Suzanne became the "Lady Blue Devils" Head Coach two years ago. A former Blue Devil herself, Suzanne brings with her three years of coaching experience and a vast wealth of playing experience. She had spent the 2007 and 2008 seasons as an Assistant Coach here at Merced College. She played softball at Merced College in 2003 and 2004, and is a 2004 graduate of Merced College. She continued her studies at CSU Stanislaus where she was a scholarship athlete playing softball in 2005 and 2006. She graduated in 2007 with a Bachelors Degree in Physical Education. She completed her Masters Degree in Kinesiology at Fresno Pacific University. In May of 2008 she played against the 2008 US Olympic Softball Team in Visalia, CA. She lives in Atwater with her husband David, and their son Gavin.  

     Dana joins the Blue Devil coaching staff with over seventeen- years of playing and coaching experience. Since graduating from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a B.A. in US History, she has been very busy playing, coaching, or running softball camps all over the world. After graduating she played professional softball at an elite competition level in 2000 and 2004 in Akron, Ohio, and then from 2001 to 2003, and 2005 to 2010 she played professionally in Bollate, Italy. While playing in Ohio she was a community service camp instructor for underprivileged youth. In Italy she organized and conducted all-skills softball camps, and served as an instructor for the junior club team.
     Dana’s coaching instruction experience has spanned around the globe as she was an assistant coach at the University of Hawaii, Honolulu in 2005 working with pitchers, catchers, the offense, scouted opponents, and helped develop game plans for battery. From there she went to Bohemia, New York (2006-2010), and then Hilliard, OH (2010-2011), and was a private hitting and catching instructor. Then in 2012 she was a volunteer assistant coach at The Ohio State University with responsibilities that included working with the pitchers and catchers. She also worked at the Ohio State softball camps instructing catchers and hitting. Her last coaching experience before coming here to Merced College was with the Australian National Team as a specialist coach working with the battery coach. She managed the bullpen, mentored Australian catchers, helped in game preparation, and scouted the opposition.
     While Dana was busy with this, she was able to further her education , and work as an elementary support teacher in Lemon Grove, California (2001-2004) working with at –risk students. She went to Suffolk Community College doing prerequisite work for acceptance into the Masters of Sport Management program. She did three semesters of digital photography (2009-2010).