Ball State University Athletics
Longenecker Named Assistant Coach for Ball State Softball
July 16, 2026 | Softball
MUNCIE, Ind. – Ball State softball coach Helen Peña has named Aaron Longenecker as assistant coach for the Cardinals, adding a coaching veteran who spent last season at South Arkansas College and the previous four years at Southern Mississippi and Louisville.
Longenecker is a developmental specialist who has coached elite programs in Arkansas since 2012.
"I'm thrilled to have Aaron join the Ball State family!," said Peña. "He is a relentless recruiter and has an incredible passion for developing hitters in both softball and baseball. His drive for excellence will make an immediate impact on our culture and help our young women achieve their goals both on and off the field. I'm excited to get started!"
A former college baseball player, Longenecker added, "I feel very blessed and grateful to Coach Pena for putting her trust in me and giving me this opportunity. I'm excited to get to work and move the needle upward with Ball State softball!"
Longnecker reached the Division I ranks in August 2021 as a volunteer assistant at Louisville, working with hitters and the offense while managing field operations through the 2022 season. That role led to a full-time coaching position at Southern Mississippi where he worked for three years until 2025.
With the Eagles, he served as offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator, coaching four All-Sunbelt Conference players and a pair of all-region standouts. Southern Mississippi increased its team batting average each season, including the 2025 campaign against what was ranked as the sixth-strongest schedule in Division I softball.
After leading the Arkansas Combat Elite and Arkansas Prospects Travel programs in Conway, Arkansas, from 2012 to 2017, he broke into college coaching as a volunteer assistant at Hendrix College in 2017. He was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Central Baptist College for three seasons (2019-21) prior to landing at Louisville.
A native of Parker, Kansas, Longenecker graduated from the University of Kansas with degrees in anthropology and geography in 1992. Prior to that, he played baseball at Neosho Community College in Kansas, where he was an outfielder and pitcher. After graduating from KU, he spent several years playing fastpitch softball in Kansas and California.
A retired U.S. Secret Service Agent of 20 years, Longenecker and his wife Amber have two children, Shaylan and Brandon.
Longenecker is a developmental specialist who has coached elite programs in Arkansas since 2012.
"I'm thrilled to have Aaron join the Ball State family!," said Peña. "He is a relentless recruiter and has an incredible passion for developing hitters in both softball and baseball. His drive for excellence will make an immediate impact on our culture and help our young women achieve their goals both on and off the field. I'm excited to get started!"
A former college baseball player, Longenecker added, "I feel very blessed and grateful to Coach Pena for putting her trust in me and giving me this opportunity. I'm excited to get to work and move the needle upward with Ball State softball!"
Longnecker reached the Division I ranks in August 2021 as a volunteer assistant at Louisville, working with hitters and the offense while managing field operations through the 2022 season. That role led to a full-time coaching position at Southern Mississippi where he worked for three years until 2025.
With the Eagles, he served as offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator, coaching four All-Sunbelt Conference players and a pair of all-region standouts. Southern Mississippi increased its team batting average each season, including the 2025 campaign against what was ranked as the sixth-strongest schedule in Division I softball.
After leading the Arkansas Combat Elite and Arkansas Prospects Travel programs in Conway, Arkansas, from 2012 to 2017, he broke into college coaching as a volunteer assistant at Hendrix College in 2017. He was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Central Baptist College for three seasons (2019-21) prior to landing at Louisville.
A native of Parker, Kansas, Longenecker graduated from the University of Kansas with degrees in anthropology and geography in 1992. Prior to that, he played baseball at Neosho Community College in Kansas, where he was an outfielder and pitcher. After graduating from KU, he spent several years playing fastpitch softball in Kansas and California.
A retired U.S. Secret Service Agent of 20 years, Longenecker and his wife Amber have two children, Shaylan and Brandon.
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