BALTIMORE – Coppin State Director of Athletics
Derek Carter announced on Thursday that
Mercedes Hargett has been hired as the new head softball coach. Hargett spent the last three seasons as head coach at Shaw University in Raleigh, N.C.
Prior to Shaw, Hargett spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Grambling State after getting her first collegiate coaching opportunity at Alabama A&M where she helped the Bulldogs to a SWAC East Division title in 2018.
During her time at Shaw, Hargett helped the Bears raise their team batting to .292 this past season while helping the pitching staff lower their ERA by nearly two runs.
A native of Havelock, N.C., Hargett was a two-way standout at Winston-Salem State where she led the Rams to a pair of CIAA Championships and NCAA Regional appearances in 2014 and 2016. Hargett earned First Team All-CIAA honors in both 2015 and 2016, was named the CIAA Tournament Most Valuable Player in 2016 and earned CIAA All-Rookie Team accolades in 2014.
Graduating from Winston-Salem with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology in 2017, Hargett was a .327 career hitter with 35 home runs and 110 RBI while recording 55 wins from the circle with 629 strikeouts and a 3.35 earned run average.
The Eagles are coming off their first-ever appearance in the MEAC Championship Game and are led by All-MEAC selections
Vanessa Carrizosa (SP) and
Seryna Esparza (first base) who were both named to the 2023 MEAC All-Tournament Team.
