Softball
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- P.Cassady@ttu.edu
Texas Tech head softball coach Craig Snider has announced the addition of 2018 NFCA National Assistant Coach of the Year Paige Cassady to his staff.
Cassady, the first member of Snider's charter staff at Texas Tech, will serve as the pitching coach for the Red Raiders.
"Paige is one of the brightest pitching coaches in our game," Snider said. "She is a tireless worker and keeps a growth mindset at the forefront of her development. Our program is extremely lucky to have a coach of her caliber joining the Red Raider Nation!"
In nine seasons at Liberty, Cassady helped the Lady Flames become one of the top mid-majors in the country, guiding the team to five regular season conference championships and three tournament championships. She was promoted to associate head coach in 2018 following the winningest four-year span in program history.
Under the leadership of Cassady, Liberty pitchers earned 11 All-Conference accolades and four conference Pitcher of the Year honors.
During that span, Emily Kirby earned back-to-back Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Year (2021, 2022), while Julia DiMartino garnered back-to-back Big South Pitcher of the Year honors (2017, 2018). Both pitchers earned NFCA All-Region honors with DiMartino picking up two first team distinctions and one second team honor, while Kirby collected third team accolades in 2021.
The Lady Flames pitching staff finished the 2022 season ranked in the top 15 in the NCAA in shutouts (17) and top 30 in ERA (2.33).
Liberty pitchers combined for 303 strikeouts and 44 wins on the season, led by Kirby who posted a 2.27 ERA with 14 wins and Karlie Keeney who registered a 2.45 ERA and 19 wins. Both Kirby and Keeney tallied 100 or more strikeouts en route to the ASUN regular season and tournament championships.
In the Durham NCAA Regional Tournament, Kirby powered the Lady Flames to a 2-0 shutout win over No. 19 Georgia, tossing a three-hitter against one of the best offenses in the country. Liberty reached the NCAA Tournament in 2021 after winning the ASUN regular season and tournament in the Lady Flames first full season as a member of the conference.
Under the instruction of Cassady, Kirby recorded a 1.92 ERA and 15 wins with 145 strikeouts to claim ASUN Pitcher of the Year honors.
She finished top 10 in the country with nine shutouts. Keeney gathered 17 wins and a 2.43 ERA, earning ASUN Second Team All-Conference. Keeney picked up the win in the Lady Flames' NCAA Tournament
upset over No. 9 Tennessee at the Knoxville Regional, putting Liberty into the Regional Finals. In 2019, Cassady's staff recorded the fifth-best ERA in the nation (1.60), the 12th-most shutouts (19) and the 23rd-best strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.35). DiMartino led the way with a 1.20 ERA that ranked eighth nationally.
She added 169 strikeouts and the 27th-best strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.97). In addition to DiMartino, Cassady coached her younger sister, Chase Cassady, to a 1.50 ERA (24th in the NCAA), 141 strikeouts, a 15-4 record and NFCA All-Mid-Atlantic second team honors.
Cassady assisted in Liberty's first NCAA Tournament appearance in seven years in 2018 as the Lady Flames made the Regional Finals for the first time in program history.
Liberty pitchers finished the season with the 20th-best ERA in the nation (2.04) and a 3.32 strikeout-to-walk ratio that ranked 18th overall. DiMartino's 1.72 ERA, 230 strikeouts, 10 shutouts and 29 wins all led the Big South as she finished with the conference Pitcher of the Year award.
Her 29-8 record ranked as the fourth-most wins in the country. After narrowly missing out on the NCAA Tournament in 2017, Cassady assisted in the Lady Flames' National Invitational Softball Championship run as Liberty took home the NISC crown.
In her sophomore season, DiMartino's 1.94 ERA led the Big South as she collected 175 strikeouts and 22 wins, both which ranked top 50 in the country. During her first three seasons in Lynchburg, Cassady helped the Lady Flames improve from a ninth-place finish in the Big South to fourth and third place finishes, including an 18-win improvement from 2014 to 2015.
In 2016, Cassady helped Liberty finish above .500 for the first time in five seasons. Prior to her time at Liberty, Cassady spent a season at Lipscomb where she helped the Lady Bisons to a 35-24 record.
Her instruction guided freshman pitcher Tanner Sanders to All-Freshman Team and ASUN Conference Tournament Team accolades. In addition to her coaching resume, Cassady has worked as a pitching instructor and served as a camp instructor at FIU and LSU softball camps.
Cassady served as a graduate assistant at Louisiana Monroe from 2010-12 while working towards her master's degree. She graduated with her bachelor's degree from Florida International University (FIU) in 2010, where she spent two seasons after transferring from Presbyterian College.
