Shonda Stanton Position: Head Coach Alma Mater: UNC Greensboro, 1996

Head Coach Shonda Stanton enters her 10th season at the helm of Marshall Softball and her 11th season overall as a college head coach. Stanton is the winningest coach in Marshall Softball history at 279 wins. She recorded her 300th career win versus Morehead State on April 15th, 2008. Stanton has captured three regular season conference titles while participating in two back to back conference championship games and posting six 30-plus win seasons.

Since taking over the reigns, Stanton has produced 38 all-conference, 16 all-region, one all-american and 42 player/pitcher of the week selections in nine seasons. In four of the past five seasons, Herd players have also garnered a specialty award (2003 Freshman and Pitcher of the Year, 2004 MAC Player of the Year, 2005 MAC Freshman of the Year, 2006 and 2008 CUSA Player of the Year, and 2008 Co-Newcomer of the Year).

Under Stanton's leadership, her teams have excelled in the classroom as well, earning a grade point average of 3.0 or higher each academic year of her career, with a top 15 national ranking for team gpa four of the nine seasons.

RECENT SUCCESSES
Stanton posted another season finishing in the top half of the conference in 2008 and continued to produce all-conference caliber players and an All-American. Senior Rachel Folden garnered her fourth straight All-American accolade and was named to the C-USA First-Team for a third straight season as well as C-USA Player of the year.

Under the coaching expertise of Stanton, Samantha Rodriguez joined Folden as a first team selection. Junior Rachael Sofie was named to the conference second team and freshman Melanie Stoehr was honored as a member of the C-USA all-freshmen team. Lastly in conference, junior transfer Kelly Nielson was named co-Newcomer of the Year. Sofie, and Caitlyn Jackson joined Folden, a first team honoree, as selections for the All-Mideast second team.

In 2007, Junior Rachel Folden garnered her third straight NFCA All-American accolade and was named to the CUSA First-Team for a third straight year. Under Coach Stanton, Junior Samantha Rodriquez snatched second team conference honors and was joined by sophomore Joscelyn Bitner. Freshman Caitlyn Jackson was named to the all-freshman team. The Herd also finished the season with 30-plus victories for the fifth straight season under Coach Stanton.

During the Herd's first season in C-USA, Marshall placed six players on the all-conference team - the most by a C-USA school since 2004 (Louisville). Leading the way was Folden, who earned C-USA First Team honors and was named C-USA Player of the Year. Joining Folden on the first team was senior Amanda Williams - a four-time all-conference selection. Jessica Williams, another four-time selection, Samantha Rodriguez and Abigail Harter were named to the C-USA Second Team, while Joscelyn Bitner was named to the C-USA All-Freshmen team.

However the Herd's success in 2006 was not limited to the playing field. Five players were named NFCA All-America Scholar-Athletes for the 2006-07 academic year after posting a 3.5 or better - Amanda Luers, Abigail Harter, Rachel Schmidt, and Jessica Williams.

In 2005, Stanton guided the Herd to its second Mid-American Conference regular season championship in three season as well as its third MAC East Divisional title. The Herd posted a 38-20 overall record with a school record 20-4 in the MAC.

Marshall led the MAC in 10 offensive categories, including batting average (.278), slugging percentage (.412), hits (421), doubles (80), home runs (40), RBI (230), and stolen bases (90).

For her team's efforts, Stanton was named the Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year for the second time in her career. She coached five players to the MAC All-Conference team (First team: Rachel Folden, Amanda Williams, Randi Nielson; Second Team: Jessica Williams, Leigh Wintter) in 2005, including MAC Freshman of the Year Rachel Folden.

In her fourth season as the Marshall head coach, Stanton led the Herd to a school-best 41-17 record (20-4 in MAC play) and the MAC regular season championship, which was the first in program history. Stanton was named the MAC Coach of the Year in 2003, while the Herd boasted the MAC Frehsman of the Year (Amanda Williams) and MAC Pitcher of the Year (Randi Nielson).

Their 41-17 mark in 2003 was the 29th best in accordance to win-loss percentage in the country. Marshall baserunners had the 10th best stolen base per game total (1.91) and Herd hitters bashed out a .293 batting average, good enough for 21st in the nation.

LAYING THE FOUNDATION
Since she stepped foot in Huntington, she has wasted no time making an impact on the program. Stanton inherited a team that had won just 11 of 43 conference games in the last two years of conference play prior to arrival and was picked to finish last in the Mid-American Conference preseason poll. She promptly led the Herd to an East Division championship and the school's first ever MAC tournament appearance.

In 2001, Stanton guided the team to its best mark since the 1996 season, posting a 35-23 overall record. The squad finished 15-9 in the MAC

PRO CAREER
Stanton spent the 2007 and 2008 summers coaching the professional softball club, Akron Racers of the National Pro Fastpitch league. Stanton guided the Racers to a regular season second place finish in 2007 with a 26-17 overall record. Her reputation as one of the elite offensive coaches was supported at the professional level when Stanton managed the Racers leading hitter Norrelle Dickson to a .387 batting average, a league best. Under the tutelage of Stanton, Akron's second baseman, Veronica Wootsen snagged the 2007 Nokona Gold Glove Offensive Player of the Year Award.

PRIOR TO MARSHALL
Stanton joined Marshall after heading the program at Indiana University-Purdue University of Indianapolis (IUPUI). During her time at IUPUI, Stanton inherited an NCAA Division II squad that finished 8-20, and promptly led the first-year Division I program to a 27-25 record, a spot in the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament semifinals and a victory over Notre Dame. Stanton's lone season with the Jaguars is currently the only winning season in the program's Division I ten year history.

Stanton received her undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree in History at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. While at UNC Greensboro, Stanton was a four-year starter, three-year captain, and was instrumental in the Spartans consecutive Big South Conference crowns. During her senior season, Stanton scored 66 runs, eighth best in the nation.

Over her career, UNC Greensboro posted a 151-72-3 record, and finished as Big South Conference champions twice. Stanton is a Charter Member of the Spartan Heroes Hall of Fame at UNC Greensboro. The society was created by Stanton and a number of other Spartan students to increase community service outreach programs in the greater Greensboro area.

The All-Big South performer moved on to Ashland University. Stanton was responsible for many assignments within the athletic department beyond her general softball duties. The Sharon, Pa., native served as an assistant women's basketball coach as well as assisting the women's volleyball program. While at Ashland, she earned a Master's of Education in Sports Science with a stellar 3.85 GPA.

Stanton acted as a graduate assistant for the Eagles. She was an integral part of a nationally recognized program within the NCAA Division II level. During her stay, the softball program set a school record for victories in a season (53), won a second consecutive Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) title and earned a second straight NCAA Division II playoff berth. In the 1997-98 season, the Eagles finished 53-6, won the conference championship and hosted its regional tournament. That season, the entire coaching staff was selected as the coaching staff of the year in the GLIAC. All in all, Ashland compiled an 94-23 record en route to successive bids to the NCAA National Tournament.

PERSONAL
Stanton was equally successful on the field after her collegiate days. She played in Women's ASA Fastpitch Summerball for the Chet Smith Lady All-Stars in Columbus, Ohio, and the Buckeye Slammers in Akron, Ohio, from 1994-96. Both teams were Class "A" National Qualifiers and the Slammers captured the Class "B" National Championship in 1994.

Stanton and husband Joe have been married for 10 years and reside in Huntington with their two daughters Shayla (5) and Gianna (2).