Head coach Shonda Stanton enters her eighth season at the helm of Marshall's softball program and her ninth season overall as a college head softball coach. Last season, Stanton led the Thundering Herd to a 33-23 overall record and a second-place finish in its first season in Conference USA (15-9). In 2006, the Herd advanced to its second consecutive conference tournament championship game.

Stanton is the winningest coach in Marshall softball history with a 221-165 overall mark.

RECENT SUCCESSES
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 sophomore Rachel 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, Samantha Rodriguez and Abigail Harter were named to the C-USA Second Team, while J.J. Bitner was named to the C-USA All-Freshman team.

For the second season in a row, Folden and Amanda Williams earned NFCA All-Mideast Region honors, while Folden was named an NFCA/Louisville Slugger Second Team All-American. However, the Herd's success in 2006 was not limited to the playing field.

The Herd earned the 12th-highest grade point average nationally among Division I teams for the 2005-2006 academic year. The Herd's 3.391 team GPA was the highest among C-USA schools. It was the fourth consecutive season that the Herd had been ranked in the top 13 nationally in cumulative team grade point average.

Nine players were named NFCA Scholar-Athletes for the 2005-06 academic year after posting a GPA of 3.5 or better - Noelle Adams, Courtney Kacenga, Amanda Luers, Ashley Mitchell, Tarah Mitchell, Rachel Schmidt, Sara Spenia, Amanda Williams and Leigh Wintter.

In 2005, Stanton guided the Herd to its second Mid-American Conference regular season championship in three seasons. 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.

The Herd's success in 2005 didn't come without hard work. In 2004, a year after Marshall won the 2003 MAC Regular Season championship, the Thundering Herd missed the MAC Tournament with a 31-27 overall record (12-12 in MAC play).

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 Mid-American Conference Regular Season championship, which was the first conference championship in program history. Stanton was named the Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year in 2003, while the Herd boasted the MAC Freshman of the Year (Amanda Williams) and MAC Pitcher of the Year (Randi Nielson).

Their 41-17 mark in 2003 was the 29th best performance 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.

Stanton has produced 30 all-conference, 11 all-region, one all-american and 30 player/pitcher of the week selections in seven seasons at Marshall. She has also produced three Academic All-MAC student-athletes during her tenure in Huntington. In 2003, pitcher Randi Nielson became the first player under Stanton named to the conference's Academic squad. In 2004, senior outfielder Sarah Wilson received Academic All-MAC accolades, while Nielson repeated honors in 2005.

In 2005, Marshall ranked 13th in the nation with a team cumulative 3.37 GPA, while finishing fifth in 2004 (3.42 GPA). Marshall also finished seventh in 2003 (3.40 GPA).

Since Stanton arrived in 2000, her team has had a grade point average of 3.0 or higher every season. She also produced 42 NFCA All-America Scholar Athletes, three MAC Commissioner Awards and three Academic All-MAC honorees.

LAYING THE FOUNDATION
Since she stepped foot in Huntington, she's wasted no time making an impact on the program.

Stanton inherited a team that had won just 11 of 43 conference games in the two years of conference play prior to her 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 and missed the conference tournament by only one game. Marshall's 2001 team was the first MAC team to post a conference winning percentage above .600 and not qualify for post season play. The 2002 season was another near miss for the Herd as they once again missed the post season by one game.

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 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 nine years and reside in Huntington with their two daughters Shayla (3) and Gianna, who was born on Sept. 11, 2006.