Wofford College Women's Softball

Wofford College announced on May 25, 2022, that Chelsea Butler had been named the head coach of the softball program. Butler brings over a decade of experience, both as a collegiate student-athlete and pitching coach, at the Division I level to Wofford. She enters her third season at the helm of the program in 2026.   After an astonishing first season, Butler’s squad elevated in 2025 with a 30-22 record overall alongside an 11-8 SoCon clip. The campaign marked the first 30-win season in program history with the 11-8 SoCon record the program’s best by winning percentage. Wofford earned the No. 4 seed for the SoCon Tournament, its best seeding yet, as the Terriers hosted the event at Hope Field on the Wofford College campus. The Terrier pitching staff remained one of the best in the conference, leading the SoCon in ERA (2.19), strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.75), and WHIP (1.16) with the ERA fifth best in the entire nation. The Terriers also led the conference in double plays turned (32), which ranked sixth nationally, fielding percentage (.973), and stolen bases (84). With 52 sacrifice bunts, Wofford was second in the conference and eighth in the country. At season’s end, Margaret Axelson and Hope Ingle were honored on the All-SoCon First Team as Abby Greenwood secured a spot on the All-SoCon Second Team. The SoCon All-Freshman Team sported the trio of Rivers Sampson, Brianna Stanley, and Natalya Salo. Axelson (1.99) and Greenwood (2.18) ranked second and third, respectively, in the SoCon for ERA with Axelson’s mark the first sub-2.00 ERA in program history. Greenwood sported 107 strikeouts to become the first Terrier to break through the 100-punchout barrier, ranking fourth in the conference. She led the league with a 3.82 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The Wofford offense took a leap forward from year one to year two, as the team batting average elevated from .228 in 2024 to .282 in 2025. The Terriers recorded over 100 more hits, three times as many home runs, 30 more runs, and 34 more stolen bases. Butler guided the program to an incredible inaugural season in 2024 with a 23-24 overall record and 11-10 Southern Conference mark. The Terriers tied for fourth place in the conference and entered the SoCon Tournament as the No. 5 seed due to tiebreakers. Wofford led the conference with a 2.91 team ERA and a 1.95 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Leading that charge was Margaret Axelson, whose 2.15 ERA topped the league. Butler was tabbed Southern Conference Coach of the Year upon the conclusion of the season for her efforts in guided the program to unprecedented success in its first-ever season. Axelson was named to the All-SoCon First Team. A trio of Terriers – Abby Greenwood, Kaytlin Greenwood and Megan Towery – were honored on the All-SoCon All-Freshman Team. The season saw a plethora of firsts for the program of course, most notably its first game against Eastern Kentucky on February 8, followed by the team’s first win, 3-0, over Robert Morris the following night on February 9. Wofford secured its first SoCon triumph with an 11-8 victory at Mercer on March 24. Though Wofford’s season ended in the SoCon Tournament, the Terriers opened the event with a 5-4 win over ETSU in 10 innings for the program’s first-ever SoCon Tournament win. Wofford also owned a series win over the eventual SoCon champion, Chattanooga, during the regular season. Butler spent the prior three seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Maryland, working with the pitching staff. This past season, Maryland was 29-23 overall and 14-8 in the Big 10. It marked the most wins for the Terps since 2013 and the fifth-place finish was the highest since joining the conference. It was also the first season in which Maryland won a game in the Big Ten tournament. Jaeda McFarland (first team) and Megan Mikami (second team) were named All-Big Ten.   “We are excited to have Chelsea take the helm as we launch our softball team,” said director of athletics Richard Johnson. “It is important to get things right when you are starting a program. Coach Mark Line has done a great job in laying the foundation and now he is turning it over to Chelsea to continue to build the team. We look forward to seeing them take the field in the spring of 2024.”   “I am thrilled and grateful for the opportunity to build the Wofford softball program,” said Butler. “I want to thank President Nayef Samhat, Athletic Director Richard Johnson, Deputy AD/SWA Elizabeth Rabb and Mark Line for this opportunity and I am incredibly honored by their belief in me. I look forward to not only building this program, but empowering young women to find and be the best version of themselves on the field, in the classroom and in their individual lives. Now and forever, Go Terriers!”   