2009 Softball
Softball Coaches
Bubba Szary Image
Bubba Szary - Head Coach

Jon "Bubba" Szary was named the seventh head coach of the Lady Bulldog softball program in Novemeber of 2004.

In just three short seasons at the helm, Szary has seen a vast improvement in the program. After posting just one win in 2005, the Lady Bulldogs posted 15 wins in 2006 and set several school records, including seven team season offensive records. Union rewrote the record book again in 2007 as it posted its first winning season in nearly a decade with a 38-21 record, captured the Appalachian Athletic Conference regular-season championship and set more than a dozen program records.

In recognition of the Lady Bulldogs' extraordinary 2007 season, Szary was named the Appalachian Athletic Conference Coach of the Year while the team also boasted the NAIA Region XII Pitcher of the Year and the Appalachian Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year.

During his tenure, Szary has had one player named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American Team and three landing on the NFCA All-East Region Team. In addition, Szary has had four players make the All-NAIA Region XII Team and seven make the All-Appalachian Athletic Conference Team.

Szary, a 2004 graduate of Union, was a four-year member of the Bulldog baseball team, earning Appalachian Athletic Conference All-Conference honorable mentions in 2003 and 2004. He was a career .305 hitter with 20 home runs, 137 RBIs, 85 runs scored and 37 doubles. Szary belted the last two grand slams in program history and is the team's all-time leader putouts with 1,186 as he started at first base for 163 of the 185 games he played.

The 2004 season was the Cincinnati, Ohio native's best as he batted .331 (50 hits in 151 at bats) with a team-high 13 home runs and 54 RBIs.

In addition to enjoying on-the-field success, Szary was strong in the classroom as he was named to the Appalachian Athletic Conference Academic All-Conference Team in 2003 and 2004.

Szary is married to the former Robin Snider and the couple resides in Barbourville, Ky.


Lyla Blauser Image
Lyla Blauser - Assistant Coach

Lyla Blauser is in her first season as an assistant coach for the Lady Bulldog softball program.

No stranger to Union College, Blauser was a five-year member of the Lady Bulldogs and set numerous program records, including most stolen bases in a game (7), most stolen bases in a season (42), most hits in a season (72), most runs scored in a season (62), most career stolen bases (112) and most runs scored in a career. In all, she owns or shares 11 school records.

Blauser was twice named to the All-Appalachian Athletic Conference First Team and made the All-NAIA Region XII First Team in 2007. She was also recognized as a member of the NFCA All-East Region Second Team. She helped the Lady Bulldogs capture their first-ever Appalachian Athletic Conference championship as Union won the regular-season crown in 2007.