Ashley Thompson is in her third season as a member of the IUP softball coaching staff in 2024.
Thompson was named the team's assistant director of softball operations going into the 2022 season and continues to grow her role within the program. IUP won 17 games and advanced to the PSAC Tournament, winning an elimination game against East Stroudsburg in May 2022.
Thompson played a vital role in many of the game promotion and marketing outreach by the softball program in 2023, including the Mental Health Awareness Game, Autism Day and Strikeout for Cancer contest, among others.
IUP was in play for a berth in the PSAC Tournament until the final doubleheader of the season in 2023, finishing with a 26-23 mark, the most wins in a single season during head coach Shauna Bellaud's tenure and most wins for the program since 2016. Delaney Patella was named the PSAC West Freshman of the Year and an All-PSAC West First Team honoree upon the conclusion of the season.
Patella was also awarded the Division II Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week honor, becoming the first IUP player to earn the national weekly award since 2004. Just the third player overall, Patella was a two-time PSAC West Athlete of the Week for the Hawks.
Thompson played four seasons at Mercyhurst where she was a PSAC Scholar Athlete and played in 24 career games.
Last Updated - July 31, 2023
