BISMARCK, N.D. – A former member of the USA Men's National Fastpitch Softball Team and gold medalist at the 2002 Pam Am qualifier, Kerry Shaw is the new University of Mary softball head coach. Shaw joins the Marauders after spending last season as an assistant coach at NCAA Division I Southeast Missouri State University.
 
"Kerry Shaw brings impressive playing experiences at the highest level of softball and a long history of successfully teaching the game to our program," said Marauders Athletic Director Roger Thomas. "He's both competed with and against many of the top collegiate coaches in the country and has a remarkable network of connections in the game. We look forward to the direction Kerry will take our program."
 
"I'm extremely excited to be here," said Shaw, "I understand I have good character student-athletes and I hope to advance them both academically and athletically.
 
"Our depth will be a challenge this season, so I hope we remain injury-free while improving certain areas of our game and return this team to where we were record-wise a couple years ago. My ultimate goal is to make every single player a better student of the game."
 
Shaw has extensive experience coaching both softball and baseball and enjoyed a successful collegiate baseball career followed by a three-year stint in the minor leagues.
 
Prior to joining Southeast Missouri State for the 2015 season as recruiting coordinator and assistant coach, Shaw was the Odessa (Mo.) High School head coach from 2010-2014 for both the baseball and softball teams, leading the baseball team to a conference and district championship and an appearance in the state playoffs for the softball team. Shaw also coached the high school freshman team in his hometown of Odessa from 2008-2009.
 
Additionally, Shaw was the head coach for the American Legion baseball team in Oak Grove, Mo., from 2009-2012, and was the assistant coach from 1992-2013 in Ban Johnson Amateur Baseball League in Kansas City, Mo. Shaw also had a successful career as the head baseball coach for Grain Valley High School from 1996-2002 where his team won three conference championships and made two state playoff appearances.
 
Before stepping into the role of coach, Shaw played baseball for William Jewell College from 1984-86 until he transferred to play his senior year at the University of South Carolina-Aiken in 1987. He went on to play professional baseball in the San Francisco Giants organization in 1998 before he retired in 1991.
 
Shaw went on to play men's fastpitch softball in St. Joseph, Mo., winning five ASA Major National Championships, the 2002 ISC World Championship, seven ASA All-American selections, and two ISC All-World selections.
 
Selected as the ASA Major National Tournament MVP in 2000 and 2001, Shaw was selected for the U.S. Men's National Fastpitch Team from 2001 to 2003 and won a gold medal at the 2002 Pan Am Qualifier in Guatemala and a silver medal at the 2003 Pan Am Games in the Dominican Republic.
 
Shaw earned a bachelor's degree in Health and Physical Education from Missouri Western State College in 1993. He is married to Cheri and they have three children, Tiffany, Hillary, and Zac, and one grandson, Aiden.
 
The Marauders open up the 2016 season at the Desert Stinger tournament in Las Vegas, Nev., on February 5.
 
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