Courtesy of Illinois Athletics
Urbana, Ill. – Fighting Illini softball is pleased to announce the hiring of Kassie Stanfill and Laura Trout as members of the coaching staff. Stanfill, who assisted Illini head coach Tyra Perry at Ball State, has been named Associate Head Softball Coach, while Trout will serve as an assistant coach. An All-Big East pitcher, Stanfill will work primarily with the pitchers and catchers, while Trout, a former shortstop for the University of Georgia, will work with the infielders and serve as a hitting coach.
Stanfill rejoins Perry on the Illini staff after three seasons as an assistant coach at Ball State where she helped the Cardinals to a 104-61 record with three consecutive MAC West titles, the 2015 MAC Tournament Championship and a trip to 2015 NCAA Regionals. A pitching standout at Louisville (2006-09), Stanfill guided the Ball State staff to a 2.06 ERA during conference action in 2014 and to an exhilarating shutout at No. 3 Arizona State on March 12, 2014.
“Kassie will bring a relentless work ethic and an infectious enthusiasm to our program,” said Perry. “She has won championships as a standout player for the University of Louisville and she has also assisted her teams to numerous titles as a college coach. Kassie has the ability to coach all areas of the game, however her main focus at Illinois will be working with our pitchers and catchers. I am extremely happy to have Kassie on board.”
Stanfill began her college coaching career at Middle Tennessee State University, where she spent two seasons as an offense and outfield coach while assisting with recruiting. In her time at MTSU, Stanfill’s hitters improved at the plate from .247 to .272 as a team, while hitting a program-record 41 home runs in 2012. In 2009-10, the Louisville grad served as the varsity assistant coach and junior varsity head coach at La Rue County High School in Hodgenville, Kentucky.
On the field, Stanfill was a four-year letterwinner (2006-09) and two-year team co-captain for the University of Louisville. A two-time All-Big East Third Team selection, Stanfill was a .293 career hitter with 45 extra-base hits, while going 27-13 with a 2.72 career ERA and 227 strikeouts over 68 appearances in the circle.
Coach Perry rounds out her coaching staff with the hiring of Laura Trout, a former SEC shortstop who led Georgia to the 2010 Women’s College World Series. Trout comes to Champaign-Urbana from George Washington University, where she spent the past season as an assistant coach. In charge of hitting and infield defense, she helped the Colonials to rank in the top 10 in the nation in double plays turned while showing marked improvement in batting average and home runs in her first season on staff.
Prior to arrival in D.C., Trout served as a volunteer assistant for the University of South Carolina for two seasons, helping the Gamecocks to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in six years in 2013.
Trout began her college career at Spartanburg Methodist College, where she was a Junior College All-American, participated in two Junior College World Series, and was the Region X Most Valuable Player in 2009. Trout then transferred to the University of Georgia, where she helped lead the Bulldogs to the 2010 Women’s College World Series and a final rank of No. 3 in the nation while receiving the award of Best Defensive Player. The Bulldogs’ starting shortstop, Trout had a breakout season as a senior, hitting .348 to help the Dawgs return to the Super Regionals. The Summerville, South Carolina, native guided Georgia back to the Super Regionals once again in 2012 as a student assistant coach, while completing her bachelor’s degree in journalism.
“Laura has played at the highest level at the University of Georgia,” said Perry. “She was also a key component to the success of the teams she has coached. Laura has a high softball IQ and I’m excited to have her at the University of Illinois.”
Stanfill and Trout will begin their coaching duties on July 23, 2015.
