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Shelli Sarchett

Shelli Sarchett

Shelli Sarchett begins her tenth season as head coach of the Humboldt State softball program. She is one of the NCAA West Region’s top coaches and has led the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Regional Staff of the Year in 2016 and 2017. The Jacks have had All-Americans the past two seasons in Micaela Harris (2022) and Izzy Starr (2021).

After taking over for her mentor, two-time NCAA National Champion coach and NFCA Hall of Famer Frank Cheek, Sarchett has picked up right where her predecessor left off. She has guided the Jacks to back-to-back trips to the NCAA National Championships and has led Humboldt to a 255-175-1 (59.3 percent) record.

Sarchett has continued the Jacks’ tradition of excellence leading the Green and Gold to 40 or more wins in each of her four seasons and four straight trips to the NCAA West Region Tournament. Humboldt has captured a pair of CCAA Tournament Titles (2014 and 2017) under Sarchett’s leadership, and the Jacks won a CCAA Championship in 2016.

In nine seasons, 25 HSU student-athletes collected all-conference awards, 13 were named all-region players and nine earned All-America honors.

The 2017 campaign showed the program’s depth following the departure of five outstanding seniors. HSU compiled a 44-15 record and went 22-11 in conference play. The Jacks went 5-1 en route to their second conference tournament crown in four seasons and won five straight games to return to the NCAA Championship round. HSU finished its season in fifth place and defeated Molloy College in a no-hit effort from senior pitcher Madison Williams. Senior Kalyn Paque was tabbed an All-American, and she, senior catcher Breonna Bejaran and Williams snagged All-Region honors.

The Jacks' 2016 season was one to remember. The Jacks rolled through the regular season with a 32-0 mark in conference play. Eight HSU players were named to the all-conference team and Sarchett was tabbed the league’s Coach of the Year. The Green and Gold went 3-3 in the National Championships and finished one win shy of the program’s third national title. HSU finished with a 54-8-1 mark and ranked second in the final national poll. Senior pitcher Katie Obbema, sophomore outfielder Hanna Holland and Williams were named NFCA All-Americans.

The Jacks finished the 2015 season with a 42-19 overall record. The Green and Gold advanced to the NCAA West Regionals and eliminated host and conference rival Cal State Monterey Bay in its second game. Eight Lumberjacks collected All-CCAA honors and three were named NFCA All-America Scholar-Athletes. Sophomore second baseman Tiffany Hollingsworth earned NFCA All-America honors for the second consecutive season, and she was a Schutt Sports/NFCA Division II National Player of the Year finalist. Freshman outfielder Hanna Holland also received national recognition for her performance and was one of 25 finalists for NFCA Freshman of the Year award.

In her first season leading the Jacks, Sarchett guided the team to a CCAA Tournament title and a trip to the NCAA postseason. Humboldt finished the campaign with a 46-16 mark. Four players earned all-conference awards, including Hollingsworth who was tabbed the CCAA Freshman of the Year. Hollingsworth also garnered NFCA All-American status in her first season with the Green and Gold.

Prior to taking the reigns of the program, Sarchett and the rest of the coaching staff was honored as the 2008 NCAA Division II Coaching Staff of the Year. During the 2008 season, she helped lead the Lumberjacks (57-18 overall, 24-8 CCAA) to their second ever NCAA DII National Championship. The staff of Cheek, Sarchett and Alicia Reid also earned the honor in 2013 following the Lumberjacks' finish in the NCAA tournament following a four-year absence.

Sarchett was honored as the 13th member of the Humboldt State softball program elected to the HSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007.

A slugging catcher and third baseman during her playing days with the Jacks, Sarchett now leads the program she helped achieve national greatness. The year previous to coming back to Humboldt, she served as head coach at Dominican University in her hometown of San Rafael, where she previously was an assistant coach for three years.

During her four-year playing career at HSU, Sarchett posted a .359 career batting average that included a career-high .407 mark during her sophomore season in 1998. After earning All-American honors as the Jacks third baseman in 1998 and 1999, Sarchett took over the catching responsibilities her senior year, and she earned All-American status at that position.

Cal Poly Humboldt’s record book lists Sarchett in every career hitting category, including doubles, where she ranks first all-time with 52. She is No. 3 in both RBIs (188) and hits (282), and No. 4 all-time in home runs with 18.

Sarchett graduated from Humboldt State with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and has also worked as a special education instructional aide in the San Rafael public schools system. She lives in Arcata with her husband Steve Sarchett and daughters Sagen and Shia.
 
Shelli Sarchett and Family
Shelli with her husband Steve and daughters Sagen and Shia.