University of South Carolina Beaufort Women's Softball

Codee Yeske (pronounced Cody YES-key) enters her fifth season as the head coach of USCB's softball program in 2026.  In 2025 season Yeske helped lead the Sand Sharks to 29 wins the most since 2019. The Sand Sharks had four players reach all-conference accolades including one first team player, two second team players, and the conference Elite 18 Award. Following a three-year stint at NCAA Division I and Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) member Austin Peay, Yeske was named USCB’s next head softball coach on Monday, July 26, 2021. Yeske is the fourth Sand Shark head coach in program history.  She concluded her third season as the Austin Peay assistant coach at the end of 2021 where she oversaw hitters and outfielders. At APSU, she helped the Governors to a 71-50 overall record and a 38-17 OVC mark. She guided the Governors to several offensive improvements including, batting average, hits, runs, RBIs, doubles, home runs and slugging percentage (while decreasing total team strikeouts). In 2019, APSU set single-season team records in home runs, slugging percentage, hits, doubles and on-base percentage.  While on the coaching staff at Austin Peay, Yeske coached seven All-OVC, one NFCA Central Region First Team, Four NFCA Central Region Third Team and seven OVC Player of the Week honorees.  Yeske came to Austin Peay after serving on the coaching staff of Kristy Norton at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, following a year as associate head coach for the Carolina Mojo 14U club team. In addition to her coaching responsibilities, Yeske completed administrative tasks, including travel, budget and fundraising. Prior to her time with the club team, Yeske spent eight months as associate head coach for the Carolina Elite 14U club squad and worked with the team’s outfielders and hitters. Yeske competed on the USA Baseball Women’s National Team as part of the 36-member Trial Team in 2015 and 2016. She earned a gold medal at the Pan-American Qualifying Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Collegiately, she played her sophomore through senior years at the University of South Carolina, after beginning her college career at Presbyterian. In her three seasons with the Gamecocks, the team posted an overall record of 93-79, which included back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Regionals (Austin Regional, 2013), (Tallahassee Regional, 2014). Yeske earned Southeastern Conference Player of the Week honors (5/5/14), SEC Academic Honor Roll (Spring 2014), and she holds the distinction of scoring the first South Carolina run and hitting the first USC home run at Carolina Stadium at Beckham Field (3/15/13). She also hit the first grand slam by a South Carolina player at the stadium (4/24/13). At Presbyterian in 2011, she helped lead the Blue Hose to a 28-20-1 overall record. She was selected Big South Conference Player of the Week on May 9 and named First Team All-Big South Conference. Yeske graduated from South Carolina with a bachelor’s Hospitality Management with a focus in Hotel and Resort Tourism and most recently earned her master’s in leadership and organizational administration (concentration in strategic leadership). YEAR-BY-YEAR RESULTS YEAR SCHOOL OVERALL RECORD PCT. CONFERENCE RECORD (FINISH) PCT. 2022 USCB 21-28 .430 11-16 (T7th) .407 2023 USCB 15-45 .250 3-24 (10th)* .111 2024 USCB 20-25 .444 4-20 (9th) .167 2025 USCB 29-24 .547 8-16  .333 Totals at USCB 85-122 .410 26-76 .254 Overall Record 85-122 .410 26-76 .254 * Denotes Peach Belt Conference record during first year of transition from NAIA to NCAA DII. Competed in Continental Athletic Conference Postseason tournament.   