During the 2019 season Butler led the pitching staff and assisted with recruiting at Incarnate Word. She was the associate head coach at Presbyterian College from 2014 to 2018. She was in charge of the pitching staff and designing off-season and in-season workouts, while also serving as the recruiting coordinator. She coached three All-Big South pitchers, 18 NFCA Scholar Athletes, and helped the Blue Hose earn 2015 Big South runner-up honors.   Prior to her time at Presbyterian, Butler spent one season at Temple. While with the Owls, she oversaw the pitching staff and designing off-season and in-season workouts. Additionally, she coordinated several in-game aspects, including pitch calling and charting. Butler also served as the recruiting coordinator and, as the first assistant, handled travel logistics and other duties.   Butler joined Temple after spending the 2013 season at Utah State, where she worked primarily with the pitchers. While with the Aggies, she was also responsible for scouting reports and served as the recruiting coordinator.   Before Utah State, Butler was an assistant coach at her alma mater, Eastern Kentucky, during 2012. While there, she was responsible for the pitchers and recruiting. Her first coaching experience as an assistant coach with the USA Athletics 18 gold team in Southern California.   As a player, Butler played two seasons at Golden West Junior College. As a sophomore there, she posted a 21-13 record with a 1.35 ERA and 170 strikeouts in 231.2 innings of work. She earned first team all-conference recognition and was an all-tournament selection. Butler then was a two-year pitcher (2008-09) for Eastern Kentucky. Her career was highlighted by a standout senior season in which she posted a 2.32 ERA.   A native of southern California, Butler earned a degree in sociology from Eastern Kentucky in 2009. She added a Masters of Arts in Coaching and Athletic Administration from Concordia University-Irvine in May 2017.  

Kara Shutt joined the Terrier softball staff as an assistant coach in July of 2022 after two seasons with Mississippi. She enters her third season on staff in 2026 after being elevated to associate head coach in January 2025. Shutt’s first season as associate head coach in 2025 saw an elevation for the program with the Terriers notching their first 30-win season at 30-22. Wofford had an 11-8 SoCon record to be the No. 4 seed in the SoCon Tournament, a new best. Wofford remained one of the top pitching programs in the league with the SoCon’s best ERA at 2.19, which was fifth best in the NCAA. The Wofford offense took a leap forward from year one to year two, as the team batting average elevated from .228 in 2024 to .282 in 2025. The Terriers increased their hits total from 284 in 2024 to 394 in 2025. Home runs tripled from seven to 21, and runs scored increased by 30 from 172 to 202. Wofford was a threat on the bases with a league-best 84 swipes. Kaytlin Greenwood led the way with 20 steals, fourth in the conference. At season’s end, Margaret Axelson and Hope Ingle were honored on the All-SoCon First Team as Abby Greenwood secured a spot on the All-SoCon Second Team. The SoCon All-Freshman Team sported the trio of Rivers Sampson, Brianna Stanley, and Natalya Salo. In Shutt’s first season with Wofford in 2024, the Terriers began their program with a 23-24 record overall alongside an 11-10 SoCon clip. Shutt aided head coach Chelsea Butler in guiding Wofford through its inaugural season to achieve many firsts, including a SoCon Tournament win over ETSU. The Terriers finished the regular season tied for fourth in the league and entered the tournament as the No. 5 seed due to tiebreakers. Wofford’s team ERA of 2.89 led the SoCon. Margaret Axelson was named to the All-SoCon First Team upon the conclusion of the season. Abby Greenwood, Kaytlin Greenwood and Megan Towery were all honored on the SoCon All-Freshman Team.   "First and foremost, Kara is a wonderful human being who exemplifies high character and a positive demeanor on and off the field," said Butler. "Kara has had the opportunity to learn from some of the best coaches in our game, and I know that her experiences, paired with her own coaching philosophies, will allow Kara to continue to shine. I am thrilled that Kara has decided to join our Wofford Softball family, and I know that our athletes are going to love being around her and learning from her. Wofford Softball got better today!"   Shutt spent two seasons as a volunteer assistant with Ole Miss from 2021-22 in which she helped the Rebels to a 41-19 campaign that concluded in the Los Angeles Regional Final of the NCAA Tournament in 2022. With Shutt on the staff, Ole Miss posted its fourth-ever 40-win season, and the 39 regular season wins tied for the program record. Her first season in Oxford in 2021 saw the Rebels post a 36-22 record with an appearance in the Tucson Regional, also advancing the finals.   Before joining the Rebel staff, Shutt was a graduate manager at another SEC program with South Carolina. The Gamecocks posted a record over .500 each of Shutt's two seasons in Columbia, the first of which in 2019 saw South Carolina advance to the finals of the Tallahassee Regional in a 38-19 campaign. The Gamecocks touted a 17-6 clip in 2020 before the season's untimely end due to the COVID-19 pandemic.   