University of NC - Charlotte

Charlotte 49ers Athletics
9201 University City Boulevard Charlotte, NC 28223

Division 1 North Carolina Southeast

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Ashley Chastain

On June 6, 2019, Charlotte 49ers Director of Athletics Mike Hill announced the hiring of Ashley Chastain as head softball coach.

"I am extremely humbled and excited to be the next head softball coach for the Charlotte 49ers,” Chastain said. “I would like to thank Mike Hill and Chris Thomasson for this incredible opportunity. The vision we share for the future of this program is one of championship culture. We are going to build a foundation of competitive excellence in every aspect of the program in order to provide our student athletes the best experience possible."

COACHING CAREER AT CHARLOTTE

In her first season as head coach, the Charlotte softball team ended the season above .500 with players who garnered national recognition. The team finished 14-13 overall and 2-1 in Conference USA, gaining its first ever series win over Florida Atlantic. Sophomore catcher Bailey Vannoy had a stellar campaign after batting .480 with 12 home runs, 36 RBIs, and a 1.093 slugging percentage, ranking first in the nation in home runs and RBIs. Freshman Madelyn Wright, who served as the designated player and pitcher, ranked 10th in the country with a 7.50 strikeout to walk ratio, while senior pitcher Carson Pace ranked ninth in the nation with three saves. Chastain's pitching background helped bring the team ERA down by almost two runs from last year's team ERA. She picked up her first win as a head coach after defeating Appalachian State, 9-5, on Feb. 8.

OTHER COACHING EXPERIENCE

Chastain served as the pitching coach at Ole Miss, Michigan State and the College of Charleston. She helped the Ole Miss Rebels to the NCAA Super Regionals and was named the 2019 Softball America Pitching Coach of the Year.

“Ashley is universally regarded as one of the best pitching coaches in the country," Hill said. "For her to leave an SEC team that advanced to the Super Regionals speaks volumes about Ashley and her shared vision of what we believe Charlotte 49ers softball can and will be."

With the Rebels, she helped the team advance to the NCAA Super Regionals this past year with a 41-20 record, boasting a 2.29 team ERA and a .238 opponents’ batting average. The Rebels won the NCAA Oxford Regional, allowing only seven runs over five games, to advance to the Super Regionals. In 2018, Ole Miss owned a 32-25 record and advanced to the NCAA Regionals with a 2.80 team ERA and a .252 opponents’ batting average.

The Rebels posted 24 shutouts over her two seasons, there. In 2019, the Rebels had the fifth lowest ERA and third most strikeouts in the SEC and her staff included newcomer Molly Jacobsen, a junior college transfer who earned Second Team All-SEC and Second Team NFCA All-South Region honors. In 2018, one of Chastain’s stars, Kaitlin Lee, became the second Rebel ever selected in the NPF Draft (4th round, Aussie Spirit).

Chastain was an assistant coach/pitching coach for one season at Michigan State, helping the Spartans to a 34-24 overall record and a run to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals and the National Invitational Softball Championships (NISC). The Michigan State pitching staff lowered its team ERA by nearly a run and a half from the previous season.

Chastain was the pitching coach for three seasons at the College of Charleston and helped the Cougars to a 99-68 record during that span. In her final season with the Cougars, College of Charleston had a 35-23 record while the pitching staff posted the eighth lowest opponent batting average (.242) in school history. She produced four All-Colonial Athletic Association players and three NFCA All-Region stars in her three years.

PLAYING EXPERIENCE

Chastain pitched for three seasons at South Carolina and finished 11th in career relief appearances for the Gamecocks. She led the team in starts, innings pitched and ERA during her junior season. She was a three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll. She served as a graduate assistant coach for South Carolina following her playing career. In 2012-13 she served as the pitching coach for the German National Team.

EDUCATION

A 2011 graduate of South Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in history, Chastain earned her master’s degree in secondary education from USC in 2012.

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Anthony Aresco

Anthony Aresco is in his first season as assistant coach with the Charlotte 49ers softball program. He spent the 2019 season alongside Charlotte head coach Ashley Chastain at Ole Miss as a graduate student manager where he helped the Rebels advance to an NCAA Super Regional appearance.

“I am excited to add Anthony to our staff at Charlotte,” Chastain said. “Anthony has been around high level softball and learned from an amazing coaching tree. With his background, I know he will develop our athletes to reach their fullest potential. He knows every aspect of the game and will add value all over the field in development. He is a person of high integrity and character.”

