Our Instructors
Coach Hendrickson
Shawn Hendrickson enters his tenth year as head coach of the Transylvania softball team for the 2024 season.
Hendrickson’s stewardship has brought the Transylvania softball program into its most robust era over its 24-season existence, defined by both a transformative, team-oriented culture along with a tradition of consistent winning and annual NCAA postseason success.
Hendrickson guides the Pioneers into their latest season coming off an unprecedented standard of excellence. From 2017 through 2019, the Pioneers made three straight appearances in the NCAA Division III Softball Tournament for the first time in school history. We also made it back to the regionals in the 2023 season.
Transylvania’s quick ascent to a new standard of excellence under Hendrickson has come in nearly record time.
Hendrickson’s arrival to Transylvania in the fall of 2014 set the stage for a near-instant turnaround.
Coach Hernandez
Natalie Hernandez is entering her ninth season as an assistant coach for the Transylvania Pioneers softball program in 2024.
Hernandez provides a well-rounded playing perspective to her role as the lead assistant for the Pioneers after completing both professional and collegiate softball careers. Hernandez played five summers as a professional with the Chicago Bandits of National Pro Fastpitch before retiring in 2018.
During her tenure with the Transylvania coaching staff, the Pioneers have achieved unparalleled championship achievements. Hernandez’s arrival to the Pioneers ahead of the 2016 season coincided with Transylvania softball’s swift upward movement in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference standings. The Pioneers finished 10 games below .500 prior to Hernandez’s arrival and finished 14-2 atop the HCAC standings in her first season as an assistant coach with the team.
Lessons
HITTING
Hitting groups will consist of various drill work to elevate each hitter’s ability to drive the ball with power. The drill work will incorporate specific areas of the swing that are integral to the overall ability of the hitter to elevate pitches. Each hitter will have distinct strengths and weaknesses that will be evaluated and appropriate drill work will be given to each hitter as they continue in the program.
PITCHING
Pitching groups will focus almost entirely on increasing velocity in the early stages of development. Drills will incorporate various areas of the sequence that will enable each player to develop enhanced speed. Players will become more aware of their bodies in space and once they have developed a sound base, the change up will be added. As the player develops, specific individual drill work will be assigned and multiple pitches will be added based on their individual skill set. The rise ball/drop ball/curve ball will be added to their arsenal to give them three pitches that they can effectively use in games.