Sam Houston State University Softball

COACHING HONORS Years School, Position 2019 Southland Conference Coach of the Year COACHING EXPERIENCE Years School, Position 2019-Pres. Sam Houston - Head Coach 2016-18 Sam Houston - Assistant Coach 2010-15 Austin Storm Gold Under-18 - HC 2009 Texas State - Volunteer Assistant 2005-08 Concordia (TX) - Assistant Coach 2003-04 Houston Power Under-18 - Asst Coach PLAYING EXPERIENCE Years School 2002-04 Ranger College (baseball) HEAD COACHING RECORD Years School Record Conference Record 2019-Pres. Sam Houston 148-204 22-28 (CUSA) 20-24 (WAC) 56-49 (SLC) Career 7 years 148-204 (.420) 78-77 (.503) YEAR-BY-YEAR RECORD Year Record Conference Record Postseason 2025 28-29 14-13 (CUSA) CUSA Tourney 2024 20-30 8-15 (CUSA) 2023 22-35 12-12 (WAC) 2022 15-39 8-16 (WAC) 2021 19-31 14-13 (SLC) 2020 9-17 0-3 (SLC) 2019 35-23 22-5 (SLC) NCAA Austin Regional 7 years 148-204 78-77 Garrett Valis was named head coach of the Sam Houston State softball program on May 11, 2018, after serving four seasons as the Bearkats' top assistant coach. Valis is the ninth head coach in program history. In his first season, Valis guided the Bearkats to their first Southland Conference regular-season title since 1993 and the program’s fourth overall on his way to being named the league’s Coach of the Year. SHSU also won the Southland Conference Tournament championship, the first time the program has won both league titles in the same season. The Bearkats advanced to the Austin Regional of the NCAA Tournament where

Lexi Smith is in her first season as the pitching coach at Sam Houston after serving as a member of the Northwestern State softball team as a pitching coach ...

COACHING EXPERIENCE Years School, Position 2020-Pres. Sam Houston - Assistant Coach 2019 Illinois - Volunteer Assistant 2017-18 Ole Miss - Graduate Assistant PLAYING EXPERIENCE Years School 2014-16 UTSA 2013 Houston Tess Soefje is in her sixth season as Sam Houston's hitting coach. Soefje (Sef-gee) spent the 2019 season as a volunteer assistant coach at Illinois, which made an appearance in the NCAA Kentucky Regionsl, where she worked with the Fighting Illini pitchers and catchers. She is also the Bearkats’ recruiting coordinator. Before joining the staff at Illinois, Soefje spent two years as a graduate student at Ole Miss. She worked with pitchers and catchers, and as a former collegiate player at UTSA, she helped mentor players with mental preparation for games and off-the-field issues of college softball. While at Ole Miss, Soefje also coordinated apparel and equipment management, assisted with the director of operations on game day and recruiting events and assisted with managing team travel. Ole Miss won the 2017 SEC Tournament and the NCAA Oxford Regional to advance to the Los Angeles Super Regional. Ole Miss was also a finalist at the 2018 NCAA Tempe Regional. Soefje was a three-year starter at catcher for the Roadrunners after transferring from Houston. She hit 20 home runs in 152 career starts and ended her career as the NCAA record holder for hits-by-pitch per game. The Frisco native was a National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-American Scholar and was named to