Francis Marion University Women's Softball

Stacey Vallee recently completed her 21st season as head coach for the Patriot women's softball program.  She has compiled a 653-379-1 record in her 21 seasons on the Patriot bench, including twelve 30-win campaigns and six NCAA Tournament appearances. Vallee also serves as Francis Marion's Senior Women's Administrator, and the university's Athletics Diversity and Inclusion Designee COACH VALLEE'S TWITTER She is currently serving as chairman of the NCAA Division II Regional Advisory Committe (RAC) for the Southeast Region, and has been on the committee since 2014.  Since 2016, she has also served as a member of the National Committee for Division II softball.  She is serving her second stint on the NFCA Division II Top 25 poll committee (2025-28, 2013-14), currently votes on the national Player and Pitcher of the Week awards, and was an NCAA regional committee member for the former South Atlantic Region from 2005 to 2009. Vallee's staff was recognized as the 2025 ATEC/NFCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year for the Southeast Region of NCAA Division II, after an historic season that saw the Patriots post a 53-6 overall record (most wins in program history), earn a No.10 national ranking, capture a third consecutive Conference Carolinas Tournament championship, and advance to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the fourth straight year, serving as host for both the sub-regional and Super Regional rounds.  FMU ended the regular season ranked second in the NFCA/GoRout DII Top 25 Coaches Poll and was in the top four for each of the final seven weeks of the regular season. Valle was presented the University's Frankie Award for Head Coach of the Year (2024-25) and her 2025 squad received the school's Frankie Award for Most Outstanding Team for the second consecutive year. In 2024, she led the Patriots to a 47-13 record -- set a school and program record for wins in a season -- a No.15 end-of-the-season national ranking, and to FMU's fifth NCAA Tournament appearance, and third consecutive.  Francis Marion captured the Conference Carolinas Tournament title for the second year in a row and Vallee posted her 600th career win as the Patriots reached the title game of the Dahlonega-sub regional.  Vallee was named the Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year for 2024. In 2023, she led the Patriots to a 42-13 record -- equaling the program record for wins in a season -- to the conference tournament title, and an NCAA Tournament appearance.  Vallee was a named a finalist for The Leadership Playbook 2022-23 Coach of the Year award. In 2022, FMU finished 33-22 and reached the title game of the Conference Carolinas Tournament in the program's first year as a member.  The Patriots also secured their third-ever NCAA Tournament invitation.  Vallee directed Francis Marion to a 24-3 record in 2020 prior to the season being shuttered due to the covid-19 pandemic.  It was the squad's best start since the 2003 campaign, and the Patriots earned votes in the NFCA Top 25 poll prior to the shutdown. FMU SEASON HIGHLIGHTS Her 2024 squad received the school's Frankie Award for Most Outstanding Team at the 2024 awards gala. The 2023 team went 42-13, equaling the program record for wins in a season, and led the nation (all NCAA Divisions) in scoring with 8.33 runs per game.  FMU won the Conference Carolinas Tiurnament championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row. The 2022 squad went 33-22, advanced to the Conference Carolinas Tournament championship game, and earned the program's third-ever bid to the NCAA II Tournament.  The Patriots ranked 38th nationally in total runs scored The 2019 team posted a 12-win improvement over the previous season, the 18th all-time 30-win campaign in team history; senior third baseman Angela Buccilli led the nation in sacrifice hits Her 2016 squad posted a 34-21 mark, its highest win total in seven seasons and the 17th all-time 30-win season in program history. In 2013, the first full season in the state-of-the-art FMU Softball Stadium, the Patriots posted a 25-26 mark.  Nine of the team's losses were by one run, and the squad compiled a 3-4 record against nationally ranked opponents. In 2012, Francis Marion registered a 31-20 mark, the program’s twelfth 30-win campaign in the previous 15 seasons Francis Marion compiled a 36-16 record in 2010 and earned the program’s second NCAA Division II National Tournament invitation.  