Donna Lopiano
Reprint from The Path to the Gold by Mary L. Littlewood
Before becoming a nationally known, influential person in women’s sports, Donna Lopiano was an outstanding softball player. Although she played only 10 years in the ASA women’s major fastpitch program, Lopiano made the most of her decade, earning ASA All-American honors nine times and winning the most valuable player award three times.
A versatile athlete who could play second, first and pitch, Lopiano was an ASA All-American in 1963, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971 and 1972. She was named most valuable player in 1966 and 1972 and shared the honor in 1971 with Joan Joyce in the women’s major fastpitch national championship.
She had a .295 batting average, playing for the Raybestos Brakettes with 518 hits in 1,756 at bats. Donna scored 285 runs, driving in 281 runs, hitting 23 home runs, 67 doubles and 54 triples.
Twice Lopiano led the Brakettes in batting (1970 - .3167 and 1972 - .367) and still shares the team record for homers in a season with eight. In 1972, she also was the leading hitter in the ASA Women’s Major Fast Pitch National Championship with a .429 average.
As a pitcher, Lopiano had a .910 winning percentage, highest in Brakettes history, winning 183 games and losing only 18. In 10 years, she hurled 817 innings, striking out 1,633 batters and walking only 384. Donna hurled 16 no-hitters. In national championship play, she won 15 of 17 games and was a member of six national championship teams and four runners-up. When Australia hosted the first ISF world championship in 1965, Raybestos represented the United States and Lopiano was the second leading hitter with a .345 average as the team placed second.
Besides being an outstanding softball player, Lopiano also participated in basketball, volleyball and field hockey. During her career, she had the opportunity to participate in 26 different national championships in these four sports.
An excellent student, Lopiano has a Bachelor of Science degree in health and physical education from Southern Connecticut State College, a Masters of Arts degree in physical education from the University of Southern California (1969) and a Doctor of Philosophy in physical education from the University of California (1974).
From 1969-1970, Donna was a teaching assistant, women’s intramural director and volleyball coach at the University of Southern California. From 1971-1975, she was assistant professor of physical education, assistant athletic director and head volleyball, softball and basketball coach at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York. She served as women’s athletic director at the University of Texas for more than a decade before taking over as Executive Director of the Women’s Sports Foundation in April, 1992.
According to The Sporting News, Donna is listed as No. 46 of “The Most Influential People in Sports.” The College Sports magazine ranked her No. 22 among “The Fifty Most Influential People in College Sports.”
Besides being a member of the National Softball Hall of Fame, Lopiano is a member of the National Sports Hall of Fame and the Texas Women’s University Hall of Fame.
For more on Donna Lopiano, see below. You may also find more information on by clicking the following links:
Lionettes Hall of Fame Members_DL.pdf