Shane Showalter is in his seventh season as an assistant softball coach after being hired on Aug. 15, 2017. Showalter serves as an assistant coach while working primarily with hitters.

Last season, Kayt Houston earned her second straight all-conference selection with the help of Showalter's hitting instruction, finishing in the top five of the league in batting (.383), hits (64), doubles (13) and on-base percentage (.464). Three players hit above .300, with the addition of a .412 average from Mary Pierce Barnes in conference play.

During 2022, App State posted the fourth-best batting average in the league under Showalter's instruction, finishing second in runs, only behind Louisiana. The Mountaineers topped the conference in walks, being the only team above 200.

Showalter also helped lead Houston and Barnes, who each earned all-conference nods for their play at the plate.

Before the 2020 season was cut short due to COVID-19, Gabby Buruato flourished at the plate, posting a career-high 19 hits and struck out only five times. She also had a team-high .339 batting average. Baylee Morton had also hit a team-high five home runs over the course of 22 games.

During the 2019 season, 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. Keri White took her game to the next level under Showalter's guidance, earning All-Sun Belt Second Team honors after leading her team with a .347 batting average, 66 hits, 11 doubles and 13 stolen bases.

Showalter, a softball coaching veteran of 21 years, joins the Mountaineer coaching staff with more than 16 years of head coaching experience under his belt.

Most recently, Showalter served on Austin Peay’s coaching staff for five seasons with the last two coming as the head coach of the Governors. Showalter boasts experience in coaching hitters, pitchers, infielders and catchers. After his first season, his squad earned the Ohio Valley Conference Team Sportsmanship Award. 

Combined with that honor and under Showalter’s tutelage, Danielle Liermann became the first Governors student-athlete to be named OVC Freshman of the Year while also earning a spot on the All-OVC first team. Liermann and Kacy Acree also became the first set of Governors teammates to be named to the All-OVC Newcomer team in the same season.

While at Austin Peay and in his first season as head coach, the Govs saw their offense post top-five all-time marks for doubles, slugging percentage, on-base percentage and home runs. The team also posted its lowest strikeout total as a team since 2008, while defensively the team committed 17 fewer errors - a 19 percent improvement over the previous season.

Prior to his time at Austin Peay, Showalter became the winningest coach in Colorado State University-Pueblo history and was named the 2012 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.

Under Showalter’s guidance, the ThunderWolves became a consistent contender in the Division II RMAC, finishing second in his last season in 2012. In his last six seasons, CSU-Pueblo qualified for the RMAC Tournament each season, finishing second twice (2006, 2007).

He coached an All-America, two RMAC Players of the Year and the league freshman of the year during his tenure. Along the way he mentored eight all-region, 44 all-league and 10 all-conference tournament selections.

In 2009 the program qualified for the NCAA Division II National Tournament for the first time in school history. The ThunderWolves earned an at-large bid that season and eventually played its way into the Central Regional Championship game - earning the program’s first-ever national tournament victories.

While at CSU-Pueblo, Showalter’s squads maintained a grade point average better than 3.4.

Before serving as the ThunderWolves’ head coach, Showalter held the same position at Division III Colorado College. Prior to that he served as an assistant coach at his alma mater Adams State from 1996-98.

Off the softball field, Showalter served as assistant grounds keeper from 1999-2002 for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, the Colorado Rockies Triple-A affiliate.

Showalter earned both his bachelor’s (sports and exercise management) and master’s (exercise physiology) at Adams State. 

He has one daughter, Maison.

“First and foremost I would like to thank coach Hoerner for this opportunity,” said Showalter. “I am looking forward to being a part of her staff and helping to build a great softball program that Appalachian State and the community will be proud of. I would also like to thank everyone in Appalachian State athletics for the warm welcome. My daughter and I feel very much at home here already. The people we have met and the town have been nothing short of amazing. We are very proud and feel very blessed to be a part of the community and the Appalachian State family.”