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Photo courtesy of Birmingham-Sou
Sarah Cespedes recently was named an assistant coach at Samford. Photo courtesy of Birmingham-Southern Athletics.
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Photo courtesy of Sarah Cespedes
Sarah Cespedes, right, with three Birmingham-Southern College softball players last season. Cespedes recently was named an assistant coach at Samford. Photo courtesy of Sarah Cespedes.
Sarah Cespedes has hit the ground running in her new gig.
Hired as an assistant softball coach at Samford University on June 24, Cespedes was on the road recruiting last weekend.
But she has taken a little time to reflect on the opportunity afforded her, entering the NCAA Division I ranks as a coach this upcoming year.
“The best word to describe it is surreal,” she said. “I am way more blessed than I should be in this situation. I seriously could not be more excited about it.”
Cespedes, a 2018 Chelsea High School graduate, spent last season as an assistant coach at Birmingham-Southern College. She learned plenty during her short time there, both on and off the field.
On the field, Cespedes “had to get out of my comfort zone,” as she coached more than just pitchers, the position she played and specializes in.
“I tried to fill in where I was needed,” she said.
In addition, there was the matter of Birmingham-Southern closing its doors at the end of the school year. The Panthers finished the year with a 24-17 record amidst a challenging time for the players.
“What can you do, other than tell them God’s got a plan for you? It’s hard and hopefully not something I’ll ever have to go through again, but the girls on our team were relentless,” she said.
Cespedes will continue to work with Megan Curry, the new head coach at Samford. Curry and Cespedes worked together at BSC last year for the first time. They were hired at Wallace State Community College in late May, but the opportunity for Curry to return to her alma mater and lead the Samford program was too great to pass up.
"I am so excited for Sarah to be a part of our Samford family. She brings an exceptional wealth of knowledge when it comes to pitching and is a competitor through and through," Curry said in a statement following the hiring of Cespedes. "Her heart to love and empower these athletes will set her apart.”
“She truly has been such a blessing,” Cespedes said of Curry. “She’s taken me under wing, she’s believed in me and pushed me.”
Cespedes helped Chelsea to a Class 6A state championship in 2016 and earned plenty of accolades during her time with the Hornets. She then played five years at UAB, throwing 401 2/3 innings with a 3.33 earned run average and 294 strikeouts in 132 appearances.