The Patriots advanced to the championship game of both the Peach Belt Conference Tournament and the NCAA Dahlonega Southeast Regional. In 2008, Vallee guided the Patriots to their most successful season since the program moved from NAIA affiliation to NCAA Division II membership.  Francis Marion ended the season ranked fifth in the final NFCA Top 25 poll with a 39-16 record, the third-highest win total in team history.  The Patriots earned their first-ever bid to the NCAA Division II national tournament, won the South Atlantic Regional, and advanced to the Division II national finals (Elite Eight) in Houston, Texas.  The season also featured the program's first-ever appearance on national television (CBS College Sports). In 2007, she directed FMU to a 34-16 record and a tie for fifth-place in the Peach Belt Conference regular-season standings.  For a third time in three years under her guidance, the Patriots narrowly missed earning a bid to the Division II Tournament. During a successful first season (2005) at FMU, she guided the Patriots to a 36-14 record and a fifth-place finish during the Peach Belt regular season. Six of the Patriots' 10 losses were by one run.  The 2005 team spent three weeks ranked in the NFCA Top 25 poll, reaching as high as the 10th. Her 21 FMU teams have produced 47 All-Conference selections, 24 All-Region selections, four NFCA All-America selections, and 132 NFCA All-America Scholar-Athletes.   Her 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009,  2010, 2018, 2021, and 2024 squads each earned All-Academic Team honors from the NFCA. In 2007 the Patriots ranked 10th among Division II programs (and 22nd among all four-year schools) with a 3.470 cumulative grade-point average; in 2008 ranked 14th in Division II with a 3.36 GPA, and in 2009 ranked 24th in Division II with a 3.329 GPA. Vallee came to Francis Marion in 2004 from Saint Leo University, a member of the NCAA Division II Sunshine State Conference, where she spent four seasons as an assistant coach. The Lions posted a 135-88 mark during those four years, including a national tournament appearance in 2002. She also served as the university's assistant trainer and taught as an instructor during the 2003-04 year, and worked as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for two seasons. A native of St. Louis, Mo., Vallee was as an assistant coach at Florissant Valley Community College during the fall of 2000, after having served as player/head coach of the Pulheim Gophers during the spring and summer of 2000. A 1999 graduate of Barry University with a B.S. degree in sports medicine and athletic training, she was a four-year starter at third base. She helped lead the Buccaneers to the NCAA Division II national tournament each of her four years, including a second-place finish in 1998. She ended her career third on the school's games played list. She was married during the summer of 2006, and she and husband Greg have a son (Ryker) and daughter (Moxie). Vallee is a member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, the National Strength and Conditioning Association, the National Council on Strength and Fitness, and the National Athletic Trainers Association. She is a certified strength and conditioning specialist, a certified personal trainer, and a certified athletic trainer. She participated as a panel member at the third-annual Women in Athletics Seminar, hosted by the Peach Belt Conference in Augusta, Ga., on Sept. 21, 2010. Vallee is the ninth head coach in the 47-year history of the FMU softball program. The program boasts an all-time mark of 1374-843-4 (.620 winning percentage), including five national tournament appearances in the 1980s and the six in the 2000s. Overall, FMU has won at least 30 games in 19 of the past 30 seasons.   Vallee's year-by-year record at Francis Marion University Year Record 2005 36-14 2006 27-16 2007 34-16 2008 39-16 ~ 2009 32-19 2010 36-16 + 2011 24-21-1 2012 31-20 2013 25-26 2014 23-28 2015 25-22 2016 34-21 2017 27-22 2018 19-25 2019 31-19 2020 24-3* 2021 11-21 2022 33-22 ^ 2023 42-13 ^ 2024 47-13 ^ 2025 53-6 @ ~ Advanced to NCAA II World Series in Houston, TX + Advanced to NCAA II Southeast Regional title game ^ NCAA II Southeast Regional @ NCAA II Southeast Super Regional * Season cut short by the covid-19 pandemic (6-2025)

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)