Earlier this summer, the West Point 12U softball team made headlines by reaching the Little League World Series. This year’s team is the latest in the long lineage of dominant squads. More than a decade ago, Shelby Noel was part of several of those teams. From there, she went to enjoy great softball success, both at Greater Latrobe and Saint Vincent College, before eventually joining the coaching ranks at Pitt-Greensburg. She’s in the spotlight in this edition of Westmoreland Where Are They Now?

After reaching the Little League World Series three times with West Point in her youth, Noel joined the Greater Latrobe varsity as a freshman in 2011. She carved out an unexpected role as an outfielder after playing first base and pitcher coming up through the ranks.

“Getting moved to the outfield was a big transition for me, but I also enjoyed it,” Noel revealed. “I got the opportunity to play as a freshman when not a lot of people do. Being there and being in that moment was cool to see that these types of things happen in high school.”

The Wildcats compiled a record of 17-5 overall, including 10-2 in the section. In the Quad-A playoffs, the Wildcats defeated Fox Chapel Area, Mount Lebanon, and Shaler Area to reach the WPIAL Championship. Greater Latrobe then defeated Seneca Valley to claim district gold.

“Going up playing for West Point, I was on a winning team, so it was cool to have that carry over to high school,” Noel stated. “I think we were very lucky with the senior class we had at the time. They really led us to where we were at.”

With stars like Alexa Larkin and Rebecca Taylor paving the way, the Wildcats entered the state playoffs, and claimed wins against State College Area and Erie McDowell before eventually bowing out against Pennsbury in the PIAA Quad-A semifinals.

Those state games represented some of the best memories for Noel during that golden season.

“We were all so excited to be on a charter bus instead of a school bus. I remember it was so cool,” she recalled. “We were after the school year playing softball, just being with my friends and my teammates.”

The following year, the Wildcats achieved a mark of 14-8 overall, including 9-3 in the section. After a win against Plum in the opening round of the WPIAL Quad-A playoffs, though, the Wildcats fell to Shaler Area in the quarterfinals, ending their season.

That also marked the end of coach Bob Kovalcin’s first tenure guiding the program.

“Bob was always a very serious coach, but we also had a lot of fun,” Noel noted, remembering his “fun Fridays” tradition.

In 2013, Rick Shaheen took the reins of Greater Latrobe, and guided the Wildcats to another strong regular season, going 10-2 in the section. In the WPIAL Quad-A postseason, however, the Wildcats were eliminated by Peters Township in the first round, finishing the season with an overall record of 15-4.

After playing outfield as a freshman, Noel shifted primarily to first base. She also saw time in the circle as a sophomore and a junior, but her pitching career came to an end during the 2013 campaign.

“I hurt my shoulder when I was younger and never got it fixed, so I was just in more pain than anything pitching,” she detailed. “I just couldn’t do it anymore.”

Noel’s senior season brought another coaching change, as former GL pitching star Alexa Bryson was hired to lead the program.

“It was difficult to adapt to different coaching styles,” Noel said of playing under three head coaches in her four seasons at GL. “(But) I think it was a change of pace, just seeing new coaches.”

The Wildcats enjoyed a postseason resurgence in 2014, as they went 17-6 overall, including 9-3 in the section ledger. In the WPIAL Quad-A playoffs, the Cats knocked off Woodland Hills and Seneca Valley, but came up short against Canon-McMillan in the semifinals. However, courtesy of a win against Penn-Trafford in the consolation game, the Wildcats qualified for the state tournament. Greater Latrobe bested Shaler Area in the PIAA opener, but lost to DuBois Area in the quarterfinals to conclude Noel’s prep career.

“Our team chemistry was the best my senior year. We were just one big family,” Noel recounted. “We always talked about how our defense was immaculate. We had, I would say, one of the best defenses in the WPIAL at the time.”

Noel also reflected on some of her favorite games with the Wildcats – matchups against Hempfield Area, which featured several of her former teammates at West Point.

“I loved when we played Hempfield, because we got to see all of our friends growing up,” she said. “It was always just a battle.”

While Noel was best known for her play on the diamond, she also competed in basketball during her freshman and sophomore years at Greater Latrobe.

“I loved playing basketball, but softball was always my No. 1 priority,” she revealed. “It was just so frustrating because if I would’ve devoted more time to practicing basketball, it would’ve been so much better for me.”

