9TH SEASON, 180-163-1 CAREER RECORD, .525

Directing her squads to three straight appearances in the Southern California Regional Playoffs from 2017-2019, Monica Tantlinger returned the Lancers to the postseason in 2023. She completed her 10th year (ninth season) as head coach of the Pasadena City College softball program in 2023. Her career record continues to climb upward, now at 180 victories.

In 2023, Pasadena led the South Coast Conference early on thanks to a great 7-0 start in league. The team's 16 conference victories were the most ever in softball history. PCC finished 24-18 and earned the #14 seed and had two epic games v. #3 Cypress that were decided in the last inning in both. The coach directed her sixth 20-win team. 

More history was made under Tantlinger as Jaimie Harris became the first SCC MVP selected since 2005 and her 12 home runs and 48 RBI broke PCC single-season records in both categories. Third baseman Harris was named All-State and her 17 career homers are also a PCC all-time mark. 

Coach Tantlinger has decided to retire from coaching.

The COVID-19 health crisis shut down the 2020 season with Tantlinger's Lancers sporting an 11-9 overall record. The wins-losses count, as did the player's individual statistics, but no conference, regional awards or postseason play. Coach Tantlinger, as well as all PCC coaches, then had the entire 2021 sports season cancelled because of the pandemic. 

Tantlinger recorded her fifth consecutive 20-win season in 2019 and it is a new program record for most years in a row at 20 or more. It was also the third straight year with 25 or more victories matching the record string performed in 2004-2006 under PCC Hall of Fame coach Sandi Iverson. 

She served two years as President of the 3CFCA (California Community College Fastpitch Coaches Association). In May, 2020, Tantlinger was named the first Kinesiology, Health & Athletics department chair for the PCC division's faculty since 1995.

The Lancers' 26 wins in both 2018 and 2019 were the most in one season thus far for the coach. Tantlinger reached one of her goals when she took the job in 2013 of making it to the playoffs. As the No. 13-seed in 2017, the Lancers battled in two hard-fought defeats against No. 4 Palomar, both 1-run games decided in the Comets' final at bats with the second elimination game reaching a season-high 10 innings in length. In 2018, No. 12-seed PCC won its first postseason game since 2006 with a victory over No. 5-rated Santiago Canyon, but lost the series to the Hawks, 2 games-to-1. This past season, the Lancers earned their highest seeding yet under the coach at #9 but again were knocked out by a #8 Santiago Canyon squad.

PCC placed second in the South Coast Conference North Division with a 14-8 record behind conference winner Mt. San Antonio. It was the Lancers third consecutive second-place finish in the SCC and the 14 victories matches a program conference wins record set in 1986 when Pasadena was a member of the Metropolitan Conference and finished a perfect 14-0 as champions under Iverson. 

In 2019, the Lancers were hard to beat at their off-campus home of Robinson Park as they were 11-2 in games on that diamond. The team set a Robinson Park record (since the team began playing there in 2011) by scoring 19 runs in a 5-inning win over Compton. The Lancers were led by All-Southern California Region and All-SCC North First Team shortstop Kaylee Medrano. The First Team also included third baseman Samantha Diaz and second baseman Danielle Ruiz. The All-SCC Second Team featured pitchers Austyn Helmuth and Vivian Little, leftfielder Nathalia Velasquez (a 2-time conference selection), and catcher Jennie Chacon.

In 2018, the Lancers were struggling at 7-8 by March 1, but rang up an impressive 9-game winning streak and finished the regular season by winning 17 of their last 23 games. Tantlinger's team also had winning streaks of five games and six games. Making All-SCC First Team were ace pitcher Angel Wintercorn, leftfielder Briana Hernandez and third baseman Angelica Lopez. The Second Team included Velasquez and centerfielder Angel Urbina (for second straight year). Velasquez tied Melissa Payne's (2000) PCC school record for most hits in a season with 62.

In 2017, PCC shook off a 3-5 start and then won 16 of its next 19 games, including a memorable 3-2 victory over Cerritos, ending a 10-year program losing streak against the long-time SCC super power. Tantlinger guided the progress of two-time, All-SCC First Team shortstop Karina Moreno, who broke the school record for most runs scored in a season (48) and most runs all-time at 84. Moreno became just the fifth Lancer to lead the team in hits in back-to-back seasons and first since Jessica Torres in 2007-2008. Moreno was selected by the Athletics Division for the prestigious President's Award as part of the annual Elizabeth Jensen scholarships for transferring PCC students. Starting pitcher Pica Madrid became the first Lancer since new PCC Hall of Famer Sarah Sherman in 2004-2005 to record two straight seasons of 10 or more wins. Madrid was named All-SCC First Team. Making the conference Second Team were third baseman Brittany Ching, Urbina, and catcher Jeneve Medrano (Kaylee's older sister).

In 2016, Tantlinger reached her first milestone, 50 victories, in a March tourney victory over Golden West. Moreno emerged as a top freshman with a .551 on-base percentage that was the best by a Lancer in 22 years. Rightfielder Derek Blow made All-SCC Second Team that season. In 2018, Tantlinger earned her 100th victory in a 9-6 win over Citrus, see story here:  http://pcclancers.com/sports/sball/2017-18/releases/20180414i8mdu6

In 2015, she coached the greatest power hitting season in PCC softball history as the Lancers belted a school record 27 home runs in 38 games. Two of her players tied for the new PCC single-season record for home runs with 10 in freshman catcher Holly Riker-Sloan and sophomore second baseman Justine Zavala, who was later named PCC's Women's Athlete of the Year for the '14-15 sports season.

The Lancers had a brilliant 8-game winning streak to start the '15 season and the team finished 21-17 overall.  The Lancers scored 10 or more runs nine times, three of those in victories over eventual playoff teams in No. 4 seed Citrus, No. 7 seed Mt. San Antonio and No. 12 seed Fullerton. The team mercied perennial state power Mt. San Antonio, 14-4, on the road in a sign that PCC earned respect within the South Coast and the region. The Lancers were a perfect 5-0 at the round-robin Glendale Tournament.

PCC placed fourth in the powerful SCC, the best finish by a Lancers team in conference in seven years. Riker-Sloan was chosen to the 3CFCA All-Southern California Team while Zavala and her were named All-SCC First Team. Freshman outfielder Mariah Quintana was an All-SCC Second Team selection. Honorable mention and freshman leftfielder Yecenia Cardenas finished third in the state in stolen bases with 34. The team was fourth in the state in total steals (108), seventh in triples (17), 11th in home runs, and 12th in drawing walks (124). Riker-Sloan was a CCCSIA State Player of the Week selection for March 9-15.

In her debut season of 2014, she directed a team that also generated offense as PCC scored 10 or more runs eight times, including a season-high 20 v. LA Harbor. Tantlinger guided the progress of All-SCC catcher Allison Lacey, who was also a Southern California Player of the Week selection in March. Lacey earned a scholarship to Cal State Northridge and later served a few seasons as a PCC assistant coach.

PCC is the first head coaching job for Tantlinger after being an assistant coach in 2013 at East Los Angeles College. Her coaching resume includes extensive NCAA Division I experience as an assistant at Purdue University (2009-2012) and UC Riverside (2006-2009). 

Tantlinger was a California Community College student-athlete herself when she played as an All-Foothill Conference player at Antelope Valley College in 2002-2003. She went on to earn a scholarship to play at Cal State Fullerton and later was an undergraduate assistant coach for the Titans in 2005-2006. Tantlinger earned a B.A. degree in communications at CS Fullerton and a master's in kinesiology at Texas College.