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Melissa Brocato
Now in her 17th season with the Jaguars, head softball coach Melissa Brocato continues to wear many hats in the GRU Augusta Athletic Department.
From running the Jaguar softball program, to serving as CHAMPS/ Life Skills Coordinator, to her recent tenure as Compliance Coordinator, Brocato has been and remains one of the most versatile members of the GRU Athletic Team.
On March 5, 2010, Brocato was appointed to the role of Senior Woman Administrator and Assistant AD for Student-Athlete Services.
She is also the winningest coach in the Jaguar softball program’s history, having led the Jags to 454 wins in 16 seasons while producing an Academic All-American (Kacee Camp, 2012) and an All-American (Kristen Jones, 2011) along with 17 All Region selections -- Katrina Leverett (2001), Jenny Davis (2003), Jessica Matta (2005), Amy Dumas (2006, 2007 & 2008), Courtney Smith (2006), Paige Phillips (2007), Alyssa Pingree (2008), Kacee Camp and Jessica Thornton (2009), Sara DeMuth and Kristen Jones (2010) and Jones, Camp and Thornton (2011), and Camp (2012).
In 2012, the Jaguars made their fourth straight NCAA Regional appearance and fifth in the last five seasons en route to a 33-18 record.
Brocato guided her squad to a school-record 40 victories and to the Jags’ third NCAA Regional appearance in the last four seasons in 2010. She also produced three, first-team, All-Peach Belt Conference selections in sophomores Sara DeMuth, Kristen Jones and Jessica Thornton. On Feb. 27, Brocato registered the 300th victory of her career in a 5-4 home win over UNC Pembroke. In 2013, the Jaguars beat King College on March 23 to give Brocato her 400th career win.
Brocato led the Jaguars to what was at the time the winningest season in school history in 2007 when they racked up 39 wins and made their first-ever NCAA postseason appearance, advancing to the semifinals of the NCAA South Atlantic Regional in Columbus, Ga.. They capped their season by earning the first national ranking in the program’s history, finishing the year No. 18 in the nation.
A native of King, N.C., Brocato took over the Jaguar softball program in September of 1998 after serving one year as the junior varsity coach for Campbell University. In addition to her coaching duties at Campbell, Brocato served as a graduate assistant for academic services, Co-Advisor of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, assistant camp director at the Conquest Christian Sports Camp and advisor for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Brocato received her B.S. in Exercise Science from Campbell in 1996 and her M. Ed. in May of 1998. A four-year starter at third base for the Camel softball team, Brocato helped lead the program to two conference championships and one NCAA Regional appearance.
A two-time Big South Conference and Trans America Athletic Conference all-tournament selection and an all- conference honorable mention selection, Brocato was a four-year member of the Big South and TAAC’s All-Academic Team and was twice named to the GTE Academic All-District Team.
Brocato played for the Carolina Diamonds Pro Fastpitch Team during the 1998 season. Brocato enjoys traveling and has had the opportunity to teach and play softball all over the world.
Formerly Melissa Mullins, Brocato married Matt Brocato on January 11, 2014 in Augusta, Ga.
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