COACHING CAREER AT CHARLOTTE

In his first season as the 49ers' assistant coach, the Charlotte softball team ended the season above .500 with players who garnered national recognition. The team finished 14-13 overall and 2-1 in Conference USA, gaining its first ever series win over Florida Atlantic. Sophomore catcher Bailey Vannoy had a stellar campaign after batting .480 with 12 home runs, 36 RBIs, and a 1.093 slugging percentage, ranking first in the nation in home runs and RBIs. Freshman Madelyn Wright, who served as the designated player and pitcher, ranked 10th in the country with a 7.50 strikeout to walk ratio, while senior pitcher Carson Pace ranked ninth in the nation with three saves. The team ERA went down by almost two runs from the previous year and the team totaled 26 home runs in only 27 games played.

OTHER COACHING EXPERIENCE

Aresco was a key figure in the Rebels’ 41-win campaign in 2019, working closely with Chastain to develop the pitching staff in addition to his efforts in scouting and game analysis. In his lone season on the coaching staff at Ole Miss, the Rebels accumulated 14 victories against top-25 opponents and finished ninth in Softball America’s final rankings.

Prior to joining the Ole Miss staff, Aresco spent four seasons as an undergraduate student manager with the University of Oregon softball program. During his time at Oregon, the Ducks enjoyed great success, winning Pac-12 Championships in 2015, 2016, and 2018, and compiling an overall record of 206-36. Oregon reached the NCAA Women’s College World Series three times in four years with Aresco as a student manager.

“I am honored to have such a great opportunity so early in my career,” said Aresco. “I’ve been fortunate to be a part of successful programs and learn from some of the best coaches in the country. Coach Ash and I have worked well together in the past and I’m excited for this opportunity to work with her again and contribute to the growth of Charlotte Softball.”

PLAYING EXPERIENCE

Aresco, a decorated men’s softball player, has earned four all-World Team selections at the NAFA Men’s Softball World Series. He won the North American Fastpitch Association (NAFA) Men’s 23U World Series Championship in 2016 serving as a player and a coach. He has also competed internationally in four ISC World Championships and one European Super Cup.

A native of Stoneham, Massachusetts, Aresco has been heavily involved with USA Softball, both as a player and a coach. He was a pitcher/utility player for the 2018 USA Men’s 23U Futures Team, and previously played three years on the 19U Jr. Men’s National Team as a pitcher/utility player. Aresco has also served as a volunteer coach for the 19U Jr. Men’s National Team.

EDUCATION

A 2018 graduate of Oregon with a bachelor’s degree in general social science, Aresco is currently pursuing a master’s degree in business administration from Ole Miss.

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Taylor Wike

Taylor Wike is in her first season on the 49ers coaching staff after spending last season as a member of the University of South Carolina coaching staff.

“I am thrilled to announce the addition of Taylor Wike to our staff,” head coach Ashley Chastain said. “She has great energy and is an up and coming assistant coach in our industry. Taylor is a North Carolina native with a lot of recruiting ties to the state. She is an extremely hard worker who will be able to build upon the success of the 49ers offense.”

In her one season with the Gamecocks, Wike helped guide them to 38 wins and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Before joining the Gamecocks coaching staff, Wike spent four years as a standout middle infielder for the North Carolina Tar Heels. In her time at UNC, Wike earned All-ACC honors in each of her four seasons while starting a staggering 225 games. She was named the 2018 ACC Defensive Player of the Year. She also holds school records for career walks (122), assists (451) and double plays turned (48). She is ranked 23rd all-time in NCAA softball history for walks.

A native of Hiddenite, North Carolina, Wike led the Tar Heels to three consecutive NCAA Tournaments from 2015 to 2017. Wike had an impressive career batting average of .355 while slugging .565 and garnering a .465 on-base percentage. She was named to the All-ACC Tournament team in both 2016 and 2018 and was a finalist for NFCA National Freshman of the Year in 2015. She earned NFCA All-Southeast Region honors as a junior and a senior.

COACHING CAREER AT CHARLOTTE

In her first season as the 49ers' assistant coach, the Charlotte softball team ended the season above .500 with players who garnered national recognition. The team finished 14-13 overall and 2-1 in Conference USA, gaining its first ever series win over Florida Atlantic. Sophomore catcher Bailey Vannoy had a stellar campaign after batting .480 with 12 home runs, 36 RBIs, and a 1.093 slugging percentage, ranking first in the nation in home runs and RBIs. Vannoy also broke the single-season batting average, single-season slugging percentage and single-season on base percentage. Wike has helped the team tremendously from an offensive standpoint as the team was two home runs away from tying last year's total in only half the games played. The team batting average was also higher than last year's team average and four players batted over .300.

EDUCATION

In 2018, Wike graduated from North Carolina with a degree in Exercise and Sport Science.