Alison Owen begins her fifth season as the Assistant Coach of USCB Softball in 2025. Throughout the 2025 season, Owen led the Sharks pitching staff to a 29-24 record. With significant wins in conference to lead the Sharks to their first PeachBelt conference tournament appearance. After joining the softball staff in 2022, she was officially hired to the USCB Athletics Department on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, as she will oversee two areas - continuing to be the softball assistant coach and academic coordinator for the athletic department.  Owen will continue her post as the pitching coach/camp coordinator, but she added on a new role as the academic coordinator for the USCB Athletic Department. She will now oversee academics and academic standards across all 13 Sand Shark sports, while assisting the softball head coach. In her four seasons with the Sharks, Owen has led the pitching staff through transitioning into Division 2 from NAIA. Owen has lead the program’s staff into multiple Pitcher of the Week honors in the PeachBelt Conference including: Cierra Kinlaw and Madison Murphy. Cierra Kinlaw was named Two-Time Second Team All-Conference in her 3 seasons competing for the program. Before her time at USCB, Owen was on the Georgia Tech softball staff. In her first season at Georgia Tech, Owen brought Tech’s ERA from 4.82 in 2017 to 2.74 in 2018. She also reduced the number of walks given up by more than half. She coached pitcher Emily Anderson to an all-ACC recognition. In 2019 she helped the team to its first ACC tournament win and first 30-plus win season since 2012. Prior to her arrival at GT, Owen retired and served as an assistant coach for the Akron Racers, a team in the National Pro Fastpitch. During her coaching stint with the Racers, she prepared scouting reports for the pitching staff prior to series and assisted with the development of the lineup. Owen also pitched for the team for three seasons from 2014-16. Owen was an assistant coach at East Mississippi Community College for the 2015 and 2016 season. She worked with a pitching staff that led the team to back-to-back postseason berths. She also worked to place the players in four-year programs. Post graduation, Owen competed professionally for three seasons with the Akron Racers out of Akron Ohio. While competing professionally, Owen remained on staff as Graduate Assistant at Mississippi State University for the 2015 season. Owen earned her Master’s degree in Kinesiology from Mississippi State, where she played for two seasons. Despite only playing in Starkville for two seasons, Owen finished her career as the program’s all-time leader in almost every pitching record including strikeouts (473), strikeouts looking (102), lowest opponent batting average (.193), fewest walks allowed per seven innings (1.05) and most strikeouts per seven innings (8.83). She helped carry Mississippi State to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. From 2010-11, Owen was a member of the University of Georgia team. She competed in every game in the 2010 Women’s College World Series. In 2010, she had a stellar 13-2 record to go along with a 2.58 ERA in 95 innings of work. She struck out 88 batters and limited opponents to a .228 clip. In her second year, she continued her success with a 15-5 record, 1.93 ERA and 159 strikeouts in 123.1 innings. Hometown: Newnan, Ga. (East Coweta High School) Twitter: @a_owen4 Education: Bachelor’s, Youth Studies : Mississippi State, 2014 Master's, Sports Administration : Mississippi State, 2016  Playing Experience (P): 2010-11: University of Georgia 2012-14: Mississippi State 2014-16: Akron Racers Coaching Experience: 2017-2020: Georgia Tech Assistant Coach, Pitching 2017: Akron Racers Assistant Coach 2016-17: East Mississippi Community College Assistant Coach 2015: Mississippi State Undergraduate Assistant

Devon Weller, a former Sand Shark student-athlete, returns to USCB as an assistant coach in 2025. She returned to USCB after completing her redshirt senior year at Stetson University in Deland, Florida. Weller helped to lead the Hatters to a 33-28 overall record, as well as a ASUN tournament run where they knocked off the the #3 and #5 seed twice before falling in the semis to Eastern Kentucky. Weller finished her career at Stetson playing 54 games and batting .282, 23 runs scored, 13 doubles, 3 homeruns, 23 RBI, and slugging .476%.   Weller, a two-time team captain, competed as a Sand Shark from 2021-2024. In four seasons in the Sand Shark jersey, she played in 140 games, hitting .288, slugging .456 with 29 doubles, 4 triples, and 12 homeruns. You’ll find Weller’s name all over the record book in the following categories: homeruns, RBI, triples, sac bunts, and stolen bases. A highlight of her career is a senior weekend pair of homeruns against Columbus State, including a walk-off homerun for an 8-6 victory. In her senior year at USCB, Devon was a recipient of the Alexandria Simmons Spirit Award, this award is deemed as the programs highest honor.   A 2024 graduate of USCB with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. Weller is set to complete her master’s degree in exceptional student education from Stetson University in 2026.   Weller is a Knoxville, TN native where she graduated from Farragut High School. Personal: Parents are Tom and Amy Weller, and she has two sisters, Delaney and Zoe.

Xavier Morris beings his fourth season on the track and field coaching staff, rejoining the Sand Sharks for the 2023-2024 season following a one-year absence. He oversees the team's throws events.  Prior to joining the Sand Sharks in the 2019 season, Morris’ coaching career began as the throws coach at Beaufort High School. During his time at Beaufort High School, Morris coached numerous state champion and all-state level throwers in the shot put, discus, and javelin. Along with winning two SCHSL 4A state championships.  A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Morris graduated from Beaufort High School in 2010 and earned his bachelor's degree from The Pennsylvania State University in Criminology and minors in Political Science and Sociology in 2015. Morris has had numerous athletes score at the conference championships including a two-time champion in Michael Martello in 2024. He also coached Linda Fross to a silver medal in the shot put in the 2019 National Senior Games in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Coach Morris holds a USATF Level 2 certification in the throws and is active in the track and field community on numerous levels. 

Dave Downey begins his eighth season assisting with the USCB Track and Field team in 2024.  Coach Downey has over 20 years of coaching experience, specifically in pole vaulting. His previous coaching stops including Malone University and Jackson High School.  He currently resides in Bluffton with his wife Erica and their three children.