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Melissa Wood
Georgia Highlands College appointed native Georgian Melissa Wood as the women’s head softball coach at the team’s inauguration in 2012. Wood has an overall coaching record of 51-40 (0.560) and an overall conference record of 26-12 (0.684). The Chargers hold 2nd (2015) and 3rd place (2014) finishes in conference while qualifying for the Region XVII Tournament both years. On April 10th against USC-Salkahatchie Wood earned her 50th career win as a head coach and on March 25th the team received votes for National Rankings for the first time in program history. Wood’s team holds a 100% graduation rate with 12 student-athletes earning 13 associate degrees in just two years. Wood has coached 12 All-Region/All-Tournament Team Members and helped a total of nine athletes sign to play softball at four-year universities. With two NJCAA All-Academic Team Awards, the Charger’s overall team GPA for two seasons is a 3.37 and have three NJCAA All-Academic players. Off the field, Wood has helped Georgia Highlands Softball raise more than $130,000 since hired in 2012. Wood lives in Cartersville, Georgia and is also an advisor for Cartersville’s pre-nursing students.
2014-2015: Georgia Highlands College the 2015 season the Chargers earned a program best 25-12 record (0.676) and advancing to the Region XVII Tournament for the second year in as many attempts. GHC Softball received national recognition while earning votes in the NJCAA National Poll for the first time in program history on March 25th, 2015. Statistically, GHC finished 8th in the nation in HBP (55), 30th in batting average (0.344), 15th in OB% (0.425), and 13th in average against (0.237). The Chargers finished 2nd in the GCAA Conference posting a 13-5 record (0.722) while leading all conference opponents in wins (13), batting average (0.384) – 11th highest in NJCAA, OB% (0.453) – 8th highest in NJCAA, Slugging % (0.507), runs (124), hits (198), RBI’s (117), total bases (261), and HBP (22). Seven athletes were named to the NJCAA All-Region Team in Brandi Hughes (1st Team – Battery), Sierra Cagle (1st Team – Battery), Karlie Jarrett (1st Team – IF), Kayleigh Medlin (1st Team – IF), Lindsey Miles (1st Team – OF), Ashley Jordan (2nd Team – OF) and Grayson West (2nd Team – DH). Academically, the Chargers posted a 100% graduation rate for the second consecutive year with 10 sophomores earning at least one associate degree. Lindsey Miles, Kristen Mullis, and Hillary Rowell took home the NJCAA Award for Exemplary Academic Achievement (3.60 – 3.79 on a 4.00 scale) while Miles and Rowell were just two of twenty-eight general students in all two-year schools in the University System of Georgia’s to earn a spot on Georgia’s Phi-Theta Kappa All-Academic Team. The softball team earned NJCAA All-Academic Team honors for the second consecutive year posting a team best cumulative team GPA of a 3.40. In 2015, nine athletes signed to to four-year programs to play softball including Lindsey Miles (NCAA DI – UGA), Hillary Rowell (NCAA DI – UGA), Kayleigh Medlin (NCAA DI – UGA), Liz Prance (NCAA DI – Georgia State), Emily Willingham (NCAA DI – Tennessee State), Sierra Cagle (NCAA DII – Shorter University), Erin Holcomb (NCAA DII – Georgia Regents University), Karlie Jarrett (NCAA DIII – Berry College), and Grayson West (NJCAA DIII – LaGrange University). Active off the field, the Chargers brought in over $65,000.00 in fundraising, hosted philanthropic events raising $580 for the Stomp out Cancer Campaign and $700.00 for ALS, and was active in the community volunteering in various events for our partners at the Bartow County Recreation Department.
2013-2014: Georgia Highlands College (Inaugural Year) In 2014, the Chargers had a competitive inaugural season posting a 26-28 record (0.481) and advancing to the Region XVII Tournament where they would place 3rd. The Chargers finished third in the GCAA Conference regular season posting a 13-7 record (0.650). Statistically, the Chargers finished in the top three in the conference in wins (13 – 3rd), doubles (28 – 2nd), RBI’s (88 – 2nd), walks (51 – 3rd), HBP (9 – 2nd), sacrifices (21 – 1st), and OB% (0.362 – 2nd). Three Chargers were named to the NJCAA All-Region Team including Hillary Rowell (2nd Team – OF), Sierra Cagle (2nd Team – Battery), and Morgan McKinney (2nd Team – Battery) while two athletes were named to the Region XVII All-Tournament Team in Emily Willingham (2nd Base) and Morgan McKinney (Pitcher). Academically, the Chargers graduated the first athlete in program history, lone sophomore Lindsay Roach. The team earned an NJCAA All-Academic Team honor posting a 3.34 Cumulative Team GPA. Off the field, the Chargers brought in over $55,000.00 in fundraising events while volunteering for the Bartow County Recreation Department, Green Highlands/Bartow Clean-Up Campaign, and the GHC Library’s Banned Book Event.
2011-2012: North Idaho College (NJCAA) Wood comes to GHC from North Idaho College where she was an assistant softball coach and physical education instructor. She helped the team break the school’s home run record (79) in 2012 while coaching four NJCAA all-conference team members and a NJCAA all-region team member.
2009-2011: Berry College (NCAA DIII) Before going to Idaho, Wood was a softball assistant coach and helped with the intramural department at Berry College while she was earning her Master’s Degree in Education. Despite her challenging schedule, she graduated with a 3.75 GPA and became member of the Kappa Delta Pi International Education Honors Society. Wood also helped start the Viking program which began it’s first season in 2009. By the second year, Berry’s team had its first winning season, improving in a number of statistical categories including: batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, fielding percentage, walks and stolen bases.
2008-2009: Dornbirn Sharx (Austria) In 2008, Wood was drafted to play professional softball in Austria for the Dornbirn Sharx. In 2008 the Sharx won the Gold Medal in the Austrian League and the Silver Medal at the European Championships in Prague, CZ. Wood was named Most Valuable Player at the European Cup after starting in all 10 games and ranking in the top-three in most offensive categories. In 2009, she returned to defend the Gold Medal in Austria and helped the Sharx improve a spot on the podium as they were awarded the Gold Medal at the European Cup in Legnano, Italy. This was the first European Cup Gold Medal for an Austrian Team. Both years in Europe, Wood assisted the Austrian National and Junior National softball teams. Duties included instruction, scouting, and strategic implementation. Wood also helped coach/teach physical education classes in local Austrian schools.
2006-2008: University of Georgia In 2006, Wood transferred to the University of Georgia where she played two seasons with the Bulldogs as a catcher and first baseman. In her first year with the program, Wood became a member of the SEC Honor Roll and led the team in RBIs (46). In 2008, she led the team in HR’s (11), was awarded the UGA Defensive Player of the Year, was nominated for the UGA Leadership Award, and was named to the SEC All-Community Service team. Also in 2008, the bulldogs ranked 12th nationally after they were defeated by No. 6 UCLA in the WCWS Super-Regional. In May of 2009, Wood earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from the institution.
2004-2006: Florida State University Wood began her college career in 2004 playing for the Florida State Seminoles, where she was a two-year starting catcher for the Top 25-ranked softball team. As a freshman she was ranked in the top-seven, of seven different offensive categories in the ACC during league games en route to a spot on the All-ACC 2nd Team and FSU’s Rookie-of-the-Year honor for softball. As a sophomore she tallied five game-winning hits and threw out 11 attempted base stealers in route to a Super Regional runner-up finish against Arizona State, and assisted the team to a No. 15, NCAA Division I final ranking at the end of her sophomore season.
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