ASHLEY GILLAND
Assistant Coach
At MSU
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Enters seventh season in 2019
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Joined Racers in 2012
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Serves as the team's hitting coach and works with outfielders
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Helped Racers turn in league's second highest batting averages in 2014 & 2015
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Coached Racers to a school record team average of .315 in 2015
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Instrumental in development of two-time OVC Player of the Year Jessica Twaddle
Before MSU
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Spent two years at Northern Iowa
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Helped Panthers win 70 games and 2012 MVC regular-season title
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Spent one season as a student assistant, two as a graduate assistant at Western Illinois
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Served as the marketing assistant for Murray State in 2009-2010
As A Player
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Played two seasons at Western Illinois
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Started career in Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida
Personal
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Received bachelors from Western Illinois in business administration in 2007 and a master's in sport management in 2009
SAVANNAH SANDERS
Graduate Assistant Coach
At Murray State
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Sanders joined the Murray State coaching staff in the summer of 2019 as a Graduate Assistant Coach
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Specializes in the training and development of pitchers within the MSU softball program
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Currently pursuing her master's degree in human development and leadership
Playing Career
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Played at Iowa State University where she pitched 468.2 innings (sixth in program history) over her four-year career
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Made 84 career starts (third in program history) and 128 total appearances (fourth in program history) for the Cylcones
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Started team-high 30 games (eighth in program history) during the 2016 season
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Recorded 277 career strikeouts
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Three-time All-Big 12 Academic Team selection (2017-19)
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Named to 2016 Big 12 Academic Rookie Team
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Garnered Big 12 Pitcher of the Week Honors in February of 2016
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Led her side to a second-place finish at the National Invitational Softball Championship in 2019 which saw the Cyclones finish with their best season since 1982, and their second-winningest season of all-time
Personal
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Graduated with honors from Iowa State University in May of 2019 where she received her bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and pre-health
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Originally from Mt. Juliet, Tenn. where she attended Mt. Juliet High School
