Hall of Fame
Danielle Penner came to Cal U as an unheralded freshman pitcher from Brampton, Ontario, in the fall of 1994. Four years later she had earned a bachelor’s degree and established herself as the most prolific pitcher in the history of NCAA Division II women’s softball.
A three-time national All-American, Penner’s pitching propelled Lady Vulcan softball to the 1997 and 1998 NCAA Division II national championships which are the only NCAA team national titles in school history.
The 1998 National Player of the Year and three-time all-national tournament selection, Penner had a collegiate career record of 141-15 (.904) with a 0.58 ERA and 882 strikeouts in 987.2 innings pitched. She hurled a PSAC record 77 career shutouts with eight no-hitters. Her single-season pitching records were 20-5, 25-3, an NCAA record 50-3, and 46-4. Remarkably, the resilient Penner figured in 92% of Cal’s total 112 games over her final two seasons.
Incredibly, Cal U softball never lost a PSAC-West game during her career, achieving four consecutive PSAC-West perfect seasons of 20-0. Along with the four straight divisional titles, Penner helped the Lady Vulcans win three consecutive PSAC and NCAA Regional tournament championships. After finishing fifth at the 1996 NCAA Nationals, Cal and Penner became the first team to ever go 5-0 at the eight-team, double-elimination tournament in 1997. Penner did not allow an earned run as Cal recorded victories over perennial powers Florida Southern (5-0), Wisconsin-Parkside (1-0), California-Davis (1-0), Nebraska-Omaha (2-0) and Parkside in the finals (2-1).
In 1998, Cal won four of five games at the national tourney with victories over Augustana (3-1), Coker (2-1), and Barry University twice by scores of 5-0 and 2-1. Lady Vulcan softball is the only PSAC school to ever win the NCAA softball national championship. Cal U’s overall records during the Penner years were 48-7, 45-5, 53-5, and 47-7.
Though she was the ace pitcher of Cal U’s only teams to win the coveted NCAA national title, the Lady Vulcans’ victory over Coker in the second game of the 1998 national tourney is the one game that she remembers the most.
“We beat them two years ago in the southern trip but that team and their pitcher was all anyone talked about even though we had won the championship the year before,” Penner said. “I did not think we were respected and I never remember anticipating a game more than that one.”
Also a PSAC Scholar Athlete and Academic All-American, Penner earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from Cal U in 1998. She then served as an assistant coach for two years under veteran Lady Vulcan softball head coach Rick Bertagnolli in 1999 and 2000. Cal softball won its fourth and fifth straight PSAC softball titles those years as well as the 1999 NCAA Regional crown.
A graduate of Chinguacousy High School, Penner played high school soccer and her school did not have softball in its repertoire. Danielle pitched for the Brampton Blazers of the Peel Halton Summer League and Bertagnolli recruited her based on advice from a friend.
“Rick had never seen me pitch until the first day I arrived on campus,” Penner said. “My luggage was still in my car and the next thing I know he had me up at the field pitching. The instant encounter that fall day has turned into a relationship that will last forever.
“He is somebody who will always be a part of my life and I respect him so much as a coach and a friend,” Penner said. “He brought a bunch of misfits together and taught us how to win and love a game more than we already did. I cannot praise or say enough good things about him.”
After working one year in Toronto, Penner joined the coaching staff at Barry and is in her third year as an assistant coach. Her unprecedented playing days have had a huge influence on her coaching career.
“Every single day I use something I learned or experienced as a player that I pass on to my players at Barry,” said Penner. “Just the other day our catcher was talking to me about the relationship I had with our catcher at Cal (Dana Boyer). What we accomplished at California makes my coaching job so interesting because of the many questions my players ask me. We finished fifth at Nationals three years ago and our players know how hard that was to do. My playing days in college will be a part of my life forever.”
So will the relationships with her former teammates.
“It has been six years since we last played together but I regularly keep in touch with many of my teammates,” Penner said. “More so with email than phone calls. I can’t imagine things being any different 20 years from now. It was special when it happened and it is still special now.”
The daughter of Danny and Judy Penner, she is also pursuing a master’s degree in business administration and sport management at Barry. The versatile Penner still works at her family’s business, Dancy Metal Products, a mailbox manufacturer in Brampton, during the summertime.