Prior to entering the coaching ranks, Shutt was a key player on the Elon Phoenix as an All-American and three-time All-CAA First Team selection. The outfielder placed on the All-Colonial Athletic Association First Team in each of her final three seasons, and her senior campaign in 2018 was capped with an NFCA All-American Third Team nod and her second NFCA All-Region First Team selection. With 63 career doubles, Shutt is both the Elon and CAA all-time career leader. With 21 doubles in 2016, she set a single-season program record that she replicated in her senior season. Shutt hit .425 as a senior to set the Elon Division I program record for a season. A career .373 hitter, Shutt finished second on the Elon all-time hits leaderboard with 253.   As a freshman, Shutt wasted no time making her presence felt in the Phoenix lineup in 2015, driving in 44 RBI to set the record for most in a season by a freshman and finish second in the program's single-season record books. With a .331 average, Shutt earned CAA All-Rookie Team and Third-Team NFCA All-Region honors.     A native of Greensboro, N.C., Shutt graduated from Elon with a bachelor's degree in sport management in 2018 and earned her master's degree in the same field from South Carolina in 2020.

Taylor Liguori joined the coaching staff in July of 2023 and works primarily with the infielders. Liguori is entering her third season with the program after being promoted to associate head coach in January of 2026. Year two of the program saw the first 30-win season for the Terriers at 30-22 in 2025. At 11-8 in SoCon play, Wofford was the No. 4 seed in the SoCon Tournament, a new best. The tournament was hosted by the Terriers at Hope Field. Wofford again led the league in ERA at 2.19, which was fifth in the nation. Margaret Axelson led the charge with a 1.99 mark, the first sub-2.00 ERA in the program’s history. Abby Greenwood was third in the conference with a 2.18 mark, and she led the way with 107 punchouts. The Wofford offense took a leap forward from year one to year two, as the team batting average elevated from .228 in 2024 to .282 in 2025. The Terriers increased their hits total from 284 in 2024 to 394 in 2025. Home runs tripled from seven to 21, and runs scored increased by 30 from 172 to 202. Wofford was a threat on the bases with a league-best 84 swipes. Kaytlin Greenwood led the way with 20 steals, fourth in the conference. At season’s end, Margaret Axelson and Hope Ingle were honored on the All-SoCon First Team as Abby Greenwood secured a spot on the All-SoCon Second Team. The SoCon All-Freshman Team sported the trio of Rivers Sampson, Brianna Stanley, and Natalya Salo.  In Liguori’s first season with Wofford in 2024, the Terriers began their program with a 23-24 record overall alongside an 11-10 SoCon clip. Liguori in guiding Wofford through its inaugural season to achieve many firsts, including a SoCon Tournament win over ETSU. The Terriers finished the regular season tied for fourth in the league and entered the tournament as the No. 5 seed due to tiebreakers. Wofford’s team ERA of 2.89 led the SoCon. Margaret Axelson was named to the All-SoCon First Team upon the conclusion of the season. Abby Greenwood, Kaytlin Greenwood and Megan Towery were all honored on the SoCon All-Freshman Team.   “This hire is truly so special to me,” said head coach Chelsea Butler. “Having had the opportunity to coach Taylor for three years at Maryland, I was able to witness who she is as a person and leader on a daily basis. She has a bright softball mind and an incredibly high softball IQ, she will undoubtedly be one of the top young coaches in the country. Our infield is going to benefit greatly from Taylor and our entire team is going to love being around her and learning from her. I am thrilled that Taylor has decided to join our Wofford Softball family. The Terriers got better today!”   As a player, Liguori appeared in 49 games during the 2023 season, starting 30 games. She had a .274 batting average and posted a career-high three RBIs against Indiana. Over her career, she played in 136 games with 90 starts with a .327 on-base percentage and a .967 fielding percentage.   She spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Birmingham Thunderbolts, earning the 2022 18U PGF national championship along with the NFCA Coaching Staff of the Year award. She has also worked camps at the University of Maryland.   A native of Columbia, Maryland, she graduated from Maryland in 2023 with a degree in communications and leadership studies. Liguori was a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar twice and was named a Big Ten Scholar-Athlete three times. She served as a board member for the Maryland Student-Athlete Advisory Committee focusing on student-athlete engagement and was a Big Ten SAAC member as well.  

