Head Coach: Robert Luckadoo
luckadoo@meredith.edu

Robert Luckadoo enters his second year as head coach of the Meredith College softball program. During the 2008 season, the team finished the season with 10 wins overall and four wins in the USA South. This season marked the first time since 2003 that the program had seen double digit victories and saw the first USA South conference win in a doubleheader split with N.C. Wesleyan. Offensive production, and specifically the team’s new hitting program, was a key focus upon Luckadoo’s arrival in January 2008. After struggling offensively for the past three seasons, 2008 proved to be one of Meredith College softball’s best offensive years on record. The 2008 team broke many statistical offensive records including the Meredith single season record for home runs (24), seven different individuals hitting home runs in a season and finishing the season ranked 40th in the nation out of 386 teams in home runs per game. Prior to this year, the team had only hit one homerun in the previous two seasons combined.

Luckadoo came to Meredith from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he served under head coach Donna Papa as an assistant coach. Luckadoo brings a wealth of experience from the Tar Heel softball program where he worked with pitchers and catchers, was responsible for video analysis of Tar Heel hitters, and assisted practice planning and coordination of the Carolina Softball Camps and Clinics.

Luckadoo is entering his 15th season as a fastpitch softball coach and instructor and his 26th season as either a coach or a player. He has successfully coached at the 16U, 18U, high school and collegiate levels of play. In addition to UNC, previous collegiate experience includes Montreat College in Black Mountain, N.C., where he served as an assistant in charge of pitchers, catchers, outfielders and recruiting.

As a private pitching instructor, Luckadoo has worked with over 200 young pitchers at the junior high, high school and collegiate levels of play. In addition to planning a summer softball skills camp geared toward the development of softball skills for players from 10-18 years of age being held at Meredith College this summer, Luckadoo is scheduled to work 2009 summer camps at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University.

Coach Luckadoo is a native of Rutherford County, N.C., a 1983 graduate of East Rutherford High School (Forest City, N.C.) and a 1988 graduate of NC State University. Luckadoo, a strong proponent of higher education, completed a master's degree in sports management in June 2008 from the United States Sports Academy. He is a North Carolina Certified Science teacher and has worked as an instructor of Physics and Physical Science in the McDowell and Burke County in North Carolina. Luckadoo and his wife, Paula, have two daughters, Lindsay, age 19, and Sara, age 17.

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Assistant Coach: Shona Guevara

Shona Guevara enters her first year as assistant coach of the Meredith College softball team. The Chino Hills, Calif. native will serve on the staff of Coach Robert Luckadoo.

Guevara comes to Meredith from her assistant’s position at Cabrini College (Pa.). Guevara was a stand out collegiate pitcher taking the circle for NCAA Division II powerhouse Humboldt State University in 2001 and 2002. During 2002 as a sophomore, Guevara set a Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) record for most wins in a season (25), most strike outs (172), and most innings pitched (236). In 2001 she was named the GNAC Rookie of the Year, and garnered GNAC and National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-West Region first team honors. In 2001, her team was selected to serve as the U.S. Olympic alternate for the China Invitational International Tournament.

After sitting out her 2003 season with an injury and a medical redshirt, Guevara moved to Pennsylvania where she joined the perennial NCAA Division II national power Lock Haven University (Pa.) pitching staff. In 2004 and 2005 of her junior and senior seasons, she combined for 287 strikeouts while only allowing 41 walks, and maintaining a 1.4 earned run average for both seasons. In 2004 and 2005 she was named to the NFCA Mid-Atlantic Region first team, in 2005 a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference first team selection, and in 2005 broke the Lock Haven school record for most wins as a starting pitcher (19).

Guevara will assist Luckadoo with the Avenging Angel’s pitchers, catchers, and outfielders. She will also be significantly involved with other team day-to-day duties such as travel and team administration. Guevara received a Bachelor’s degree in English Writing from Lock Haven University (Pa).