Last fall, Cassie Moore accompanied her fiancé on a baseball trip to Seton Hill University. During her time on campus, her focus was not on baseball, however, as a practice by the Griffins softball team caught her attention. One year later, Moore is now in charge of that softball program, as Seton Hill officially hired her as the head coach on Tuesday.

“I was ecstatic. It’s such a great university; such a fantastic softball program,” Moore said. “I was humbled, as well, that they selected me to lead the program, especially after such a great year.”

Moore’s former team had a strong year of its own, as she helped guide Bethany College to the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Tournament for the second year in a row. The Bison went 12-6 in PAC play in the spring, following an 11-5 mark the previous campaign.

After four years at Bethany, which competes in NCAA Division III, Moore will make the jump to DII play in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). She has experience at that level, though, serving as an assistant coach for one year at Coker College.

Moore also spent one season as head coach at Division III Newbury College. From 2013-2015, she was at the helm of Genesee Community College in Batavia, New York.

“Softball is softball, and I firmly believe that,” she said of the transition. “Yeah, the pitch might come a little bit faster, but it’s all about managing the girls and developing them into strong leaders, tough women, and getting them to understand how the game works.

“I don’t think much of it changes from division to division,” Moore noted.

One of the biggest advantages to coaching at Seton Hill, though, is that she’s permitted more time to work with her players during the offseason, an opportunity she’s embracing.

While she inherits a team that went 42-12 and produced the best season in program history, Moore knows her team must focus on the present and cannot look ahead to another potential run to the NCAA DII National Championships.

“When we focused way too much on what happens in May and what happens the end of the season, we forget to play the games in March and April, because it’s those games, those innings, those pitches in that moment that’s going to bring you success later in the season,” she explained “It’s just trusting the process and putting in the work every single day, and then letting the season happen how it’s supposed to happen.”

Moore replaces Jessica Strong, who enjoyed unprecedented success during her four-year tenure guiding Seton Hill. Strong resigned in August to take the head coaching position at Berry College in Georgia.

While Moore is destined to carve her own path, her players will be held to the same high standards that were established previously.

“I have the same ambitions, the same work ethic that was there for the past four years. Some of the daily stuff might change a little bit, but the mentality, that will remain unchanged,” Moore stated.

Moore played two seasons at Division II Mars Hill before injuries cut short her playing career. She graduated from Mars Hill with a Bachelors of Art in English and earned a Masters of Art in Liberal Arts Education from Fort Hays State University.