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 Martha McCall joins first-year head coach Christine Hornak on the Catamount softball coaching staff. |
Nov. 16, 2006
Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina first-year head coach Christine Hornak today announced the hiring of Martha McCall as her assistant coach for the rapidly approaching 2007 Catamount Softball season. McCall is just the second assistant coach in the two-year old WCU program history.
"I am excited that Coach McCall is joining the Catamount softball staff," said Hornak. "Her significant background with the Southern Conference, both as a player and then as a coach, should be a major plus for our program. It is awesome to work with someone who shares similar goals for the program and it is exciting to have an assistant who is just as eager to continue to build upon the tradition of Catamount Softball."
Originally from Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., McCall was a standout catcher and also played first base for the College of Charleston from 2000 through 2003. After graduating with a degree in communications, McCall spent two seasons on the Cougar coaching staff under her former skipper, Chandelle Schulte, as the camp director, recruitment assistant, and facility liaison with the Patriots Point Complex. She also assisted with the outfielders, hitting, conditioning, and film analysis.
With McCall on staff, the Cougars ranked among the leaders both in the Southern Conference and nation. In addition to leading the SoCon in batting average, runs, hits, RBI, doubles, home runs, and slugging percentage in 2004, the College of Charleston led the NCAA in doubles, ranked second in runs scored, seventh in home runs, and were 10th in batting average. The following season, en route to winning both the regular season and tournament championships, the Cougars led the SoCon in most offensive categories and ranked second in the nation in doubles, 10th in home runs, 17th in runs scored, and their 53-18 overall record ranked 20th.
Prior to last season, Schulte made the move to Wisconsin and McCall followed helping the Badgers to a 22-22 record overall. Wisconsin collectively hit 36 doubles and 30 home runs as a team. Last season, McCall coached two Badger players who earned All-Big Ten honors as outfielder Katie Hnatyk was dubbed second team and catcher Joey Daniels was named to the third team.
Highlighting McCall's playing career was 2001 when as a sophomore she hit .309 and led the Cougars with a .990 fielding percentage, only committing one error in 47 games. She was also tabbed second team All-Southern Conference as a designated player in '01. McCall served as a team captain for the Cougar in 2002 and 2003, and during the latter, CofC won the SoCon championship.
Western Carolina is scheduled to open its SoCon title defense in Nashville, Tenn., on Saturday, Feb. 10 in double-header action against Tennessee State and the following day against Lipscomb.
