Missouri Baptist University Women's Softball

Scott Goodyear is in his fifth season as head coach of the Missouri Baptist University men’s and women’s tennis programs, having been hired in May 2021. Since his arrival, the Spartans have experienced consistent growth and historic success across both programs. In fall 2025, Goodyear helped guide Luca da Silva Ebenriter and Sebastian Junghanns to an ITA Regional Championship and a top-12 national finish at the ITA Cup in Rome, Georgia. In spring 2025, both teams recorded winning records — the women finishing 13–8 and the men 16–8 — marking the second consecutive season both programs advanced to the Heart of America Conference Finals. The men’s 16 victories set a new program record for single-season wins, and they went on to earn a berth to the NAIA National Championship for just the second time in school history and the first under Goodyear’s leadership. The men’s team also finished No. 24 in the final NAIA Coaches’ Top 25 Poll — the first time any MBU tennis program had ended a season ranked in the top 25. The 2024 campaign laid the foundation for this success, as both the men’s and women’s programs reached the conference finals for the first time in school history. The women tied a program record with 14 victories, while the men received votes in the final NAIA Coaches’ Top 25 Poll for the first time in recent history. Goodyear also serves as a teaching professional at Vetta West Racquet Sports in St. Peters, Missouri, where he leads high school and adult clinics and provides private instruction. Prior to joining MBU, Goodyear was the head men’s and women’s tennis coach at Lindenwood University–Belleville until the school’s closure in 2020. Under his direction, the nationally ranked men’s team earned a No. 3 seed in the AMC/Heart Unaffiliated Group Tournament, with two athletes earning all-conference recognition. Goodyear has spent much of the past two decades mentoring student-athletes in a Christ-centered environment through the international sports ministry Athletes in Action. His experience includes four seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of Missouri–St. Louis (NCAA Division II), one season at Missouri Baptist, and more than 10 years in a leadership role at Lindenwood University–St. Charles. A native of St. Louis, Goodyear played prep tennis at Parkway West High School, finishing fifth in doubles at the MSHSAA State Championships as a senior. He went on to compete for four seasons at UMSL, earning All-Conference First Team honors in 1999 and 2000. Goodyear and his wife, Erica, reside in St. Peters, Missouri, with their three sons — Kaden, Jevan, and Brylan. What They’re Saying About Scott… “We are pleased to welcome Scott to our staff to lead the men’s & women’s tennis programs. Scott has a strong Christian vision and comes to MBU as a seasoned coach and instructor. His work with Athletes in Action strengthens our efforts to reach the student-athletes with the Gospel message.” – Dr. Thomas Smith, Associate Vice President & Director of Athletics   Scott Goodyear Coaching Record W L T 2021-22 5 14 .263 2022-23 15 9 .625 2023-24 14 10 .583 2024-25 16 8 .667 Win % Missouri Baptist University 50 41 .549

Former Southeast Missouri State University standout setter Claire Ochs was hired as the Head Coach of the MBU women’s volleyball team on March 7, 2024.  Ochs made an immediate impact in her first year in 2024, winning the American Midwest Conference Coach of the Year award while leading the Spartans to a 27-12 overall record, AMC Regular Season & Tournament Championships, and a trip to NAIA National Tournament Pool Play. In 2025, she earned her second Coach of the Year award in two seasons and the AVCA Midwest Region Coach of the Year award, leading MBU to Heart of America Athletic Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championships and a 31-6 overall record. She additionally spent a season as an assistant coach for MBU in 2023, helping coach all position groups but specializing in training the setters. The Spartans finished the season at 27-7 with a perfect 9-0 mark in conference and five Top 25 wins.  Ochs bolstered her resume with coaching opportunities at MBU, High Performance St. Louis, and ACE Volleyball Lab. At High Performance, Ochs served as an assistant coach for 16 Royal (2022-23) and 17 Royal (2023-24).  Her teams have experienced great success, and she has mentored many standout junior players. Ochs has also quickly established herself as one of the premier volleyball trainers at ACE.    As a student-athlete, Ochs was a four-time captain at NCAA Division I Southeast Missouri State University, a three-time All-Ohio Valley Conference performer, two-time OVC Tournament Most Valuable Player (2019, 2021), and 2021 OVC Setter of the Year. After graduating magna cum laude with a B.S. in Business from SEMO, Ochs used her final season of athletic eligibility at Jacksonville State University (Ala.) where she was named team captain and an All-Conference selection.  She graduated summa cum laude with a Master of Business Administration. She led her teams to numerous conference championships and appeared in the NCAA tournament twice. Between SEMO and Jacksonville State, Ochs started all 145 matches of her career and totaled 5,400 assists, 1,500 digs, 484 kills, 190 blocks, and 145 aces.   Claire Ochs Coaching Records W L 2024 27 12 2025 31 6 Win % Missouri Baptist University 58 18 .763

