Roark Named Head Softball Coach at Ohio
8/25/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Spartanburg, S.C. – USC Upstate pitching coach Kenzie Roark, who spent the past four seasons with the Spartans, has been named the new head softball coach at Ohio University.
Roark, a native of Mt. Juliet, Tenn., joined USC Upstate in 2015 and played a pivotal role in helping the program to three consecutive NCAA Regional appearances in 2015, 2016 and 2017. The program captured the ASUN Regular Season Championship in 2015 and 2017, while winning the ASUN Tournament Championship from 2015-17. The Spartans compiled three 40-win seasons highlighted a 45-13 record in 2017.
The Spartan pitchers also ranked among the top staffs nationally during Roark's tenure. In 2017, USC Upstate had the nation's sixth-best staff ERA at 1.42. The 2015 staff ranked 25th in the nation with a 2.46 ERA. Roark coached two ASUN Pitchers of the Year in Lexi Shubert (2015) and Holly McKinnon (2017). She also coached three ASUN All-Conference selections and one ASUN All-Freshman Team performer. Roark had three pitchers named to the ASUN All-Tournament Team and one ASUN Tournament MVP.
Roark helped coach McKinnon to NFCA Third Team All-Region honors in 2017, and Shubert NFCA Second Team All-Region in 2015. Shubert won 34 games during the 2015 season, which ranked second in the nation that year. She tossed 33 complete games, which is tied for second-most all-time in a single season for the ASUN.
Roark replaced former pitching coach Rick Pauly in 2015 after he was hired as an assistant coach at Georgia. She is the second pitching coach for the Spartans to be named a head coach joining Ciria Triplett who just completed her sixth season at Newberry College.
A national search to replace Roark will begin next week.
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