Abell Named Asbury Softball Coach
WILMORE, Ky. – Athletic Director Mark Perdue has announced that Marisa Abell has been selected as the next softball coach at Asbury University. Abell takes over a program that has averaged 23 wins since it was reinstated in 2009.
Abell has spent the past four years as an assistant coach at Lexington Lafayette High School, helping the Lady Generals to three district championships, one region title and one berth to the KHSAA State Tournament in 2011. Lafayette compiled a 113-34 overall record and a 59-7 mark in the 11th Region during Abell’s four years.
Abell currently works as a Physical Therapy Technician at Buffalo Run Physical Therapy and graduated from the University of Kentucky with a B.S. in Biology. She is familiar with central Kentucky, graduating from Bryan Station High School in Lexington.
Joining the coaching staff from Lafayette High School will be Samantha DeMartine, taking over as Abell’s assistant. DeMartine served as an assistant with Abell at Lafayette High School last year after a four-year career at the University of Kentucky. DeMartine was part of the 2011 Wildcats team that won the Ann Arbor Regional in the NCAA Tournament.
"We are very excited and blessed to be given this opportunity to become the softball coaches at Asbury University," Abell and DeMartine said, speaking as a staff. "We want to fully embrace our roles as coaches to these young women and this university. These include to help guide and lead these young women to victory on and off the field. They will be successful in the classroom and on their paths of doing God's will for themselves and others. We thank our Lord for making one of our dreams come true, to help individuals see and show the grace we receive from him everyday."
As a senior DeMartine batted .306 with 10 home runs and 34 RBI and ranked third on the team in both home runs and RBI. During her career DeMartine appeared in 207 games with 133 hits, 20 home runs and 90 RBI. Prior to UK, DeMartine was a five-time All-State selection in New York playing for Malboro Central. She was a 2010 All-SEC Academic team selection.
DeMartine currently works at Champions, a softball and baseball instructional academy in Nicholasville.
“We are very excited to welcome these women into the Asbury Athletics Department,” Perdue said. “They will both make great contributions to the program to continue the success on the field but more importantly to serve as mentors and role models for our student-atheltes.”
The Eagles posted a 24-28 overall record last year and a 14-6 mark in the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Asbury has won the KIAC Tournament twice in their four years since being reinstated and have appeared in two NAIA National Championships.
