PEMBROKE – UNC Pembroke softball head coach Stephanie Graziani added the finishing touches to her coaching staff on Wednesday morning when the first-year skipper named Lauren Hawley as assistant coach for the Braves.
 
A former NCAA Division II student-athlete, Hawley treks to Pembroke from Alliance, Ohio, where she has spent the last three seasons as an integral part of the coaching staff at Mount Union. She also has a previous coaching stop at Moniteau High School in western Pennsylvania.
 
"Lauren is going to be a great addition to our program," Graziani said. "We are looking forward to the skills, leadership, and positive mindset that she will bring to this program. I am excited to watch her grow here in BraveNation!"
 
Hawley has been a part of wake of success at Mount Union over the last three seasons, having helped lead the Purple Raiders to a 67-27-1 (.711) mark over that span, including an impressive 32-7 clip in 2021 that culminated in UMO's staff being named the Ohio Athletic Conference's Coaching Staff of the Year. Hawley mentored a dozen all-conference and six all-region players over her last two seasons in Alliance, including two-time all-American Grace Heath. The Purple Raiders climbed as high as No. 15 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Top 25 amid that magical season in 2021 as well.
 
Hawley made her coaching debut at Moniteau High School in 2019 where she guided a pair of student-athletes through the college recruiting process, while also increasing player strength, agility and game skills through practice preparation. She also has a previous stint as a grounds crew intern for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers collegiate baseball summer team.
 
Prior to making her debut in the coaching world, Hawley was a four-year starter (2015-18) and two-time Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Catcher of the Year for Slippery Rock where she helped lead the program to more than 75 victories across four seasons. She played in 155 games (153 starts) across her illustrious collegiate career, while also registering a .276 (124-for-449) batting average to go along with 33 extra-base hits (13 HR) and 75 RBI. She snapped the lid on her collegiate career ranking among the program's top 10 in games played, walks (43), RBI, hits and home runs. She also logged a .988 career fielding percentage, committing just nine errors in 736 total defensive chances.
 
Hawley earned her bachelor's degree in sport management from Slippery Rock in 2018. She received her master's degree in education from Mount Union in 2021.