honors. 

Batting leadoff and manning centerfield for the Vikings, Pease was a lightning rod for her team—on offense and defense—all season. 

The four year varsity starter paced her team at the plate, batting .355 with a four home runs, three triples and five doubles. Defensively, Pease played mistake free in the outfield all season, using her speed and tracking ability to run down any ball hit her way. Her superior speed also enabled her to steal 16 bases.

One could argue that McCourry should have joined Pease on the first team. As an All-Metro second team selection, the junior led the Vikings in batting average, extra base hits and RBI, while dominating on the mound all season long.

Batting out of the three spot in the order, McCourry hit a ridiculous .641 with 54 RBI on the season and displayed the ability to hit with power to all fields, making her virtually indefensible as a hitter. On the mound, McCourry pitched to a 1.55 ERA with a whopping 147 strikeouts. Equipped with a powerful rise ball and an assortment of breaking pitches, the junior held opposing batters to a microscopic .138 batting average on the year.

Baseball’s Montgomery Named to All-Metro Squad

Not to be left out of the post season awards, Vikings senior Shane Montgomery put together a body of work this season that earned him second team honors on the Sun’s All-Metro squad. 

The centerfielder and leadoff hitter led the Vikings in batting average, home runs, extra base hits, RBI and runs scored. In fact, Montgomery captured the triple crown for his division (division two), leading the league in batting (.509), home runs and RBI.

In addition to earning first team All-County honors at the DH position, Montgomery also received votes for Baltimore County Hitter of the Year from area coaches—not just his own.   

Defensively, he played a solid center field behind a pitching staff that mainly pitched to contact this season, and also did some pitching of his own when need be.