After her graduation, Noel opted to stay close to home, matriculating to Saint Vincent College. Remaining in Latrobe was important to Noel, as her grandfather, Ron Schmucker, was sick at the time.

“He was the reason I played softball,” she revealed.

From the time she arrived on campus, Noel made her mark with the Bearcats. As a freshman in 2015, she played in 35 games, all starts, hitting .431 with 29 RBIs, 28 runs, and three homers. As a result, she was recognized as First-Team All-Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) at first base.

“Going in there and being as good as them, I was like, 'I want to start,”’ Noel revealed of her freshman campaign. “I just became a different animal at that point.”

The Bearcats went 24-11 overall in 2015, including 11-7 in the PAC. In the conference tournament, SVC bested Washington & Jefferson College, but lost twice to Bethany College.

Noel was even better as a sophomore, as she started 43 games, hitting .456 with 41 runs batted in, 38 runs, and nine home runs, setting multiple SVC records. Thus, she was again a First-Team All-PAC honoree, and she also garnered First-Team All-ECAC South accolades.

“After the first season and I was All-Conference, there was really no other choice for me. I had to continue to do it and be better each season,” she added.

The Bearcats achieved historic success that year, including an overall mark of 29-15. After going 12-6 in the PAC, SVC went on a run in the conference tournament. The Bearcats opened with a win against Thomas More College, but then suffered a nine-inning loss against Bethany. However, Saint Vincent responded with another win against Thomas More, and then claimed two straight wins against the Bison to capture the first PAC title in team history.

As a result, SVC advanced to the NCAA Division III Regionals, and stunned host and top seed Virginia Wesleyan College in the first game.

“I remember that game like it was yesterday,” Noel said. “Going in there and beating them, that was special. That really sticks with me.”

The Bearcats’ run eventually ended with consecutive losses to Haverford College and Salisbury University.

In Noel’s junior season, she added defensive versatility, appearing in the outfield for several nonconference contests. She remained a force at the plate, hitting .458 with 40 RBIs, 33 runs, and eight homers in 32 games. For the third year in a row, she was named First-Team All-PAC, and she repeated as a First-Team All-ECAC selection. She also was tabbed as NFCA All-Central Regional Third-Team.

That season, SVC went 18-16 overall, including 11-7 in the conference. In the PAC Tournament, the Bearcats dropped matchups against Westminster College and Thiel College.

As a senior in 2018, Noel played in 31 games, hitting .444 with 28 runs batted in, 34 runs, and five home runs. For the fourth year in a row, she was selected as First-Team All-PAC, and she was again an NFCA All-Region Third-Team choice.

The Bearcats achieved a record of 22-10, including 12-5 in the PAC. SVC fell to Westminster in the opening game of the conference tournament, but the Bearcats responded with a win against Bethany. However, their season ended with a setback against Thomas More.

With her softball career behind her, Noel graduated from Saint Vincent College in 2018, majoring in criminology with a minor in forensics science. She later achieved a master’s from SVC.

She fondly remembers her time on campus, highlighted by the friendships she made with many of the women’s basketball players.

“One thing I loved about Saint Vincent was just the atmosphere, in general,” she detailed. “I made lifelong best friends.”

As she moved on to her next chapter, Noel relocated to Georgia for work. Her role entailed building automated telephone lines for healthcare companies. But when COVID hit in early 2020, she returned to Westmoreland County. She maintains that same job today, but in a work-from-home capacity.

Following COVID, her younger sister, Ashley, was playing softball at the University of Pitt-Greensburg. In 2021, Bobcats softball head coach Chuck Myers reached out to Shelby about joining his staff, but she declined at the time.

Two years later, though, the offer was extended once again, and this time, Noel opted to join the program in a volunteer role.

“I’ve known Chuck my whole life. I grew up playing against his daughter,” Noel revealed.

With her younger sister playing first base, Noel was assigned to aid the outfielders.

“He didn’t want my sister and I arguing every practice,” Shelby Noel joked.

Despite Ashley’s graduation, Shelby Noel remained with UPG this past season, and she also assisted with the first basemen and hitters.

Noel, who also gives pitching and hitting lessons to youth players, has embraced the opportunity to stay connected with the sport.

“Kind of giving back to the community that built me into the person I am today,” she said. “I like that I’m close in age to the girls and I feel like I’m always a safe space they can come to.”

In addition to her commitments to work and softball, Noel spends much of her free time on her Unity Township farm, which includes horses and beef cows.