Lindsay Diehl
Lindsay Diehl
Title: Head Coach
Phone: (641) 683-5299
Email: Lindsay.Diehl@indianhills.edu
Associates Degree: Indian Hills Community College
Bachelor's Degree: Western Illinois University

Lnidsay Diehl was named the seventh head coach of the Indian Hills Softball program's modern era in July 2018. The Indian Hills alum has led the Warriors to new heights in each of the previous five seasons at the helm of the program.

Through five seasons as head coach of the softball program, and just four complete seasons due to the shortended COVID-19 2020 season, Diehl has amassed 186 victories with a .762 winning percentage while collecting four NJCAA Region 11 Championships, two NJCAA District Championships, and two trips to the NJCAA World Series. Diehl has earned the NJCAA Region 11 Coach of the Year honor four times and the NJCAA District Coach of the Year twice.

Since taking over at Indian Hills, Diehl has coached 15 All-Americans, including five first-team selections. The Warriors have collected a remarkable 41 NJCAA All-Region 11 selections, including 27 on the first-team in just four full seasons along with five NJCAA Region 11 Player of the Year Awards, two NJCAA Region 11 Defensive Player of the Year awards, two NJCAA Region 11 Offensive Player of the Year awards, and three NJCAA Region 11 Pitcher of the Year awards. 

For the second time under Diehl, the Warriors made a run to the NJCAA World Series in 2023 after capturing both the NJCAA Region 11 and NJCAA Midwest District titles. The Warriors placed eighth overall in the double-elimination tournament, losing both games by just one run to boast the program's best finish at nationals since 2004. The team's 47 victories on the year were also the most since the 2004 season and went undefeated in conference play during the regular season for the first time since 2005.

Destiny Lewis became the first-ever NFCA Player of the Year and was also tapped as the NJCAA Co-Player of the Year after a second consecutive record-breaking season for the Warriors. Lewis was also recognized as the ICCAC Player of the Year for the second consecutive season while Madie Anderson and Sydney Anderson were named the ICCAC Pitcher and Offensive Player of the Year, respectively. The Warriors also collected their first-ever NFCA Rawlings Gold Glove as TJ Stoaks earned the honor in right field. As a team, the Warriors' 500 runs were the fourth-most in a single season in school history while the program's 108 home runs rank third all-time. The Warriors were named an NJCAA Academic Team of the Year after posting the highest GPA among all teams in the Indian Hills Athletic Department.

The 2022 season was one for the record books as Diehl guided the program to new heights. Indian Hills posted a 46-10 overall record on its way to the program's seventh consecutive ICCAC Regular Season Championship and seventh consecutive NJCAA Region 11 Tournament championship. The Warriors set a program record for team home runs in a single season with 126 and added a school record .396 batting average. The team boasted a 26-game winning streak, the second-longest in school history. Sydney Anderson and Destiny Lewis combined to set the single season home run record with 31 apiece while Lewis added a school record .530 batting average and set the new standard with 94 runs scored and 214 total bases. Indian Hills tallied an impressive 23-1 ICCAC record while going 27-1 at home on the year. The Warriors swept their way through the NJCAA Region 11 Tournament while finishing as runners-up at the NJCAA District Championship.

The Warriors posted a 41-13 overall mark in the 2021 season and finished the year with a 29-9 conference record while once again claiming the regular season and conference tournament championship under Diehl. Nicole Bellis was tapped as a first-team NJCAA All-American after setting a school record with 101 RBI while also earning NJCAA Region 11 Player of the Year honors. As a team, the Warriors posted three top-five marks in school history in team batting average (.385), runs scored (488), and home runs (80).

The Warriors enjoyed a remakable season in Diehl's first season at the helm, capturing the NJCAA Region 11 regular season and postseason titles, then taking the district championship to earn a national tournament berth.  At the national tournament in Utah, Indian Hills upset No. 4 seed Tyler (TX) in the opening round and also defeated Chattanooga State (TN) to finish with a 42-18 record.  The Warriors saw a 24-game winning streak come to an end in the national tourney, the third-longest streak in program history.

Diehl was one of the sluggers on IHCC teams that were known for their offense in the early 2000s and she brought similar offensive firepower to her first Indian Hills squad.  The Warriors had three players surpass the former single-season home run record by slugging 20 or more each.  Ale11s Groet established a new strikeout mark and was one of three players, all freshmen, named NJCAA All-Americans.  Ten players were selected to the all-region teams and Diehl was chosen as the region Coach of the Year.

Diehl arrived to lead the Warrior program after coaching stints at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge and Clarke High School in Osceola.

In seven years at Clarke, Diehl's teams compiled an overall record of 154-90, winning four South Central Conference championships and making three appearances in the state tournament.  They won the Class 3A state title in 2014 after losing in the championship game the year before.  Diehl was named the district coach of the year three times at Clarke.  

Diehl graduated from Clarke and went on to play for the Warriors in 2001 and '02.  As a sophomore she earned third-team All-American, first-team all-region and Academic All-American honors, batting .407 with 12 homers and 59 RBIs.  She also had a 33-game hitting streak that season, second-longest in school history.  Diehl hit .337 as an IHCC freshman.

After getting her associates degree at Indian Hills, Diehl went to Western Illinois University where she played softball and earned a bachelor of science degree. Diehl earned her Masters in Coaching and Athletic Administration degree from Concordia University-Irvine.

The IHCC head coach started her career by serving as an assistant coach at Clarke while she was still in college and then spent four years as an assistant coach and associate housing director at Iowa Central.  She also taught K-6 physical education in the Clarke school district in addition to her coaching duties there.

Diehl by the Numbers

  Overall Record Conference Record
YEAR    W       L       PCT.       W       L       PCT.   
2023 47 10 .825 18 0 1.000
2022 46 10 .821 23 1 .958
2021 41 13 .759 29 9 .763
2020 10 6 .625 -- -- --
2019 42 19 .689 10 2 .833
TOTAL      186 58 .762 80 12 .869

Diehl's Fast Facts

  • 4x ICCAC Coach of the Year - 2023, 2022, 2021, 2019
  • 2 NJCAA World Series Appearances - 2023, 2019
  • 4 NJCAA Region 11 Championship - 2023, 2022, 2021, 2019
  • 2 NJCAA Midwest District Championship - 2023, 2019
  • 9 NJCAA All-Americans (2 first-team selections
  • 6 NFCA All-Americans (4 first-team selections
  • 1 NFCA / NJCAA Player of the Year - Destiny Lewis
  • 4 ICCAC Players of the Year - Destiny Liews (x2), Nicole Bellis, Brooke Snider
  • 3 ICCAC Pitchers of the Year - Madie Anderson (x3), Alexis Groet
  • 2 ICCAC Offensive Players of the Year - Sydney Anderson (x2)
  • 2 ICCAC Defensive Players of the Year - Bryanna Mehaffy, Brittni Lloyd
  • 1 NFCA Rawlings Gold Glove - TJ Stoaks
  • 41 NJCAA All-Region 11 selections
  • 5 NJCAA Academic Teams of the Year - 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019
  • 45 NJCAA All-Academic selections
  • Indian Hills Alum / NJCAA All-American