Shelby Hiers - Softball Coach

Shelby Hiers

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
srh276e@missouristate.edu
Phone:
(417) 836-4136

Shelby Hiers joined the Missouri State softball staff in August 2023. She is in charge of working with MSU's catchers and assists with the Bears' hitters and offensive strategy.

During her three seasons with the Bears, Hiers has helped produce six all-conference selections including four first-teamers. She assisted in the development of Annie Mueller and McKenzie Vaughan, who went on to earn NFCA Midwest All-Region honors. In 2024, in Hiers' first season at Mo State working with the offense, sixth-year senior Olivia Krehbiel set the career home run record (31) and Mueller had the best season of her career as a senior, breaking the program's single-season home run (19) and RBI (51) records. In 2025, the career home run record fell for the second consecutive year as Vaughan broke and extended the record to the current top mark with 34 homers.

Hiers arrived in Springfield after spending the previous two seasons at Louisiana Tech, where her primary responsibilities included assisting with the Lady Techsters’ catchers, defensive game planning and hitting, as well as video analysis, recruiting and camp coordination.

Prior to her time in Ruston, she spent two seasons as a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Georgia, where she was a part of the coaching staff that helped lead the Bulldogs to the 2021 Women’s College World Series. At Georgia, Hiers worked with the catchers while assisting with hitting and serving as the first base coach.

She was also a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Virginia for a brief stint.

Hiers played four seasons at the University of Arkansas from 2014-2017, where she made 151 starts for the Razorbacks. Offensively, she owned a career .242 batting average with 17 home runs, 91 walks and 58 RBI. Defensively, Hiers recorded a .971 career fielding percentage and threw out 24 baserunners across her four years, including 15 in her senior season.

Following her playing career at Arkansas, Hiers remained in Fayetteville to serve as a graduate assistant where she assisted with bullpen sessions and worked with the pitching staff among other duties. The Razorbacks went on to make their first-ever NCAA Super Regional appearance in 2018. She received her bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology in May 2017 and earned her master’s degree in Recreation and Sports Management in May 2019.

Hailing from Quitman, Ga., Hiers also played professionally for a short time. First, playing for the Akron Racers of the National Pro Fastpitch league in the summer of 2017, before earning a spot on the American Softball Association all-star team the next summer.