LACKAWANNA, N.Y. – Appalachian State head softball coach
Shelly Hoerner was inducted into the Western New York Softball Hall of Fame on Saturday, Sept. 28 in Lackawanna, N.Y. The WNY Softball Hall of Fame was established in 1965, and this was the 42
nd class inducted.
The New York native began her playing career at North Tonawanda High School where she played as a six-year varsity starter; she was the first 7
th grader to play varsity softball in school history.
During her time at Tonawanda, Hoerner was named All-WNY three times, All-NFL four times, and served as team captain her sophomore through senior seasons. She still holds nine school records for hitting. Hoerner played travel ball for the North Tonawanda Jacks and the Shamrocks, and was a member of the Western Region Empire State Games team.
Hoerner was an outstanding player on the collegiate level. In two years at Barry (1993-94), the Buccaneers won 80 games. An all-conference selection, Hoerner helped Barry advance to the NCAA Division II College Softball World Series. In her two seasons at Barry, she struck out just six times in 224 at bats while scoring 41 runs and collecting 30 RBI.
Following the 1994 season, she transferred to Canisius College in Buffalo, N.Y., where she ranks among the school's all-time leaders in fielding percentage and stolen bases. In 1995, Hoerner led the Golden Griffins to a 28-14 mark, 11-1 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, and records of 33-7 and 11-1 in 1996. Canisius won the MAAC title in both years and Hoerner was a two-time all-conference selection.
Hoerner also gained professional playing experience in 1998 when she signed with Cavigal Nice Sports, a team in Nice, France. She played catcher and helped guide the team to a fifth-place finish in the European Championships.
Hoerner prepares for her third season in charge of the Mountaineers after being named the head coach in 2018. During her first season at the helm, she led the Mountaineers to their best record since 2014. Hoerner tied the program record for wins in a season during the 2019 campaign. The Black and Gold notched a 31-25 record, tying the win total set by the 2013 team that won the regular-season Southern Conference title. App State's 13 victories against Sun Belt competition in 2019 were also a program best.
Off the field, Hoerner's team has excelled in both the classroom and in helping others in the High Country community. Twelve players made the academic honor roll for the fall 2018 semester, and softball joined all other women's teams to post a cumulative GPA over 3.0. In the community, softball ranked No. 8 nationally in community service hours among softball programs, according to hours recorded through the Helper Helper platform.
In addition to the Western New York Softball Hall of Fame, Hoerner has also been inducted into the New York State Sportswriters and Coaches Girls Sports Softball Hall of Fame in 2017.
