Stephanie DeFeo - Softball Coach - Mercer University Athletics

Stephanie DeFeo

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
defeo_st@mercer.edu
Phone:
(478) 301-5216

Since joining the Mercer University softball staff as a co-head coach in 2013, Stephanie DeFeo has been an instrumental leader in one of the best five-year stretches in program history. Mercer is 158-126 over the last five campaigns with a pair of consecutive conference championship-game appearances and semifinals appearances in four of five seasons.

Collegiate Coaching Experience:

August 2016-Present – Mercer University
- Head Coach
Fall 2013-August 2016 – Mercer University
- Co-Head Coach
2012-13 – Purdue University
- Assistant Coach
2016-12 – Ball State University
- Associate Head Coach
2002-05 – UNCG
- Head Coach
2000-02 – ETSU
- Head Coach
1999-00 – University of Buffalo
- Assistant Coach
1998-99 – University of Texas at San Antonio
- Assistant Coach
1997 – Southeastern Louisiana University
- Assistant Coach

Coaching Accolades at Mercer:

2019
- Sealed her 300th career victory in the Southern Conference Tournament
- Finished the year 27-29 and 10-7 in SoCon play
- Made a run to the SoCon Tournament semifinals, losing to top-seeded UNCG after winning two games already that same day
- Oversaw five All-SCon players, including first teamers Danielle Castleberry and Shaila Warren
- Ranked in the top 60 nationally in scoring, pushing across 279 runs during the season
- Bears posted a .279 team batting average, hitting 64 doubles and 28 homers
2018
- Team finished 33-19 in the second season as the sole head coach, including a program-boosting 5-2 win over No. 5 Georgia
- Bears finished a program-record 11-5 in SoCon play, garnering the No. 2 seed in the Southern Conference Tournament
- Posted a program-best seven All-SoCon honors, including three on the SoCon All-Freshman team
- Oversaw Micayla Rood in becoming Mercer’s first-ever SoCon Freshman of the Year
- Bears saw an increase in batting average (.285), runs (247), doubles (60), home runs (45), RBIs (213) and team ERA (3.02)
- Oversaw Caroline Taylor break the Mercer single-season home runs record (16), career record in home runs (47) and runs batted in (157)
2017
- Team finished 26-31 in DeFeo’s first season as the sole head coach, including a 4-0 shutout win over No. 12 James Madison
- Bears finished 9-9 in SoCon action, advancing to the SoCon Tournament semifinals
- Led the league with five All-SoCon selections, including two First Team honorees and three Second Team selections
- Mentored Meghan Rud in being named All-South Region Third Team by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA)
2016
- Team finished 23-35 overall but placed third in SoCon Tournament
- Mentored three All-SoCon selections, including two First Team selections; & two SoCon All-Freshman Team selections
- Saw Natalie Shiver repeat as a CoSIDA Academic All-American
2015
- Helped usher program into Southern Conference; Went 37-22 (10-7 SoCon) in first year as league member
  - Reached SoCon Tournament Championship in first season as league member; placed as tournament runner-up
- Mentored sophomore RHP Kirsten Stevens (All-South Region Third Team selection; SoCon Pitcher of the Year)
- Coached four All-SoCon selections & one SoCon All-Freshman Team selection
- Mentored Natalie Shiver (CoSIDA Academic All-American; first-ever in program history)
2014
- Helped guide Mercer to second-best record (39-19) in program history
  - Reached ASUN Tournament Championship; placed as tournament runner-up
  - Set program-record with an RPI ranking of 40
  - Went 21-5 at Sikes Field
- Mentored one All-ASUN First Team selection; three ASUN All-Freshman Team selections; & one All-ASUN Academic First Team selection

Past Coaching Accolades:

Purdue University
- Oversaw two All-Big Ten student-athletes & two All-Region student-athletes
- Mentored one Academic All-American
Ball State University
- Three-time Mid America Conference Regular Season Champions (2009, 2010, 2012)
- 2010 MAC Tournament Championship; Competed in the NCAA Tournament Knoxville Regional
- Saw teams break and reset over 12 single-season program records during seven-year tenure
  - 2012: single-season records for home runs (70), runs scored (368), slugging percentage (.543) & total bases (826)
- Mentored Ball State’s first-ever All-American: Jenny Gilbert (3-time All-American)
- Mentored 20+ All-MAC student-athletes; Three MAC Players of the Year; One MAC Pitcher of the Year; Six All-Region student-athletes
UNCG
- Guided program to a 68-48 record in first two seasons; Was SoCon runner-up in 2003
- Saw team set single-season program & SoCon records for home runs (57)
- Mentored the 2003 SoCon Player of the Year
- Coached six All-SoCon student-athletes
ETSU
- Ushered in the sport of softball as program’s first-ever head coach
- Set NCAA Division I record for most conference wins in program’s first year (9); Finished fifth in Southern Conference standings
University of Texas at San Antonio
- Saw team break former single-season home run record (7) with 52 home runs in 1998
- Coached UTSA’s first-ever All-American: Amanda Michalsky

Professional Organization Memberships/Licenses:

National Fast-Pitch Coaches’ Association (NFCA)

Education:

1993-97 – University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Collegiate Playing Experience:

1994-97 – University of Louisiana at Lafayette
- 1997
  - All-American Third Team selection
  - GTE Academic All-American
  - All-South First Team; All-Louisiana First Team
  - Broke her own single-season program record for home runs (15)
  - Set career program records for home runs (43), slugging percentage (.676) & RBIs (187)
- 1996
  - GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-American
  - All-South First Team; All-Louisiana First Team
  - Broke her own single-season program record for slugging percentage (.739)
- 1995
  - District VIGTE/SIDA Academic All-American
  - All-South First Team; All-Louisiana First Team; All-American ASA Women’s Majors Third Team (Catcher)
  - Set single-season program record for home runs (13) and hit-by-pitch (8)
  - Set single-game program record for runs scored (5)
- 1994
  - All-American First Team selection (Designated Player)
  - All-South First Team; All-Louisiana First Team; Freshman of the Year in Louisiana
  - Set single-season program record for slugging percentage (.738)