Trena Peel is entering her third season as head coach of the Hampton University softball program, taking her first head coaching job after two seasons as an assistant coach of 6-time SWAC champion Mississippi Valley State.
After going 13-35 and missing the conference tournament in Peel’s first season, the Lady Pirates rebounded in 2012 to the tune of a 25-33 overall record – an improvement of 12 wins – and a 9-9 mark in conference play, which earned the Lady Pirates a No. 3 seed from the Northern Division in the MEAC Tournament. Once in the tournament, Hampton advanced to the semifinals – defeating the Southern Division’s top seed, Savannah State, along the way.
The Lady Pirates were second in the MEAC in hits (411), home runs (28), and runs batted in (218) in 2012, while sitting third in runs scored (240) and slugging percentage (.385). On the mound, Hampton was second in the MEAC in strikeouts with 243.
MVSU went 27-23 in 2010, falling in the SWAC championship game to Alcorn State. Four Devilettes were named All-SWAC: pitcher Lisa Jansen and right fielder Ashley Hobs wear First Team All-SWAC selections, while outfielder Haleigh Eubanks and catcher Alexandria Robertson were named Second Team All-SWAC. Jansen led the SWAC last season in opposing batting average (.213), strikeouts (144), wins (14) and finished second in the conference with a 2.78 ERA.
Peel joined the program in 2009 as MVSU was marching to its sixth title. Peel came to Itta Bena, Miss. from the University of Maryland, where she had served in the same capacity. Within the Devilettes program, she was primarily responsible for pitching and coaching the infield.
Under Peel, Jansen became an All-Region honoree and an All-American candidate as she registered 288 strikeouts in two seasons. Peel also guided the MVSU pitching staff as it led the SWAC in wins, ERA, opposing batting average and saves.
A native of Aurora, Colo., Peel served as an assistant coach at the University of Maryland from 2006-08. There, she worked with the pitchers and assisted with the outfield. She also coordinated team travel and game-day preparation for the team.
In the 2004 season, Peel coached at George Washington University, where she instructed outfielders, pitchers, hitting and coached first base. She also served as the recruiting coordinator, academic contact and conditioning coach at GWU.
A 2003 graduate of LSU with a bachelor of science in Kinesiology, Peel has enjoyed a professional career that has included stints with the Akron Racers (2004, 2008-09), New York Juggernauts (2005), Chicago Bandits (2006) and Philadelphia Force (2007). In the summer of 2009, Peel participated in the MLB Celebrity All-Star Game during MLB All-Star Weekend in St. Louis, Mo.
In her rookie season with Akron, she finished with five home runs, three triples, 27 RBI and a league-high 27 stolen bases. The two-time NPF All-Star (2004, 2005) was especially productive in two seasons with Philadelphia. In 2007, she signed as a free agent and ended the campaign leading the team with five home runs and tied for second on the team with 20 runs scored. In 2008, she had eight home runs (tied for fifth in the league) along with eight stolen bases, 20 RBI and a .508 slugging percentage.
Peel played at LSU from 1999-2002, where she earned NFCA Second-Team All-American accolades and was a semifinalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year as a senior. She was named SEC Athlete of the Year in 2002 and was also a three-time All-SEC honoree, selected twice to the All-South Regional Team. She was a 2001 NCAA Region 3 All-Tournament team member and a 2002 SEC All-Tournament selection.
As a Tiger, Peel tallied a .323 batting average with 269 hits, 45 doubles and 27 triples, which ranks first in LSU history. As a junior, Peel led the nation in triples per game and broke the LSU and SEC single-season triples record while ranking fourth in NCAA history with 14.
While at LSU, Peel was a 1999 USA Junior Olympic Softball team member and played on the 2001 USA National Red Team. She was also selected to the USA Elite Team in 2002 and 2003. The 2002 SEC Player of the Year, Peel was also a semifinalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award.
In 2002, Peel also led the nation in triples per game.
