Murray State University Athletics
Softball
Jay Pyron
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- jay.pyron@murraystate.edu
- Phone:
- (270) 809-3748
Head Coach Jay Pyron enters his third season at the helm of the Murray State Softball team in 2012.
Pyron helped the Racers earn their second straight appearance into the OVC Championships in 2011, helping MSU to a 24-28 record on the season with a 13-15 conference mark, good for sixth in the league.
He coached a pair of Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division 1 Mideast All-Region First Team selections in Jenna Bradley and Lauren Buch. Bradley was selected the 2011 OVC Player of the year after leading the conference with 18 home runs and 55 RBI. She ranked fourth in the country with 1.2 runs scored per game and was ninth overall in the NCAA in home runs. Bradley drove in 1.12 runs per game, 18th best in the nation and her slugging percentage was good for 13th best overall.
Buch was a model of consistency for MSU in 2011, leading the OVC with a .421 batting average that never dropped below .389 all season.
She also led the league with a .536 on base percentage and a .857 slugging percentage, and was the first Murray State player to be selected for the Capital One Academic All-District squads, being chosen to the third team.
He guided the program to a 22-29 season in 2010, finishing the OVC schedule with an 11-11 record and a berth into the OVC Championships in the team’s inaugural season.
Pyron began his duties as the first softball coach for the Murray State softball team in September 2008 over a year before the first pitch of an official Racers softball game.
He came to the Racers after spending the 2008 season at Campbell University as an assistant coach. As a hitting coach, Pyron helped the Fighting Camels to their best offensive season in school history. Campbell recorded the second most wins in a season, had a school-record team batting average of .287, and broke 11 school records on the way to winning the 2008 Atlantic Sun Conference Championship and playing in the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional. Campbell went 1-2 at the regional, including the softball program’s first NCAA Tournament win over North Carolina (7-6).
His duties with the Fighting Camels included being the recruiting coordinator, hitting and infield coach, travel coordinator, and teaching a physical education class at Campbell.
Prior to joining the Campbell staff, Pyron spent three seasons as an assistant coach at North Carolina State, where he helped build the Wolfpack program. The Keeling, Va., native coached the outfielders and hitters, oversaw the equipment and was the recruiting coordinator.
Pyron’s coaching helped create one of the most productive hitting and defensive seasons in NC State history in his opening season. In his second and the team’s third season the Wolfpack claimed both the ACC regular-season and tournament championships, with 50 wins and a bid to the NCAA Tournament. The National Fastpitch Coaches Association named the staff the 2006 Southeast Regional Staff of the Year. The Wolfpack followed up the 2006 campaign with a second trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2007 ranked as a No. 1 seed.
A strong recruiter as well, Pyron’s 2007 incoming class at NC State was ranked No. 16 in the nation by rivals.com.
Pyron started his collegiate career at Barry University, where he coached the hitters and outfielders, and was the recruiting coordinator for the nationally ranked program. In 2003 he led an American team in the Indoor Cup played in the Netherlands. Pyron also has experience coaching at the high school and club levels. From 1999 to 2003 he coached at Dan River High School in Ringgold, Va. and was the hitting instructor and coach in the Diamond Fever softball organization.
Pyron graduated from Averett University in Danville, Va., in 2002, earning his bachelors of science in physical education with a minor in coaching.
Pyron helped the Racers earn their second straight appearance into the OVC Championships in 2011, helping MSU to a 24-28 record on the season with a 13-15 conference mark, good for sixth in the league.
He coached a pair of Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division 1 Mideast All-Region First Team selections in Jenna Bradley and Lauren Buch. Bradley was selected the 2011 OVC Player of the year after leading the conference with 18 home runs and 55 RBI. She ranked fourth in the country with 1.2 runs scored per game and was ninth overall in the NCAA in home runs. Bradley drove in 1.12 runs per game, 18th best in the nation and her slugging percentage was good for 13th best overall.
Buch was a model of consistency for MSU in 2011, leading the OVC with a .421 batting average that never dropped below .389 all season.
She also led the league with a .536 on base percentage and a .857 slugging percentage, and was the first Murray State player to be selected for the Capital One Academic All-District squads, being chosen to the third team.
He guided the program to a 22-29 season in 2010, finishing the OVC schedule with an 11-11 record and a berth into the OVC Championships in the team’s inaugural season.
Pyron began his duties as the first softball coach for the Murray State softball team in September 2008 over a year before the first pitch of an official Racers softball game.
He came to the Racers after spending the 2008 season at Campbell University as an assistant coach. As a hitting coach, Pyron helped the Fighting Camels to their best offensive season in school history. Campbell recorded the second most wins in a season, had a school-record team batting average of .287, and broke 11 school records on the way to winning the 2008 Atlantic Sun Conference Championship and playing in the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional. Campbell went 1-2 at the regional, including the softball program’s first NCAA Tournament win over North Carolina (7-6).
His duties with the Fighting Camels included being the recruiting coordinator, hitting and infield coach, travel coordinator, and teaching a physical education class at Campbell.
Prior to joining the Campbell staff, Pyron spent three seasons as an assistant coach at North Carolina State, where he helped build the Wolfpack program. The Keeling, Va., native coached the outfielders and hitters, oversaw the equipment and was the recruiting coordinator.
Pyron’s coaching helped create one of the most productive hitting and defensive seasons in NC State history in his opening season. In his second and the team’s third season the Wolfpack claimed both the ACC regular-season and tournament championships, with 50 wins and a bid to the NCAA Tournament. The National Fastpitch Coaches Association named the staff the 2006 Southeast Regional Staff of the Year. The Wolfpack followed up the 2006 campaign with a second trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2007 ranked as a No. 1 seed.
A strong recruiter as well, Pyron’s 2007 incoming class at NC State was ranked No. 16 in the nation by rivals.com.
Pyron started his collegiate career at Barry University, where he coached the hitters and outfielders, and was the recruiting coordinator for the nationally ranked program. In 2003 he led an American team in the Indoor Cup played in the Netherlands. Pyron also has experience coaching at the high school and club levels. From 1999 to 2003 he coached at Dan River High School in Ringgold, Va. and was the hitting instructor and coach in the Diamond Fever softball organization.
Pyron graduated from Averett University in Danville, Va., in 2002, earning his bachelors of science in physical education with a minor in coaching.
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