O’Connell’s head softball coach, Tommy Orndorff, was inducted into the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) National Softball Hall of Fame, where he was recognized for his accomplishments over the past 40 years as a manager and head coach of girl’s fast pitch softball in the Washington, D.C. area.
Orndorff was joined by former players, family and friends at the Hall of Fame ceremony, which was held in conjunction with the ASA Annual Council Meeting in Reno, Nev. on Nov. 8, 2014.
“I am both humbled and honored to be selected,” said Orndorff. “Recognition such as this is very gratifying, but it’s more than just an individual award. It says a lot about everyone who has been involved—and by that I mean the coaches, assistant coaches, scorekeepers, parents and, most especially, the players themselves.”
At Bishop O’Connell, Coach Orndorff has led the Lady Knights to a 678-78 record in his 29 years at the helm, which include an impressive 21 Catholic league tournament championships and 19 Virginia Independent School state tournament titles.
From 1972 until 2010, Orndorff also coached the local Shamrock’s Under-18 team. During that time period, the team qualified for the national championship 25 times, finishing eight times in the top five.
The ASA National Softball Hall of Fame is located in Oklahoma City, where it welcomes over 200,000 guests each year. Since its inception in 1957, 378 athletes and non-players have been inducted.
View Coach Orndorff's acceptance speech HERE.
Pictured: Tommy and Doug Lindaman, Chair of Hall of Fame Selection Committee.