Grand Canyon University Softball

Head Coach Resume YEAR SCHOOL RECORD 2008 Lubbock Christian 58-9-2 2009 Lubbock Christian 53-7-3 2010 Texas Tech 38-18 2011 Texas Tech 42-16 2012 Texas Tech 41-17 2013 Texas Tech 30-26 2014 Texas Tech 35-19 2017 Colorado Christian 29-23 2018 Colorado Christian 43-15 2019 Oklahoma Christian 40-16 2020* Oklahoma Christian 21-5* 2021 Oklahoma Christian 38-9 2022 GCU 39-16 2023 GCU 47-13 2024 GCU 50-13 2025 GCU 47-8 2026 GCU 54-10 Overall (17 seasons): 705-240-5 (.745) Lubbock Christian (2 seasons): 111-16-5 (.874) Texas Tech (5 seasons): 186-96 (.660) Colorado Christian (2 seasons): 72-38 (.655) Oklahoma Christian (3 seasons): 99-30 (.767) GCU (5 seasons): 237-60 (.798) * 2020-21 season shortened because of COVID-19 Regular-Season Champions 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 Conference Tournament Champions 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 D1 NCAA Tournament Appearances 2011, 2012, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 D1 NCAA Tournament Regional Finals 2011, 2024, 2026 D1 Conference Coach of the Year 2022, 2024, 2025, 2026 bold denotes at GCU View GCU Softball coaching records. Shanon Hays was named the second head coach in the history of the Grand Canyon softball program on June 6, 2021. Hays has racked up 651 career victories (an average of 41 per year) in 16 seasons as a softball head coach, and holds a .738 career winning percentage. The Lopes' .785 winning percentage in his tenure ranks fifth nationally from 2021 to 2025. Coach Hays took the program to new heights in 2025, leading the Lopes to thei

Hudson joins the softball staff as a Graduate Assistant after two years with the program as a pitcher. In 2024, Hudson led the Grand Canyon pitching staff wi...

Grand Canyon added Hunter Hays, Lopes head coach Shanon Hays' son, to acclaimed program on June 5, 2024. "I'm very happy to hire Hunter as our infielders coach. He is an experienced coach and recruiter that has developed a reputation as a skilled teacher," (Shanon) Hays said. "He's grown up around the game which has given him great perspective and I think he's the perfect fit for our staff." Hunter Hays previously served as an assistant coach at North Texas since 2023, where the Mean Green totaled a 67-46 record, competing in the 2023 Conference USA Championship game, and the 2024 American Athletic Conference semifinals. In two seasons as an assistant coach at Oklahoma Christian, from 2021-2022, Hays helped guide the Eagles to consecutive berths in the NCAA Division II tournament and helped showcase 18 all-conference athletes and one DII All-America second team athlete in 2022. Hays is the son of current Grand Canyon head coach, Shanon Hays, who has 604 collegiate victories over 15 years in softball and 58 wins as the men's basketball coach over three seasons at Abilene Christian. Hunter's grandfather, Larry Hays, is also the winningest head coach in Texas Tech baseball history with 813 wins and the current head coach for Colorado Christian softball. Hunter Hays began his college baseball career at Abilene Christian in 2016, where he started 16 games as a freshman. In 2018, he transferred to play his final three seasons at DII Colorado Christian where he posted a .299 batting

Bailey is entering her first season as an assistant coach at Grand Canyon. Bailey is coming off a 2024 season in which she was a student assistant coach at Virginia Tech. She helped the Hokies reach their fifth straight NCAA tournament, coincidentally in the Los Angeles Regional with GCU. Bailey and the Hokies won their first game vs. San Diego State and dropped a heartbreaker to host UCLA in Game 2. GCU eventually ended Virginia Tech's season in an elimination game. The previous four years of Virginia Tech's tournament appearances included Bailey contributing heavily as a player. She started in at least 50 games from 2021 to 2023 and started all 25 games during the 2020 season that was cut short due to COVID. Bailey started a significant number of those games at first base but also played plenty of outfield through her career in Blacksburg. Bailey ranks sixth all-time in hits, third in RBIs, second in doubles, triples and total bases, and has the third-most runs in Virginia Tech history.

Frakes is entering her first season as an assistant coach for Grand Canyon. As an assistant at Nicholls State for the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Frakes led the team to a combined 60-50 record. The Colonels took third place in the Southland Conference both years. Frakes coached Nicholls pitcher Audrey McNeil to three SLC Pitcher of the Week awards. McNeil threw 12 complete games in 32 appearances with an impressive 2.07 ERA. Frakes spent the 2022 season as an assistant coach for Drury, where the Panthers took third in the Great Valley Lakes Conference and made the program's first appearance in the NCAA Division II tournament. Drury posted a 37-17 record with a 21-7 mark in conference play. Drury pitcher Kristina Bettis became the program's first-ever All-America selection when she was named to the first team of the 2022 D-II All-America squad by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

Sandra Wente was announced as assistant coach of the GCU softball program on July 2, 2021. In 2024, Wente assisted in coaching the winningest season in GCU s...