RADFORD, Va. – Radford Softball continues to be rewarded for its 2009 campaign as head coach Mickey Dean, along with assistant coach Katy Lampman and volunteer assistant Ashley Taylor were recognized by their peers as the Mid-Atlantic Region Coaching Staff of the Year, announced Monday by the NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association).
“It is an honor for our program to be recognized by fellow peers in the coaching ranks,” commented Dean. “Katy and Ashley did a tremendous job day in and day out preparing our players for games. I want to personally thank my family, assistants, support staff, players, and administration for their dedication and hard work throughout the entire year.”
The 2009 Big South Conference regular season (16-2) and tournament champions, Radford advanced to the tough Chapel Hill, N.C., NCAA regional site. In their first NCAA appearance, the Highlanders were edged, 3-1 by eventual national semifinalist Georgia, before defeating Campbell, 9-5 and falling to 15th-ranked North Carolina.
Dean and his staff guided Radford to its fourth-straight 40-win campaign (41-15), third under Dean, and had four players named to the region’s first team, a program first. Since 2006, the Highlanders are just one of 10 Division I programs to win 40-plus games in four straight years. Since taking the helm in 2007, Dean has directed the Highlanders to a 131-57 mark, 38-10 in the Big South, making him the winningest coach in school history.
2009 Radford Softball Accomplishments:
- Won first Big South regular season and tournament championships and made first NCAA appearance
- Defeated Campbell, 9-5, for first NCAA Tournament team win for any Radford athletic squad
- Defeated first nationally-ranked program with a 3-1 victory over then No. 25 Mississippi State (March 8)
- Defeated first Pac-10 squad with 3-2 win over Oregon State (March 8)
- 27-10 record away from home; school record 16 road wins
- Fourth consecutive 40-win season; Just one of 10 Division I teams to accomplish this feat
- Hit school record 71 home runs
- School records in batting average (.315), slugging (.535), on base pct (.369) and double plays (24)
- Seven Highlanders earned All-Conference honors (five first team)
- Seven Highlanders earned All-State honors (five first team)
- Leigh Godfrey named Big South and VaSID state Rookie of the Year
- Mickey Dean named Big South and VaSID state Coach of the Year
- Chelsea Kelley named Big South Pitcher of the Year
- Kristen Shifflett named Big South Tournament MVP
- Kelley, Godfrey, Sarah Himan and Nichole Beall named First Team All-Mid Atlantic Region
- Ranked in the top 25 in nine NCAA statistical categories; slugging percentage (7th), home runs per game (8th), doubles per game (8th), stolen bases per game (10th), batting average (11th), triples per game (15th), double plays per game (19th), winning percentage (20th) and scoring (21st)
- Godfrey became just second Highlander to bat over .400, batting a school record .469
- Shifflett hit school record 16 home runs, three in the NCAA Regionals
- Godfrey and Shifflet only second and third Highlander to slug over .700 both topping the school record with .749 and .735 marks respectively
- Kellie Snooks named Pepsi Malahini Kipa Aloha Tournament Most Valuable Pitcher
- Snooks named to the ESPN the Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District Second Team
- Godfrey registered school-record 18-game hitting streak and had a hit in 33 of final 34 games; Reached base safely in 48 of 51 games played