Mark Line has been a leader on campus for over 30 years, first as the baseball coach and then as an administrator. He joined the athletic department administrative staff in July 2003 in the role of associate athletic director for internal operations and sports programs. He was promoted to senior associate athletic director in 2012 and was named the Deputy Athletic Director in March of 2017. Line enters his third season as an assistant softball coach in 2026 after helping build the program initially prior to the hiring of head coach Chelsea Butler. In 2025, the Terriers saw further improvement by posting a 30-22 overall record for the first 30-win campaign in program history. Wofford went 11-8 in SoCon play to earn a program-best fourth seed in the SoCon Tournament, which was hosted by the Terriers at Hope Field. Wofford led the league and ranked fifth nationally with a 2.19 ERA, led by Margaret Axelson’s 1.99 clip, the first sub-2.00 ERA in program history. At season’s end, Margaret Axelson and Hope Ingle were honored on the All-SoCon First Team as Abby Greenwood secured a spot on the All-SoCon Second Team. The SoCon All-Freshman Team sported the trio of Rivers Sampson, Brianna Stanley, and Natalya Salo. Line aided in the program’s inaugural season in 2024, helping guide the team to a 23-24 overall record with an 11-10 SoCon clip. Among the numerous firsts achieved by the program during the campaign were the team’s first win, SoCon win and SoCon Tournament win. The Terriers led the conference with a team ERA of 2.89 with Margaret Axelson’s 2.15 mark topping the league individually. Axelson would garner First-Team All-SoCon recognition at season’s end. Abby Greenwood, Kaytlin Greenwood and Megan Towery were all named to the SoCon All-Freshman Team. In July of 2021, he was named the inaugural coach of the softball program. He served as the head coach for a year and recruited the first class of student-athletes who will arrive on campus in the fall of 2022 and remained on staff as an assistant upon the hiring of head coach Chelsea Butler.      A 1977 graduate of Erskine, he earned a masters degree from Western Kentucky. Line posted a 210-158 record (.571) in 10 years as the Terriers baseball coach (1986-95). He received District Coach of the Year honors in his second season as the 1987 squad put together as a 23-11 mark. Wofford then set a single-season school record for victories the following campaign with a 27-12 record. It marked the first time Wofford qualified for postseason play in consecutive seasons. Line’s 1991 team established another Terrier mark for wins with a 30-9 record.      Line was selected as a 2004 inductee into Wofford’s Athletic Hall of Fame. The first-base dugout at Russell C. King Field, the Terriers’ on-campus baseball facility, is named in his honor.      Line has served as chairman of the physical education department since 1988. Following the 1995 season, Line accepted a role as associate dean of students in the Wofford student affairs office. He worked with volunteer services, Bonner Scholars, the campus judicial system and a host of other activities involving campus life.      Line and his wife, Pam, have two children: Alyse Worley, a 2010 graduate of Wofford, and Sam, a 2014 graduate of Emory and Henry College. Alyse and her husband Mitch live in Spartanburg, while Sam and his wife Meg reside in Greenville.