Chastain hired as Charlotte 49ers softball coach

Ashley Chastain is the new head softball coach for the Charlotte 49ers. Chastain, who is coming off a trip to the NCAA Super Regionals with Mississippi, has served as the pitching coach at Ole Miss, Michigan State and the College of Charleston since her playing days at the University of South Carolina. She was named the 2019 Softball America Pitching Coach of the Year.

“This is a huge coup for our softball program,” said Mike Hill, director of athletics. “Ashley is universally regarded as one of the best pitching coaches in the country. For her to leave an SEC team that advanced to the Super Regionals speaks volumes about Ashley and her shared vision of what we believe Charlotte 49ers softball can and will be. She is a high-character person and a winner who brings instant credibility to our program.”

Chastain said, “I would like to thank Mike Hill and Chris Thomasson for this incredible opportunity. The vision we share for the future of this program is one of championship culture. We are going to build a foundation of competitive excellence in every aspect of the program in order to provide our student athletes the best experience possible. We are looking forward to getting the Charlotte community excited about 49er softball.”

Chastain helped the Rebels advance to the NCAA Super Regionals this past year with a 41-20 record, boasting a 2.29 team ERA and a .238 opponents’ batting average. The Rebels won the NCAA Oxford Regional, allowing only seven runs over five games, to advance to the Super Regionals.

In 2018, Ole Miss had a 32-25 record and advanced to the NCAA Regionals with a 2.80 team ERA and a .252 opponents’ batting average.

An assistant coach/pitching coach for one season at Michigan State, Chastain helped the Spartans to a 34-24 overall record and a run to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals and the National Invitational Softball Championships (NISC). The Michigan State pitching staff lowered its team ERA by nearly a run and a half from the previous season.

Chastain was the pitching coach for three seasons at the College of Charleston and helped the Cougars to a 99-68 record during that span. In her final season with the Cougars, College of Charleston had a 35-23 record while the pitching staff posted the eighth lowest opponent batting average (.242) in school history. She produced four All-Colonial Athletic Association players and three NFCA All-Region stars in her three years.

A native of Palmetto, Georgia, Chastain pitched for three seasons at South Carolina and finished 11th in career relief appearances for the Gamecocks. She led the team in starts, innings pitched and ERA during her junior season. She was a three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll. She served as a graduate assistant coach for South Carolina following her playing career. In 2012-13, she served as the pitching coach for the German National Team.

A 2011 graduate of South Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in history, Chastain earned a master’s degree in secondary education from USC in 2012.