Coaches

Karla Ross

Karla Ross (formerly Powell) finished her third season at the helm of the Maryland Eastern Shore program in 2022.


2022 was a big year for the program as the Hawks reached the postseason for the first time since 2009. Back-to-back losses to North Carolina Central, 10-2, and Coppin State, 4-0, was not the ideal result, but the 13-8 regular season record on conference play was a huge improvement. Ross earned MEAC Coach of the Year honors for the season. She also saw Tatum Kresley win MEAC Rookie of the Year, First-Team All-MEAC and garner national award attention. Freshman Julia Garcia joined Krelsye on the MEAC First-Team, while Nasya Goodman earned Third-Team honors.


The COVID-19 Pandemic caused the Hawks to opt out of all athletic competition in the 2020-21 athletic year.


The 2020 season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic before conference season began. The squad had 10 players named to the MEAC Commissioner's All-Academic Team and All-Academic Softball Team and finished the season 3-18 in nonconference play on the field.


In 2019, Ross led the Hawks to eight wins, doubling the win total of four from 2018. The team shared the Quantum Leap award with the Hawks' Women's Basketball Team after the season at the Harry's.


Ross was an assistant coach at five different institutions at a variety of levels since her playing days ended at The University of Wisconsin in 2012. She comes to Eastern Shore from the staff at George Mason University a post she had held for only a few months.


Prior to that, she was at Florida Southwestern State College of the NJCAA, where she was part of the coaching staff for the school’s first three seasons of play from 2015-18. There she was responsible for the offense for a team that went 172-28 and won three Suncoast Conference Championships. The teams garnered ninth (2016), third (2017) and fifth (2018) place finishes at NJCAA National Tournament.


“Starting as a player and through my coaching career to this point, I have always enjoyed seeing a program grow and create a strong culture, so helping build programs is in my blood and I think we can do something special here,” Ross said.


Prior to being at FSW State College, she was an assistant at St. Johns River State College in Palatka, Florida for one season where she was also responsible for the offense along with the defense and coaching third base. The team improved from 17-31 the previous season to 32-22 — still a program best. The squad also posted significant improvement in batting average (+51 points), runs scored (+86) and fielding percentage. The team reached the state tournament for the first time in five years.


Ross also served as a volunteer assistant at George Washington University during her first season out of college in 2013-14 and as student assistant after her time as a player at Wisconsin.


As an offensive coach she likes her team to develop the ability to both hit for power and run the bases. At Florida Southwestern, the team led the nation in stolen bases in 2016 with 274 and in 2017 they ranked second with 282.


Despite having multiple shoulder surgeries as a player, Powell played four seasons at the University of Wisconsin. She was a first baseman and designated hitter that was named a first team All-Big Ten performer in 2011 when she hit .313 with nine home runs, 10 doubles 31 RBI and 19 runs score. She was a third team All-Big Ten selection in 2012 and finished her career with a .286 average, 51 runs scored, 15 home runs, 26 doubles and 71 RBI in 190 games.


The Ashburn, Virginia native graduated from Wisconsin in 2013 with a degree in sociology.


She lives in Salisbury, Maryland with her husband Bradley Ross — a volunteer assistant.