ORLANDO – On the heels of two seasons as a graduate assistant with the program, former national championship-winning pitcher Shannon Saile will remain with the UCF softball team as its newest assistant coach ahead of the spring 2025 campaign.
“I’m excited to move into this position after being here for two years learning under coach Ball-Malone. Getting to know these girls and this pitching staff, I’m thrilled to stay on staff. This opportunity represents a lot of answered prayers to continue here and grow with this culture, and that was really important to me.”
Shannon SaileSaile most recently aided head coach Cindy Ball-Malone and her staff in the development of the Knights’ pitching corps throughout the 2023 and 2024 seasons in her role as a graduate assistant. With her input, UCF’s pitching staff boasted an American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year selection, a back-to-back all-conference first team selection, and two NFCA All-Region selections over the past two seasons.
In their final season in The American in 2023, the Black and Gold posted a 2.84 team ERA in 404.1 total innings of work, the third-lowest mark in the conference, accompanied by an AAC-leading 14 shutouts, a mark that ranked 23rd in the nation.
Right-hander Sarah Willis garnered American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year honors with Saile’s guidance, in addition to All-AAC First Team and NFCA All-Region First Team selections. Fellow right-hander Grace Jewell was also tabbed to the NFCA’s All-Region Second Team.
Jewell threw the program’s first no-hitter against a Power Five opponent, as well as a ranked opponent, when she blanked the then-No. 22 Arizona State Sun Devils in six innings during the 2023 OSU Mizuno Classic hosted by Oklahoma State March 17. Willis threw UCF’s second no-hitter of the season just over a month later, tossing the first seven-inning perfect game in program history against the Houston Cougars April 28.
“One of the biggest compliments for Shannon is how connected the pitching staff was with her, and how much belief they felt she had in them just by their motivation,” Ball-Malone said of Saile. “They always felt like she believed in them, and they wanted her to be around. She is going to instill that belief, competitiveness and empowerment.”
In the team’s inaugural season in the Big 12 Conference in 2024, the Knights posted a 3.14 ERA in 365.1 total innings, ranking fourth lowest in the league, as well as seven shutouts. Willis became the first in program history to earn Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Week honors, as well as a selection to the All-Big 12 First Team. She also earned an appointment to the NFCA’s All-Region Second Team, representing her second career All-Region selection.
“I’m looking forward to bringing fresh ideas in an extension of Bear to the team, that they can feel they have two pitching minds that are very alike, efficient and effective together,” Saile continued.
Prior to joining UCF as a graduate assistant ahead of the 2023 campaign, Saile enjoyed tremendous success throughout her own five-year collegiate career. She began her career with the Florida International Panthers, posting an aggregate 1.71 ERA in 389.1 innings pitched with 507 total strikeouts between the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
Following her second season at FIU, Saile transferred to Oklahoma, where she spent her final three collegiate seasons and won a pair of National Championships, the first as a pitcher in 2021 and the second in 2022 as a graduate assistant.
With the Sooners, Saile earned selections to the 2021 NFCA All-Region First Team, 2021 All-Big 12 First Team, 2021 Big 12 All-Tournament Team, and 2019 All-Big 12 Second Team, as well as a pair of Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors in 2021.
She finished her career ranking second in Oklahoma’s program history in strikeouts per seven innings (9.75) and saves (11), and sixth in lowest career batting average-against (.172).
Shannie 𝐊. Shannie 𝐇𝐘𝐏𝐄 🗣️🔥
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) May 29, 2021
END 3 | OU 4, UW 1 | 📺 ABC pic.twitter.com/FttP4aTb1S
Saile posted an ERA below 2.00 in each of her three seasons in Norman as well, striking out 347 total hitters and throwing three shutouts and 11 complete games.
She made three appearances in the 2021 Women’s College World Series, throwing a season-high eight innings against James Madison in Oklahoma’s tournament-opener June 3 before making two more appearances against the Dukes June 6 (3.2 IP, 3 R) and Florida State Seminoles June 8 (3 IP, 1 R).
“Seeing her grow has been one of the big things,” Ball-Malone added. “She came in at a young age and has grown so much. She’s quick to make adjustments, and to have the familiarity not only within our staff, but for our team is super important.”
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