Tom Young was named the third Head Coach in MBU Men’s Volleyball history on June 1, 2018. In seven seasons at MBU, he has gone 162-42 overall (.794) and was named the 2025 Heart Coach of the Year for the first time in his career. In 2019 he was named AVCA Coach of the Year and AMC/GPAC/KCAC Coach of the Year. Under his tutelage, 18 have received NAIA/AVCA All-America selections, three have been named Conference Player of the Year, seven have earned conference individual awards, 33 have been named to all-conference teams and one was selected as a College Sports Communicators Academic All-American.  Young was an NAIA Executive Committee member and NAIA National Oversight Committee member from 2020-23 and is currently the NAIA National Rater. Academically, the team has been named an NAIA Scholar Team five times and an AVCA All-Academic Team in 2019.    Young had previously served as head volleyball coach at CBC High School from 2014-18, the same place at which he spent his prep career (1999-2003). As the Cadets' head coach, he mentored numerous all-district and all-conference players, one all-state selection and guided the team to a state quarterfinal appearance. In addition to coaching, Young also taught physical education and health classes at Saint Dominic Savio and Holy Cross Academy.   Prior to CBC, Young doubled up as athletics director and head volleyball coach at St. Elizabeth Academy from 2009 to 2013 and helped lead SEA to its first district volleyball title since 1968. The Hawks registered three straight district championships under his leadership. Familiar with St. Louis volleyball, Young also coached High Performance – STL 15-18s for seven years and has been on the coaching staff for the No Limits Volleyball Camps since 2005.   Young graduated from Missouri Baptist University with a bachelor's degree in sport management in 2007. He played four seasons (2003-2006) under previous MVB Head Coach John Yehling. He completed his master's degree from MBU in sport management in 2015.   Tom and his wife, Molly, reside in Mehlville, Mo. They have one daughter, Nora, and two sons, Theo and Louie.    Tom Young Coaching Record W L 2019 31 1 2020 22 3 2021 18  8 2022 21 8 2023 21 8 2024 22 8 2025 27 6 Win % Overall 162 42 0.794

