Stephanie Bagwell begins her second stint, and her sixth season, as an assistant coach for the Patriot women's softball program. During her previous five seasons (2019-2023) at FMU, the Patriots registered 141 wins, despite two of the seasons being abbreviated by the covid-19 pandemic. She helped the Patriots to the 2023 Conference Carolinas Tournament championship and the program's fourth-ever (and second staright) NCAA Tournament bid.
Bagwell returns to FMU after serving as an assistant coach at Appalachian State University during the 2025 season, during which the Mountaineers went 23-27 (13-11 in the Sun Belt Conference).
Bagwell spent the 2024 season as an assistant at Stony Brook University in New York. The Sea Wolves posted a 35-17 record, highlighted by a 19-8 CAA record that served as the most conference wins this century.
She served a three-year term (2021-24) on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Board of Directors. She was elected as the Assistant Coach Representative, and is a member of the NFCA's Hall of Fame Committee.
Bagwell initially came to FMU from Northwest Missouri State University, where she completed her M.S. in applied health/sport science in the spring of 2018. While there, she spent two years as a graduate assistant with the Bearcat softball program. During her two seasons, the team compiled a 56-40 record and boasted 12 MIAA All-Conference athletes, five MIAA Scholar-Athletes, and the program's first NFCA first-team All-American. The Bearcats also set a school record with a .327 team batting average during the 2018 campaign.
Prior to her coaching career, Bagwell played collegiately for Lyon College (Ark.), Sacramento City College, and Saint Leo University (Fla.). After playing her freshman campaign at SLU - during which the Lions captured their first-ever Sunshine State Conference championship and earned an NCAA Division II Tournament bid - she transferred to Sacramento City College, where she earned honorable mention All-Big 8 Conference accolades and helped the Panthers to a CCCAA regional appearance.
Bagwell spent the final two years of her playing career at Lyon College. She hit .329 over her two seasons with the Scots, achieving both American Midwest Conference second-team All-Conference and Academic All-American Midwest Conference honors. As a senior, she helped the squad to a program-record 30 wins. In May of 2016, she graduated with a B.S. degree in business administration.
Her experience also includes an event management internship with USA Softball during the summer of 2017. With USA Softball, she assisted in facility management, game day operations, and coordinated USA Softball Olympic Tournaments. She also worked with Major League Baseball to initiate events enabling youth development through baseball and softball, including the MLB Breakthrough Series.
She has worked numerous softball camps as well, including events at Northwest Missouri State and Saint Leo and camps in Omaha, Neb., Pittsburg, Kan., Dade City, Fla., and Zephyrhills, Fla.
A Fairfield, Calif. native, Bagwell is a member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.
(8-2025)
