Miami Ohio University Athletics
Zerkle Joins Softball Staff
7/18/2019 12:21:00 PM | Softball
The professional softball player comes to Oxford from Indiana University.
OXFORD, Ohio – Head Coach Clarisa Crowell announced the addition of Morgan Zerkle to the softball staff on Thursday. Zerkle will serve as an assistant coach.
"It is with great pleasure that we welcome Coach Zerkle to our RedHawk family," said Crowell. "Coach Z is one of the best up-and-coming coaches in our sport and I am fully confident that she will be an excellent addition to our coaching staff and program. I believe her credentials speak for themselves as she was a highly successful collegiate athlete, a former member of Team USA, and is currently a member of the Scrap Yard professional team. Most importantly, Coach Z shares the same values that we have as a program. She is a person of integrity who has a strong work ethic, and she is committed to developing our student athletes. I believe Coach Z will bring a lot of positive energy to our program, and we are excited for her arrival to Oxford!"
Zerkle comes to Oxford after spending two seasons as a graduate assistant at Indiana. Zerkle helped the Hoosiers to an appearance in quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament in 2019 after making it to the semifinals in 2018. Indiana combined for a 62-51 overall record and a 27-19 record in conference games during Zerkle's tenure as she coached alongside her collegiate head coach, Shona Stanton.
"Morgan Zerkle is a rising star in our profession and she will be an outstanding role model for Miami student-athletes," said Stanton. "It is with great enthusiasm that I endorse Z, and I am equally pleased she has this opportunity to continue to grow under such a highly respected coach. This is a tremendous match as Clarisa has aligned like-minded individuals on her staff in terms of passion, ambition, intensity, and work ethic which will continue the RedHawks tradition of excellence."
Prior to her time at Indiana, Zerkle was a four-year letterwinner at Marshall under Stanton. While at Marshall, Zerkle was a four-time All-Conference and three-time NFCA All-Region selection. She capped off an impressive four-year career with NFCA All-American and Senior CLASS All-American selections. Zerkle was a two-time USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year finalist, two-time Spirit of Service award winner and a two-time Marshall Female Athlete of the Year.
"I am honored to be joining an established Miami softball program under the leadership of Coach Crowell," said Zerkle. "[Crowell's] intense passion and work ethic are two fundamental values that I respect in her approach to growing the game and developing her players. I knew very quickly I wanted to be a part of the special culture she has created. I am thrilled for the opportunity to make an impact on Miami's student athletes and continue the RedHawks' winning tradition."
Zerkle ranked second in the nation in batting average during both her sophomore and senior seasons. She won the Golden Shoe Award as a sophomore for the most stolen bases across the country. As a senior, Zerkle was named Conference USA Player of the Year and CUSA Female Athlete of the Year. She won Marshall's Chad Pennington Leadership Award as a junior.
Zerkle concluded her Marshall career atop of the program's record books in batting average (.451), triples (14) and stolen bases (162) while ranking second all-time in slugging percentage (.594), on-base percentage (.489), runs (181), hits (289) and total bases (381). She was a member of the Conference USA All-Academic team each year she was eligible, was a four-time NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete and was regularly named to the Commissioner's Honor Roll at Marshall. Zerkle is a two-time CoSida Academic All-American as well.
Zerkle has also represented the red, white and blue as a member of Team USA, having played in the 2017 World Cup of Softball, 2017 Japan Cup and 2016 World Cup of Softball. In both the 2017 World Cup and 2017 Japan Cup, Team USA captured silver. She continues to play professionally as a member of Scrap Yard and is in her third season with the team.
Zerkle earned her Master's in kinesiology with an emphasis in athletic administration and sport management in 2019. She earned her undergraduate degree in exercise science with a concentration in clinical exercise physiology from Marshall in 2017. Zerkle originally hails from Milton, W. Va.
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"It is with great pleasure that we welcome Coach Zerkle to our RedHawk family," said Crowell. "Coach Z is one of the best up-and-coming coaches in our sport and I am fully confident that she will be an excellent addition to our coaching staff and program. I believe her credentials speak for themselves as she was a highly successful collegiate athlete, a former member of Team USA, and is currently a member of the Scrap Yard professional team. Most importantly, Coach Z shares the same values that we have as a program. She is a person of integrity who has a strong work ethic, and she is committed to developing our student athletes. I believe Coach Z will bring a lot of positive energy to our program, and we are excited for her arrival to Oxford!"
Zerkle comes to Oxford after spending two seasons as a graduate assistant at Indiana. Zerkle helped the Hoosiers to an appearance in quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament in 2019 after making it to the semifinals in 2018. Indiana combined for a 62-51 overall record and a 27-19 record in conference games during Zerkle's tenure as she coached alongside her collegiate head coach, Shona Stanton.
"Morgan Zerkle is a rising star in our profession and she will be an outstanding role model for Miami student-athletes," said Stanton. "It is with great enthusiasm that I endorse Z, and I am equally pleased she has this opportunity to continue to grow under such a highly respected coach. This is a tremendous match as Clarisa has aligned like-minded individuals on her staff in terms of passion, ambition, intensity, and work ethic which will continue the RedHawks tradition of excellence."
Prior to her time at Indiana, Zerkle was a four-year letterwinner at Marshall under Stanton. While at Marshall, Zerkle was a four-time All-Conference and three-time NFCA All-Region selection. She capped off an impressive four-year career with NFCA All-American and Senior CLASS All-American selections. Zerkle was a two-time USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year finalist, two-time Spirit of Service award winner and a two-time Marshall Female Athlete of the Year.
"I am honored to be joining an established Miami softball program under the leadership of Coach Crowell," said Zerkle. "[Crowell's] intense passion and work ethic are two fundamental values that I respect in her approach to growing the game and developing her players. I knew very quickly I wanted to be a part of the special culture she has created. I am thrilled for the opportunity to make an impact on Miami's student athletes and continue the RedHawks' winning tradition."
Zerkle ranked second in the nation in batting average during both her sophomore and senior seasons. She won the Golden Shoe Award as a sophomore for the most stolen bases across the country. As a senior, Zerkle was named Conference USA Player of the Year and CUSA Female Athlete of the Year. She won Marshall's Chad Pennington Leadership Award as a junior.
Zerkle concluded her Marshall career atop of the program's record books in batting average (.451), triples (14) and stolen bases (162) while ranking second all-time in slugging percentage (.594), on-base percentage (.489), runs (181), hits (289) and total bases (381). She was a member of the Conference USA All-Academic team each year she was eligible, was a four-time NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete and was regularly named to the Commissioner's Honor Roll at Marshall. Zerkle is a two-time CoSida Academic All-American as well.
Zerkle has also represented the red, white and blue as a member of Team USA, having played in the 2017 World Cup of Softball, 2017 Japan Cup and 2016 World Cup of Softball. In both the 2017 World Cup and 2017 Japan Cup, Team USA captured silver. She continues to play professionally as a member of Scrap Yard and is in her third season with the team.
Zerkle earned her Master's in kinesiology with an emphasis in athletic administration and sport management in 2019. She earned her undergraduate degree in exercise science with a concentration in clinical exercise physiology from Marshall in 2017. Zerkle originally hails from Milton, W. Va.
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