Ted Leigraf will be in his third season as head coach of Missouri Baptist University Softball for the 2024-25 season.  Leigraf comes to MBU following a successful 12-year stint as a Head Coach and Organization Lead with the St. Louis Heat Softball program.  During his tenure with the Heat, Leigraf has run most aspects of the organization, including talent evaluation and college recruitment exposure.  Due largely to his efforts, three members of the 2021 St. Louis Heat – Gold team he coached were offered and accepted NCAA Division I scholarships. This year, nine of the 13 members of his squad were offered collegiate scholarships, including two more at the DI level. In 2019 and 2020, his team qualified for the World Fastpitch Championship and the Premier Girls Fastpitch (PGF) National Tournament in 2017. Throughout his time with the Heat, Leigraf has mentored numerous coaches within the organization. In addition to his coaching exploits, Leigraf has been the CEO of Ace Gutter & Window Cleaning in Saint Louis for the past 32 years. Leigraf earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Missouri – Saint Louis. During his undergraduate studies, he was a member of the UMSL Bridge program, providing after-school math and science tutoring to local high school students in the Saint Louis area. "We are very excited to welcome Ted to the MBU family," Dr. Smith said. "Coach Leigraf's experience and talent at developing softball student-athletes in the St. Louis area is second to none with so many young women going on to play at every level of the game. His strong faith and focus on the character will continue MBU's commitment to character-driven athletics and the NAIA's five core values." "It is an honor for me to be named Head Softball Coach at Missouri Baptist University," Leigraf said. "I am thrilled about the opportunity to work for a team with a mission of academic excellence and spiritual growth. I plan to bring a mentality of resilience to the program while helping these tremendous student-athletes toward their softball and academic goals. Coach Ken Messer-Brooks has left the program in a great place and I hope to build on that." Ted resides in Saint Louis and is a member of Life Church.   Ted Leigraf Coaching Record W L T 2025 46 8 0 2024 33 14 0 2023 35 18 0 Win% Missouri Baptist University 114 40 1 .739

In March 2022, Missouri Baptist University Associate Vice President & Director of Athletics Dr. Tom Smith announced the hiring of Caleb McElfresh to take reins of the Spartan men's wrestling program.  McElfresh is no stranger to AMC and NAIA Wrestling. A four-year starter at Hannibal-LaGrange University, McElfresh wrestled two separate stints in Hannibal, Mo., wrestling two years at 125 pounds (2013-15) and two seasons at 133 pounds (2017-18). A team captain for the Trojans, McElfresh's career highlights included a sixth-place finish at the Maryville Open, placing at the AMC Championships, a runner-up finish at the Big Blue Open, and fourth at the Harper Open. He graduated from HLGU in 2018 with a B.S. in Communications and a minor in Public Relations.   As a coach, the Colorado Springs, Colo. native got his start at the prep level at his alma mater Mitchell High School (Colo.). McElfresh totaled six years as an assistant coach at Mitchell HS with seven CHSAA state qualifiers and two podium finishes, and one year at Galileo Middle School coaching the school's first city champion and four placers.   In August 2021, McElfresh made the move to Missouri to become a graduate assistant in Athletics Communications at Missouri Baptist. While pursuing his Master's in Sport Management, McElfresh became an assistant wrestling coach at nearby Westminster Christian Academy (Mo.) where he helped mentor one MSHSAA state qualifier. On top of that, McElfresh stepped up as an interim coach at MBU in the spring of 2022 guiding two Spartans to the NAIA Men's Wrestling National Championships and an All-American performance for Steven Weathers at 149 pounds.   Prior to his collegiate career at Hannibal-LaGrange, McElfresh started wrestling as a freshman and became a four-year varsity letterwinner at Mitchell High School in Colorado Springs. He was a two-time Metros placer and one-time Colorado state qualifier at 113 pounds.

Amond Prater joined the Missouri Baptist women's wrestling program as an assistant coach at the start of the 2022-23 season. In addition to his coaching duties, Coach Prater serves as the strength and conditioning coach for the women's program. Prior to MBU, Prater helped build up the brand new men's and women's wrestling programs at Fontbonne University as head coach of both squads. At the prep level, Prater spent three years as head coach at Fox High School and two years as an assistant wrestling coach at Seckman High School. Since 2015, Coach Prater has been a part of the Missouri National Team coaching staff where he prepares athletes across the state to compete at regional and national tournaments. He serves as the head coach for the Team Missouri Women's National Team. Along with being a USA Wrestling Silver Level Coach, he is also a National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Prater is a 2006 graduate of University of Missouri with a Bachelor of General Studies with an emphasis in Music, History, and Education. At Mizzou, Prater was a three-year letterwinner in wrestling while notching 71 career victories. He went on to earn his Master of Educational Administration (Secondary) and Master of Arts in Teaching with an emphasis in Secondary Education Social Studies from Missouri Baptist University. Amond is married to Krystal Prater and has three daughters, Aryn, Anaya, and Ashytnn, and one son, Kaden.

