Justin Shults - Softball Coach

Justin Shults

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
justinshults@csufresno.edu
Phone:
559-278-4454

Justin Shults wrapped up his second year as a Fresno State assistant softball coach and the primary hitting instructor under head coach Linda Garza in 2018.

Shults led the Bulldog offense to a historic season in 2018. Preaching on-base percentage as a means for producing runs, Shults' offense ranked fifth in all of NCAA Div. I with a .410 on-base percentage in 2018, improving significantly from a .373 on-base percentage during the 2017 season. Six Bulldog starters had an OBP above .410 with Hayleigh Galvan leading the way with a .511 on-base percentage.

Bulldog hitters shattered the program and Mountain West records with 71 hit-by-pitches in 2018, the second highest total in NCAA Div. I. The previous program record was 42 hit-by-pitches and the MW record was just 47. Four different Bulldog batters recorded double-digit hit-by-pitches, with Kaitlyn Jennings getting hit 12 times to tie for the fourth most in a season program history.

Fresno State batters also broke the single-season program record with 213 walks, which was the fifth highest single-season total in MW history. The 'Dogs also had four starters hit over .300 during the 2018 season while the club slugged 50 home runs and had a .483 season slugging percentage.

Three Bulldog position players earned first-team all MW honors in 2018 while Galvan also earned NFCA All-Region honors as she was named to the Pacific Region third team. Galvan led the team in batting average (.372), slugging percentage (.657), and on-base percentage (.511) and was tied for the team lead with 90 total bases.

In 2017, Shults and the new staff took over a team that had won back-to-back Mountain West Championships, but lost eight seniors to graduation, including the reigning MW Pitcher of the Year and MW Defensive Player of the Year.

Offensively in 2017, the Bulldogs broke the program’s single-season record for grand slams (5) and the single-game record for RBIs (23), which they accomplished against Stanford on Feb. 12. Also in their game against Stanford, they tied the single-game program records for runs (24), home runs (6) and total bases (40).

As a team, the Bulldog ranked fourth in scoring in the MW (5.16 runs/game), which ranked 46th in the NCAA. The ‘Dogs also ranked fourth in the conference with a .435 slugging percentage (59th in NCAA) and seventh in batting average (.282).

Shults help lead the ‘Dogs to a 35-23 record, continuing Fresno State’s streak of 36 straight 30-win seasons, and the Bulldogs’ 33rd NCAA Tournament appearance. Fresno State tied for third place in the MW with a 14-9 conference record and received an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament Seattle Regional. In the regional, the ‘Dogs fell to No. 20 Michigan 3-1, shut out Montana 7-0, then fell to Michigan again, 4-0.

Shults came to Fresno State following two seasons as the assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at Miami University (Ohio), where he helped guide the RedHawks to back-to-back 30-win seasons, a Mid-American Conference Tournament Championship and an NCAA Tournament berth in 2016. Shults’ on-field duties focused on hitting, infield and gameday defense.

During his last season at Miami, the team broke six offensive school records: runs (302), runs per game (5.21), RBIs (274), doubles (83), home runs (56) and walks (200). The RedHawks set a record with a .977 fielding percentage, which ranked seventh in the country and he mentored the first Miami MAC Player of the Year (Taylor Shuey) in school history.

Prior to his time at Miami, Shults spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Southwestern Oklahoma State, where he assisted with hitting, outfield and recruiting. He helped guide six players to All-Great American Conference Team honors.

As a baseball player, Shults spent one season in the Houston Astros organization after being drafted in the 2011 MLB draft in the 45th round. A highly decorated playing career at UC Riverside, Shults earned 2010 All-American and All-Region honors as a junior. He was also a two-time All-Big West selection.

Since UC Riverside became a Division I program in 2002, Shults holds the program’s single-season record for RBIs (62) and the single-game records for HR (3) and total bases (16).

Shults earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from UC Riverside in 2011 and his master’s of education in sport management from Southwestern Oklahoma State in 2013.