Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University Vice-President and Director of Athletics Steve Poston has announced the hiring of Jamie Stanclift as the head softball coach at Wingate University. Stanclift joins the Bulldogs after spending her last six years as the head coach at Baker University.

"We are thrilled that Jamie Stanclift will be joining the Bulldog family as our head softball coach," Poston says. "She brings with her an impressive coaching background where her teams have excelled on the field and in the classroom. Her excitement, energy and enthusiasm for the sport of softball are contagious. I cannot wait for our players to meet Coach Stanclift. When they do, I feel certain that they will love playing for her and quickly understand why she was our top choice to lead our program. I am confident that championships are in the future for Bulldog softball."

Stanclift was named the head coach at Baker University in 2014 after spending one year as Baker's Graduate Assistant Coach. As the head coach, Stanclift has guided the Wildcats to back-to-back seasons with over 40 wins. Stanclift led Baker to the first NAIA National Tournament in program history in 2018, while the Wildcats were ranked as high as 12th nationally during the 2019 season, finishing the year 49-7 overall while winning the Heart of America Athletic Conference regular season and tournament champions.

"I feel extremely blessed to have the opportunity to lead the Wingate University softball program forward to continued success," Stanclift says. "From the moment I stepped on campus and visited with administration I could feel what a special place Wingate is. I thank Steve Poston and Michelle Caddigan and the entire hiring committee for their time spent getting to know me and allowing my passion for the game be shared. Their commitment to excellence in the entire student-athlete experience matches my own and I am excited to put my stamp on the culture of the Bulldog softball program."

During the historic 2019 season, Baker had the NAIA National Pitcher of the Year, who was also named the CoSIDA NAIA Academic All-America Team Member of the Year for the second straight year. The Wildcats had seven all-conference selections in 2019, with five players earning All-Region accolades while Stanclift was named the league's Coach of the Year.

"I could not be any more excited to have Coach Stanclift join the Wingate Family," Wingate University Deputy Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator Michelle Caddigan says. "I have every expectation that the program will achieve a great deal of success on and off the field under her guidance. Her focus on developing our young women into strong leaders who will leave the softball program well prepared for the next phase of their lives will be invaluable."

Stanclift's squad has had a team GPA of over 3.5 in each of the last two seasons, being named an NAIA Top 10 Academic Team both years. The team GPA was above 3.35 in all six seasons of Stanclift's tenure at Baker. The Wildcats earned NAIA Top 10 Academic Team honors in five of Stanclift's six seasons.

Stanclift took over at Baker in the 2014 season. The Wildcats won 22 games in her first season, while following a 26-win 2016 season with 27 victories in the 2017 season before the historic 2018 season that saw Baker break 38 program records and crack the NAIA top 25. Stanclift went 178-135 during her time with the Wildcats.

"Congratulations to Wingate University on the hiring of Head Softball Coach Jamie Stanclift," Indiana State University head softball coach Mike Perniciaro says. "Jamie was a very intelligent player for me at Wichita State and I always knew she would make a great coach. She accomplished some amazing things at Baker while rebuilding that program. I am confident she will continue to do amazing things at Wingate."

Stanclift played collegiately at the University of Akron and Wichita State University. She was an all-conference and all-freshman team selection at Akron, while earning MVC Player of the Week honors three times during her playing days at Wichita State, where her career .982 fielding percentage ranks 10th in program history.

Stanclift graduated from Wichita State with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sports Management, graduating Cum Laude in May of 2009. She went on to earn her Masters of Liberal Arts degree from Baker in May of 2016. Her first coaching job came in 2010 as an assistant coach for the Frozen Ropes Fury 18-U Gold Team before becoming the graduate assistant coach at Baker.

Stanclift has served several roles during her coaching career. She has been a part of the NFCA Mentoring program since 2013, while also serving as an instructor at Kansas University softball camps for the last six years. She was an instructor at the Patty Gasso camps at Oklahoma University this year and was recently appointed as the Heart of America Conference Coaches Chairperson.

Stanclift will take over a Wingate softball team coming off a 32-19 season, going 11-9 in league play to finish second in the league standings. The Bulldogs earned the first NCAA Tournament bid since the 2014 season and the sixth in program history. Wingate returns five players who earned all-conference honors in the 2018 season, including SAC Player of the Year Aubrey Reep, along with All-Region selections Mary Claire Coyne and Emma Swenson. Coyne was also named the SAC Scholar-Athlete and earned first team Academic All-America honors.

WINGATE UNIVERSITY  
 
A comprehensive, independent and growing university, Wingate serves more than 3,600 students in North Carolina. Founded in 1896, the University offers 37 undergraduate majors as well as graduate and professional programs. Wingate is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, the Levine College of Health Sciences, the Byrum School of Business, the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences. Wingate blends in-class exploration with out-of-class application to deliver an uncommon and life-changing educational experience.
 
In addition to a robust intramural athletics program, Wingate student athletes compete in 22 NCAA Division II sports. The University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past 13 years. Wingate is first in the 2000s among NCAA Division II and North Carolina's colleges and universities with 113 CoSIDA Academic All-America® selections. Wingate is tops among all SAC schools with 122 lifetime Academic All-America® honorees. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com. Current news and videos can be found at www.wingate.edu.