Career Highlights NAIA's Winningest Active Coach by Winning % 2021 NAIA Women's Volleyball National Champions 2021 NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship Coach of the Year 2020 NAIA Women's Volleyball National Champions 2020 NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship Coach of the Year 10 NAIA National Tournament Appearances Under Nichols' guidance, the Spartans have made it to the NAIA Championship Quarterfinals six times in the past 10 seasons Helped lead Spartans to program's first National Championship Final appearance in 2015 Coached 28 NAIA All-Americans (11 - First Team, 3 - Second Team, 8 - Third Team, 6 - Honorable Mention) Coached 2006 NAIA Player of the Year – Ana Mercado, 2014 & 2015 NAIA Libero of the Year – Haley Pouliezos, 2020 NAIA National Championship MVP – Giovanna Tapigliani, 2021 NAIA Defender of the Year – Ariana Macies, and 2021 NAIA Setter of the Year & NAIA National Championship MVP – Manuela Vargas Seven 30-Win Seasons Overall Record as Head Coach: 350-67 (.839%) AMC Record as Head Coach: 109-11 (.901%) Bio Named head women's volleyball coach in 2013 after six seasons as head assistant coach and two as associate head coach under John Yehling Reputable in the club volleyball scene where he helped start Kaepa St. Charles in 2003, served as club director and coach for Team Saint Louis VBC from 2004-09 and remains very involved with High Performance Volleyball Club as a coach and women's development director Coached varsity boys and girls volleyball at Francis Howell High School from 2002-05 and helped the girls' team to its first conference and district titles since 1981 ; was instrumental in helping the boys team to three straight Final Four appearances Alum of Missouri Baptist University ; played three years and helped Spartan Men's Volleyball earn second place at the NAIA Invitational in 2003 Graduate of Francis Howell High School in St. Charles, Mo. where he was a four-year varsity setter from 1997-2000 and was a member of the 2000 state championship team Married to his high school sweetheart Jayma Has three daughters: Addisyn, Emersyn, and Fayth   Coaching Record at MBU YEAR WINS LOSSES NAIA TOURNAMENT FINISH 2023 27 7 Pool Play 2022 30 5 Pool Play 2021 33 2 National Champions 2020-21 26 4 National Champions 2019 34 7 Quarterfinals 2018 33 6 Round of 16 2017 34 9 Semifinals 2016 29 11 Round of 16 2015 39 5 Runner-Up 2014 38 4 Quarterfinals 2013 27 7 DNQ OVERALL 350 67 -  

Tyler Deen was a named Assistant wrestling coach prior to the 2025-2026 season As a competitor, 2025 NAIA national qualifier, advancing to the round of 12. He was named the 2025 American Midwest Conference Newcomer of the Year. Before competing at Missouri Baptist University, Deen wrestled at the NCAA Division I level for Cal State Bakersfield and the University of Nebraska. As a prep standout, Deen was ranked No. 16 nationally, won a New Mexico state title, placed twice at the California state championships and finished fourth at the U.S. Marine Corps Freestyle National Championships.

Daryus Webb became an graduate assistant coach at Missouri Baptist University in 2025 after serving as an assistant coach at Avila University during the 2024–25 season, where he helped coach the program’s first women’s All-American. As a competitor, Webb was the first nationally ranked wrestler in Avila history. He earned NAIA All-American honors in 2024, was a 2023 NAIA national qualifier, a 2023 KCAC conference champion and a 2024 KCAC conference finalist. He was also a U23 Greco-Roman All-American. Before transferring to Avila, Webb wrestled at Williams Baptist, where he was a 2021 NAIA national qualifier and an AMC conference finalist. At Sumner High School, he was a two-time state qualifier, a 2018 district champion and placed sixth in the state as a senior.