ST. LOUIS, MO. – University of Missouri-St. Louis Director of Athletics Lori Flanagan has announced Amanda Scott as head coach of the Tritons softball program.
 
"We are excited to welcome Amanda to the UMSL family. She has a strong softball background and knows how to not only win, but how to create the best possible experience for her student-athletes," said Flanagan. "We are confident that Amanda will continue the strong UMSL softball tradition and are excited about the new heights she can also take this program."
 
Scott, a decorated NCAA Division I student-athlete, a former U.S. National Team member and a coach with experience in working at some of the most recognized collegiate programs in the country, comes to UMSL after five years at Roosevelt University, where she constructed the softball program from scratch.
 
"I want to thank Lori Flanagan for giving me the opportunity to be named the head softball coach at UMSL," said Scott. "The entire Athletics Department staff is comprised of great people and I am excited to join the UMSL family.
 
"The softball program has seen a lot of success and I am looking forward to building on that and to continue to push the program forward. I am anxious to meet and start working with the team as the student-athletes are what make coaching such a special profession. We will hit the ground running this fall and work to implement the pieces needed to compete at the top of the GLVC with our eye on a national championship."
 
With a team comprised of almost all freshmen, Roosevelt finished its inaugural season in 2013 under Scott as one of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference's best offenses, completing its debut campaign with the league's second-best team hitting mark (.311) and falling one win short of qualifying for the CCAC Tournament.
 
In 2014 it was the bat and arm of NFCA NAIA All-Great Lakes Region honoree Morgan Vogt that set the tone for the Lakers, as Roosevelt battled all the way until the end in its quest for the CCAC tourney berth and finished in the top five of the CCAC's offensive rankings for the second straight season.
 
In addition to Vogt's All-Region accolade, Scott's student-athletes have amassed 14 All-CCAC nods for their performance on the diamond, including six All-CCAC First Team picks. Roosevelt has also produced 17 CCAC All-Academic Team honorees under Scott's watch following the Lakers' first year of eligibility for the award, proving that her team is comprised of student-athletes who successfully balance softball with their classroom obligations. Additionally, Scott coached Amanda Ferguson, who became the first Roosevelt student-athlete to earn Academic All-America® distinction during the 2015 season and has had six student-athletes named Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes in the last two seasons.
 
Scott ventured to Roosevelt after spending the prior three seasons (2009-11) across town as an assistant coach under U.S. Olympian Michelle Venturella at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Scott helped rebuild the Flames program during her tenure, culminating with UIC winning the 2011 Horizon League tournament title and making its first NCAA Division I Regional Championship appearance since 2004. The Flames also captured the 2009 Horizon League regular season title during her tenure with the squad.
 
Scott got her start in coaching in 2002 as an assistant coach at Michigan State University. She then moved on in 2004 to spend one season as an assistant coach for the New York/New Jersey Juggernaut, a professional softball team, before heading back to the college ranks starting in 2005 as the pitching coach the University of Iowa. Scott stepped away from coaching, temporarily, following the 2007 campaign, joining the Big Ten Network as a color analyst for its softball coverage.
 
Scott's vast coaching experience is only surpassed by her numerous accomplishments as one of the best pitchers ever to stand in the circle at the collegiate level. She was a four-time All-American at Fresno State University and helped guide the Bulldogs to the 1998 College World Series title. She was named the MVP of the tournament and was later named to the NCAA's 25th Anniversary Team for her collegiate achievements. She was also a three-time WAC Pitcher of the Year.
 
In four years for the Bulldogs, Scott had a career record of 106-18 (.855) with 68 shutouts, 851 strikeouts and a 0.55 earned run average in 871.0 innings pitched. She was also adept at the plate, owning a career .303 batting average, while blasting 31 home runs and driving in 212 runs during her four seasons.
 
Twice Scott led the nation in ERA, posting a 0.41 ERA as a senior when she was 33-5 and an outstanding 0.24 ERA as a junior when she owned a 29-4 record.
 
In 2001, Scott was a recipient of the prestigious NCAA Top VIII Award, recognizing the top eight student-athletes in all sports and divisions under the NCAA umbrella. Scott also excelled in the classroom where she was named a GTE Academic All-American and an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient.
 
During her collegiate career, Scott also earned a spot on the U.S. National Team from 1997-2000. She won gold at the 1998 World Championships and was an alternate on the gold medal winning 2000 U.S. Olympic Team.
 

What They Are Saying About Amanda Scott