Former Austintown Fitch and Columbiana softball coach Jerry Beltempo was recently selected to be inducted into the 2023 class of the Ohio High School Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Beltempo spent his first 14 years as the head softball coach at Fitch and built the Falcons’ program into one of the best in the state. He won 12 conference titles, advanced to the regional finals five times, captured one, and won five district titles. Beltempo’s 1993 Fitch team also finished as the state runner-up. He accumulated a record of 274-88.

After taking a break from coaching, Beltempo took over the Columbiana softball program and led the Clippers to 4 Inter-county League titles and one EOAC Championship. He tallied a record of 145-38.

In 21 years of coaching, Beltempo recorded an overall record of 419-126.

Beltempo graduated from Leetonia and Kent State and currently resides in Bluffton, S.C.