Steve Kissel - Head Coach
skissel@wtc.edu
325-574-7690

Steve Kissel begins his second year at WTC and his 22nd season as a head college softball coach.  He began his career at Dana College in 1985 as an assistant football coach then in 1987 he became the head softball coach.  During his tenure at Dana College, Kissel’s teams won six conference championships in eight years, qualified for district tournaments all eight years and won one district championship and qualified for the NAIA national tournament in 1994, finishing eighth.  Coach Kissel was named conference coach of the year six times and district coach of the year twice.  During his time at Dana he was also the offensive line coach and admissions counselor.  After the 1994 season, he went to Minot State University as head softball coach and assistant football coach.  That year the football team made it all the way to the elite eight in the NAIA playoffs and the softball team qualified for its first ever regional tournament.  Next up was Pittsburg State University in 1995, where Coach Kissel’s team qualified for the NCAA II regional tournament.  In 1998, Coach Kissel joined Oklahoma Panhandle State University as head softball coach, where he spent the next seven years rebuilding a program that had won less than ten games per year to a program that consistently won 30 games per year.  While at OPSU, Coach Kissel also served as head men’s and women’s cross country coach, HPER dept chair, NCAA compliance officer and was interim coach of the football and men’s basketball teams.  In 2005, Coach Kissel was named the head coach at the University of Central Arkansas, where he spent three years and helped UCA move from NCAA D-II to NCAA D-I.

In 2008, Coach Kissel came to Western Texas College looking to lift the softball program to national status both athletically and academically. After last season his overall record is 508 – 523 after a very successful season at WTC which saw several individual records fall and gave coach his 500th win.

Coach Kissel is from Limon, Colo.  He graduated from Limon High School in 1981 where he competed on the football, basketball, wrestling, and track and baseball teams.  Upon graduation, he went to Dana College on a football and track scholarship.  In 1986 received his Bachelor of Science degree in physical education from Dana College.  In 1994, Coach Kissel completed his Masters of Arts in Health Education for The University of Nebraska – Omaha.

Claudia Berumen - Assistant Coach
cberumen@wtc.edu

Claudia Berumen is entering her first season as an assistant softball coach at Western Texas College. At Western Texas, Claudia will be working with the outfield.

Originally from Santa Paula, Calif., Berumen graduated from Santa Paula High in 2001. She played at Ventura College were she was the starting centerfielder and team captain for the Lady Pirates. While at Ventura, she made the Dean’s List her freshmen year and was a first-team-all conference performer her freshmen and sophomore year.

After two years at the junior college level, Berumen transferred to Northwestern Oklahoma State University, where she was a second-team-all conference performer during her senior year. At Northwestern, Berumen was a .288 career hitter with 26 stolen bases. She played in 112 games, scored 54 runs and drove in 20.

She graduated in May of 2007 and received her bachelor’s degree in physical education with a minor in psychology.