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HomeSportsAPSU announces Shane Showalter as new Lady Govs Softball Coach

APSU announces Shane Showalter as new Lady Govs Softball Coach

Austin Peay Sports Information

Austin Peay State University Lady Govs - APSUClarksville, TNShane Showalter, who has been Austin Peay State University assistant softball coach for the past three seasons, has been named as Lady Govs head coach for the 2015-16 season.

That was announced Monday by APSU interim athletics director Cheryl Holt.

Austin Peay Softball Coach Shane Showalter

During his time with APSU’s program Showalter has assisted with recruiting, coached the Lady Govs’ hitters and pitchers, worked defensively with the infield and catchers and helped with the team’s annual camps and clinics.

He certainly owns head-coaching experience—14 years at the Division II and III levels. In fact, he mentored Paris for five seasons at Colorado State-Pueblo, where he served 11 seasons as the program’s leader. He gave up that position to join Paris at APSU.

“I think stability is important right now and Shane deserves this opportunity,” Holt said. “He has worked with these young ladies, some for the last three years. He knows them—I think they like and respect him—and they know him.

“Shane is a hard worker and has good knowledge of the game—he has a wealth of head-coaching experience. We are excited to see how he does with this group.”

Showalter left CSU-Pueblo as the winningest coach in program history, gaining his 200th ThunderWolves victory in 2011 on his way to more than 225 victories.  Under Showalter’s direction, the CSU-Pueblo program became a consistent contender in the Division II Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, finishing second last season-he was named RMAC Coach of the Year.  In the past six seasons, CSU-Pueblo qualified for the RMAC Tournament each season, finishing second twice (in 2006 and 2007).

He coached an All-American in 2010, two RMAC Players of the Year and the league freshman of the year in 2012. Along the way he mentored eight all-region, 44 all-league and 10 all-conference tournament selections.

In 2009, the program qualified for the NCAA Division II National Tournament berth for the first time in school history. The ThunderWolves earned an at-large bid that season and eventually played its way into the Central Regional Championship game, on the way to earning the program’s first-ever wins in a national tournament game.

Off the field his team’s success also carried into the classroom. While at CSU-Pueblo, his team maintained a grade-point average better than 3.4.

Prior to serving as the ThunderWolves’ head coach, Showalter held the same position at Division III Colorado College, a non-scholarship program in Colorado Springs.

Before arriving at Colorado College, he was an assistant coach at his alma mater Adams State (Alamosa, CO) from 1996-98.

Off the softball field, he served as assistant grounds keeper from 1999-02 for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, the Triple A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. In fact, his background in grounds keeping has been a boost for Cheryl Holt

Showalter earned both his bachelor’s (Sports and Exercise Management) and master’s (Exercise Physiology) at Adams State.

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