Cougar Softball Camps

Head Coach Tracey Lynch

Tracey Lynch is in her third season as the head coach at College of Charleston.

Lynch has led the Cougars to 34 wins, including 18 in CAA play, her first two years after inheriting a team that finished with just six wins and none in the conference in 2021. Charleston has qualified for the conference tournament both seasons and defeated Hofstra in a dramatic nine-inning contest in 2022.

Under her tutelage, the Cougars have shown a dramatic improvement in the circle. Freshman Caroline Conner was named the CAA Rookie of the Year last spring, and her and Payton Lemire both ranked among the CAA leaders in most pitching categories. Charleston has posted a team ERA of 3.13 and 3.17 the past two years, down by almost three runs a game before Lynch's arrival.

The program has seen an influx of talent in her two recruiting cycles, with last year's group ranked in a tie for 21st in the nation by Extra Inning Softball, second among non-Power 5 programs. Several of those players made an immediate impact, including Conner and third baseman Karlee Hughes, who were both named to the All-CAA second team.

Lynch previously served as an assistant coach at CofC during the 2013 season when the Cougars won 37 games and finished second in the Southern Conference. She has spent the past six years as an assistant at UNCG working primarily with the Spartan pitchers and catchers.

During her time at UNCG, the Spartans won four SoCon regular season titles and qualified for NCAA postseason play by winning the conference tournament in 2018 and 2021. Four UNCG teams won 30 or more games during her tenure, and the 2018 squad finished 46-13 for the second-most wins in school history.

Individually, Lynch helped develop a pair of SoCon Pitchers of the Year, with Morgan Scott receiving the honor this spring after leading the league with 20 wins and 210 strikeouts to go along with a 2.18 earned run average. Alicia Bazonski was selected the top hurler in the SoCon in 2018.

Lynch oversaw the program’s operating budget and academic progress and represented UNCG softball at camps and clinics. She also played an integral role in recruiting and assisting incoming student-athletes with their transition to college.

Following her one season on the staff at CofC, Lynch spent the 2014 and 2015 campaigns as an assistant coach at Stony Brook. Under her tutelage, Allie Cukrov was named the America East Pitcher of the Year and to the NFCA All-Region first team in 2014. The Seawolves won 29 of 33 conference games and the 2015 America East regular season title.

Lynch proved to be an outstanding pitching mentor in her first collegiate coaching position at LIU Post from 2011-12. In 2011, the Pioneers ranked 14th in the nation with a team ERA of 1.67 while posting a record of 41-16 and advancing to the Division II College World Series. She was part of a staff that earned the NFCA East Region Coaching Staff of the Year Award.

In addition to her collegiate coaching experience, Lynch has served as an instructor at camps and clinics around the country, including five times at the prestigious Showball Showcase Camps in Las Vegas. One of only 40 coaches invited to work each camp, she helped collegiate prospects demonstrate their skills as well as providing important information on the recruiting process.

Lynch is a 2009 graduate of Liberty University, earning a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology. Her career with the Flames was cut short due to an injury, but she was able to complete her rehab in time to play competitively in China during the summer of 2008.

Lynch and her husband, Josh Vernon, are the parents of sons, Tucker (2) and Tate, born September 21, 2022.