Meet The Team

Chris & Casey Flanagan

ABSA is a family business owned and operated by Chris and Casey Flanagan since 2014.

Chris, a graduate of Lamar University with both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree, has been a college coach since 2011, and was a scout in the Cincinnati Reds organization for 9 years.

Casey, a graduate of the University of North Texas and Texas Tech University, is a BSN-RN at a large hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. 

Brooke Richards

Brooke is currently a Pitching Coach for Texas Wesleyan & Softball Instructor, and she pitched against 2008 Olympic Softball Team (June 2008).

Other accolades include:

• Scholarship Athlete for Tarleton State University (Exercise Sports Science & Fitness Management)

• Most Wins in a Single Season for TSU

• Lonestar Conference Honors/Awards

  • Newcomer of the Year (2006)

  • Pitcher of the Week (2007 & 2008)

  • First Team UT/P (2007 & 2008)

• All-State Utility Player Midway High School (2004)

Leah Amico

Leah is an American former collegiate All-American, three-time Olympian, left-handed-hitting softball outfielder and sports commentator originally from Chino, California! 

She's best known for playing for the Arizona Wildcats (1993–1997, winning three National Championships) and earning gold medals at the 1996, 2000, and 2004 Olympics. She is a USA Softball Hall of Fame honoree.

Adriana Perez

Adriana Perez was one of the top hitters in Texas Tech history and played for Team Mexico for six years!

She hit .351 with 15 home runs and 55 RBI during her inaugural season alone where she helped lead the Red Raiders to the NCAA Seattle Regional. Her performance at the plate earned Perez first team NFCA All-Region honors as well as All-Big 12 second team accolades.
 

Perez still ranks among the Texas Tech single-season and career leaders in several offensive categories. Her 29 career home runs are the third most currently in program history while her 105 RBI and .315 average stand eighth and ninth overall.

Adriana is currently the Assistant Coach for Mexico's National Team and she also coached at Lubbock Christian University for 3 years.

Shannon Gower

Shannon Gower is the longest tenured coach in Texas Wesleyan Softball history, entering her 18th season in 2022. In 2009, Gower became the winningest coach in program history, a record that now stands at 397. After 15 seasons, Gower holds an overall record of 397-368 (.519) leaving her just three wins shy of the 400 plateau. During her tenure, she has coached 54 All-Conference players, five Conference Players of the Year, 10 NAIA Scholar-Athletes, and three All-Americans.

Shannon has recorded two conference championships (2010 and 2012) and made one appearance at the NAIA National Championship Opening Round (2012).  In addition, her 2006 team cracked the NAIA record at the time with 66 home runs.

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Ed Zarzabal

Coach Ed Zarzabal is entering his 9th season at  Texas Lutheran University (TLU) as an assistant Softball Coach.

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8-Straight Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Champions

2019 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS and NFCA D-3 National Coaching Staff of the Year

2021 NATIONAL RUNNER-UPS and NFCA D-3 West Region Coaching Staff of the year

2022 NATIONAL SEMI-FINALIST and NFCA D-3 West Region Coaching Staff of the year

John Anzalone

John Anzalone is a native of St. Louis Missouri and has been playing sports since he could walk. Anzalone played college ball and then 2 years minor-league baseball. He has over 20 years of coaching experience including baseball, soccer, football, and softball. Anzalone made the switch to softball to support his daughter, Kaylee and has been coaching softball ever since. 

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Anzalone owns and operates his own business in the Mid-Cities area where he resides with his daughter Kaylee. 

Shane Babbs

Shane Babbs is a travel ball coach for G1 Impact Baseball/Softball Academy based in Bossier City, Louisiana. For over 10 years Babbs has led his teams from different organizations to 3 National Championships, 8 State Championships, and hundreds of tournament victories. He holds a 100% commitment rate for his graduating players that want to play in college. He has coached All Americans in travel ball and several All Conference players at the collegiate level. He has also been the college recruiter for G1 Impact for 5 years now, and has multiple contacts with coaches from all over the world.

Babbs is a licensed contractor in Texas and Louisiana. His wife Angel, a Radiology Technologist at CHI-St. Luke’s Hospital in Lufkin Texas/ Heart Institute of Texas, works in Nuclear Medicine and the Cardiovascular Cath Lab. She was also a collegiate softball and basketball player.

Together they have 3 kids Shaden, Addison and Aislinn who are all athletes themselves.

Sherry Rogers

We're excited to announce that Sherry Rogers will be joining Team ABSA as our new volleyball coach! 

Sherry hails from El Paso, Texas, and she graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Science in Education. Shortly after, she began coaching at Midway Junior High and she's also been a part of running the youth volleyball leagues in Waco.

In her 24-year coaching career, Sherry has coached athletes on the court AND on the pitch. 

Yep, not only did she coach JV volleyball but she was Midway's varsity softball coach for 18 years and took her team to 8 state tournaments!

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