Completed Event: Softball at Arizona State on October 15, 2025 ,
Softball
at Arizona State
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Hays adds experience, GCU ties to staff
7/2/2021 9:01:00 AM | Softball
Wente, Gorsuch join as assistants; Stankiewicz tabbed to handle operations
Grand Canyon softball announced the addition of two assistant coaches and a director of softball operations on Thursday. New Lopes head coach Shanon Hays added Sandra Wente, Maribeth Gorsuch and Marisa Stankiewicz to his staff.
"I am very happy to have Sandra as the first person to add to our staff," Hays said. "Sandra is well known as a fantastic teacher of the game. I met her a long time ago when I first started coaching softball when she was the head coach at Central Arizona."
Wente brings over 18 years of coaching experience to GCU and has won two National Junior College Athletic Association national championships while coaching five All-Americans. Her experience over the past 16 years has included working at an instructor at many nationwide college camps, including Arizona State, Oklahoma, Stanford, CSU Northridge and Oregon, and for Amateur Softball Association Junior Olympic camps.
Wente's husband, Jon, helped GCU baseball to its first NCAA tournament trip this year in his first season as the Lopes pitching coach.
"I was always impressed with how she handled her teams and how they played," Hays said. "Recently, I kept hearing from players in the Dallas area how good of a hitting coach she is, so with her moving back to Phoenix this past year, it made it an easy choice for me. I am glad she agreed to come on board."
Gorsuch joins the Lopes after recently graduating and finishing her collegiate career at LSU. The Lewisville, Texas, native posted a 2.77 ERA and a 31-12 record in five seasons, including 25 complete games, 11 shutouts and the first perfect game in Tigers history. Gorsuch gained coaching experience last year when she became the pitching coach for the Texas Glory 16U softball team. She helped the squad to second- and third-place finishes in the Texas Fastpitch League Championship and a third-place finish at the Top Cup Nationals.
"I really think we stole one in getting Maribeth," Hays said. "She is so well known in the game of softball and she will be a great fit here at GCU. I expect her to do a great job developing our pitching staff. Her experience pitching at the highest level, along with learning from one of the best in Beth Torina, the LSU head coach, put her in high demand even as a young 24-year-old coach. I am very happy we have added a great person like her to our staff."
Stankiewicz rounds out the staff as the Lopes director of softball operations. The former Arizona State star began her coaching career with the Sun Devils as a volunteer assistant in 2018-19 and has since been the Marucci Athletics 18U head coach and a South Mountain Community College assistant coach in Phoenix.
Stankiewicz is the daughter of GCU baseball head Andy Stankiewicz, whose Lopes teams have won 300 games and four WAC championships in his 10 seasons at the helm.
"Marisa is a very well known and thought very highly of as a former player and coach in the Phoenix metropolitan area," Hays said. "I think she has the personality and dedication to continue to grow her knowledge of the game in any way possible. She loves the game and it will be a lot of fun putting in the work with her."
"I am very happy to have Sandra as the first person to add to our staff," Hays said. "Sandra is well known as a fantastic teacher of the game. I met her a long time ago when I first started coaching softball when she was the head coach at Central Arizona."
Wente brings over 18 years of coaching experience to GCU and has won two National Junior College Athletic Association national championships while coaching five All-Americans. Her experience over the past 16 years has included working at an instructor at many nationwide college camps, including Arizona State, Oklahoma, Stanford, CSU Northridge and Oregon, and for Amateur Softball Association Junior Olympic camps.
Wente's husband, Jon, helped GCU baseball to its first NCAA tournament trip this year in his first season as the Lopes pitching coach.
"I was always impressed with how she handled her teams and how they played," Hays said. "Recently, I kept hearing from players in the Dallas area how good of a hitting coach she is, so with her moving back to Phoenix this past year, it made it an easy choice for me. I am glad she agreed to come on board."
Gorsuch joins the Lopes after recently graduating and finishing her collegiate career at LSU. The Lewisville, Texas, native posted a 2.77 ERA and a 31-12 record in five seasons, including 25 complete games, 11 shutouts and the first perfect game in Tigers history. Gorsuch gained coaching experience last year when she became the pitching coach for the Texas Glory 16U softball team. She helped the squad to second- and third-place finishes in the Texas Fastpitch League Championship and a third-place finish at the Top Cup Nationals.
"I really think we stole one in getting Maribeth," Hays said. "She is so well known in the game of softball and she will be a great fit here at GCU. I expect her to do a great job developing our pitching staff. Her experience pitching at the highest level, along with learning from one of the best in Beth Torina, the LSU head coach, put her in high demand even as a young 24-year-old coach. I am very happy we have added a great person like her to our staff."
Stankiewicz rounds out the staff as the Lopes director of softball operations. The former Arizona State star began her coaching career with the Sun Devils as a volunteer assistant in 2018-19 and has since been the Marucci Athletics 18U head coach and a South Mountain Community College assistant coach in Phoenix.
Stankiewicz is the daughter of GCU baseball head Andy Stankiewicz, whose Lopes teams have won 300 games and four WAC championships in his 10 seasons at the helm.
"Marisa is a very well known and thought very highly of as a former player and coach in the Phoenix metropolitan area," Hays said. "I think she has the personality and dedication to continue to grow her knowledge of the game in any way possible. She loves the game and it will be a lot of fun putting in the work with her."
New Hardware Install | Softball
Friday, August 08
Alexis Soto | on her Christian Faith
Monday, July 07
Briah Williams | Christian Faith
Monday, July 07
Alexis Soto | Ephesians 3:20
Monday, July 07