LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The Bellarmine University softball team will honor the memory of former assistant coach Vernon Bibb when the Knights host Southern Indiana in a doubleheader on Thursday at 2 p.m. (rescheduled from Wednesday's original date). Both teams will wear wristbands in memory of Bibb, who was a longtime fixture in the Kentucky fastpitch softball community and a mentor of sorts to both Bellarmine Coach Renee Hicks and Southern Indiana Coach Sue Kunkle.
 
Bibb died last May at the age of 73 after a lifetime of pursuing and promoting fastpitch softball.  A native of Owen County, Ky., he started playing on a men's team when he was just 12 years old and although he went on to serve his country in the Army and worked for 29 years at UPS, Bibb always found time for the sport he loved. He played for a number of years (including playing alongside current Bellarmine assistant Ed Kleis); he helped lobby the Kentucky High School Athletic Association to adopt girls' fastpitch softball over slow pitch (which they did); he served as the Bellarmine pitching coach for six years; he founded the Bluechip Fastpitch Softball Camp; and he was the voice of the East/West All-Star game for years.  In recognition of all his efforts, Bibb was elected to the Kentucky Fastpitch Coaches Hall of Fame. 
 
Thursday's doubleheader between Bellarmine and Southern Indiana will be played at Knights Field on the Bellarmine campus. The Knights enter the Great Lakes Valley Conference twin bill with a record of 18-6 and sit atop the GLVC East standings with an 11-1 league mark.  Southern Indiana comes in 11-8 with a 3-7 GLVC record.