The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) has named the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) softball coaching staff the Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year for the 2018 season.

The DMACC softball team, under the direction of head coach Bob Ligouri, finished third in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Softball Championship and was the No. 1-ranked team in NJCAA Division II for most of the season. The Bears compiled a 48-2 record after winning their first 46 games and advancing to the national championship for the fifth consecutive season and the sixth time in the past seven seasons. DMACC's only losses during the season came against Phoenix College (PC) in the national tournament.

"Coach Ligouri and his staff continue to do an excellent job with our softball program her at DMACC," DMACC Athletics Director B.J. McGinn said. "They have established a high standard of excellence athletically, academically and within the community. I am very proud of Bob, Daron, Thana and John as part of our athletic department."

Ligouri's staff consists of assistant coaches Daron Harris, John Wilkinson and Thana Heller. Harris serves as hitting coach, infield coach and recruiting coordinator. Wilkinson is the coordinator of player development and is the dugout coach and Heller served as the pitching coach. Former assistant coach April Brown also worked with the pitchers until she left the team April 1 to play softball in Germany and former assistant coach Brittany Martin served the team as the strength coach in the ball but did not coach during the spring semester.