Lander University Women's Softball

Maddie Gibbs enters her second season as Lander's head softball coach. Gibbs was hired in July of 2020 and served as assistant coach for three seasons before taking over the head job after the 2023 season. During her first year at the helm, Gibbs led the Bearcats to the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, entering the tournament as the fifth seed in the Southeast Regional. The team also achieved a historic milestone with its first NCAA Regional win, defeating Anderson 4-0. Gibbs' leadership was pivotal in transforming the program, as the Bearcats set a new single-season home run record (60) and an impressive single-season slugging percentage (.497). Gibbs also coached the program's first-ever Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year, Emily Allen. The Bearcats finished the season with an overall record of 33-18, including a strong 15-9 performance in conference play. Gibbs' inaugural year as head coach marked a transformative period for the team, establishing new standards of success and setting the stage for future achievements. A native of Rincon, Ga., Gibbs served as the assistant coach at Reinhardt from 2018-20, where she helped guide the Eagles to 77 victories in three winning seasons.  As a player at Reinhardt, Gibbs was a three-time All-Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) performer, and twice a member of the AAC All-Defensive first team. As a senior, Gibbs was a two-time AAC Player of the Week selection, an All-Region performer and an NFCA First Team All-American. Gibbs set a school record with a 23-game hitting streak. Gibbs earned a Bachelor's of Science in Biology from Reinhardt in 2017.

Barbara Cook is entering her first season as the Assistant Softball Coach at Lander University for the 2024-25 academic year. A native of Jupiter, Florida, she earned her degree in English from Lander University in 2023, where she excelled as a member of the Bearcats softball team.  During her playing career, Barbara served as a pitcher and third baseman, earning multiple accolades, including 2022 First-Team All-Conference, 2023 Second-Team All-Conference, and 2023 PBC All-Tournament honors. Barbara’s individual performance was marked by a career ERA of 3.62, a .315 batting average, 19 home runs, and 76 RBIs. Her leadership helped the Bearcats secure a 2023 record of 29-18. During her role as a volunteer coach in the 2024 season, she helped culminate their first regional appearance and win. Prior to joining the coaching staff, Barbara worked as a high school English teacher.

Lander softball coach Glen Crawford announced the addition of Bailee Glover as the Bearcat's new Assistant Coach. Glover is no stranger to Lander, as she spent the last two years as a graduate assistant at Columbus State. While working with the pitching staff, Glover mentored PBC Co-Pitcher of the Year Hannah Rose Corbin and helped the Cougars advance to the finals of the 2022 Conference Championship.   Glover is a native of Reno, Nevada, and attended California State University - East Bay, where she was a pitcher and designated hitter. In her career with eth Pioneers, Glover was named CCAA Player of the Week, Second Team All-Conference, and holds the CCAA record for most innings pitched in a game with 13. Bailee also threw one career no-hitter.   "We are excited to have Bailee join our staff," Crawford said. "She will be a great asset to our program and pitching staff. Bailee also brings a wealth of knowledge of our conference and opponents."