Former Clemson Softball All-American Joins Furman as Assistant Coach
- nicolereitz2
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON www.si.com/onsi/softball
A 2023 USA Softball Player of the Year and four-time NFCA All-American is returning to the field, this time as a coach.
According to Justin McLeod of D1 Softball, former Clemson Tiger Valerie Cagle is reportedly joining the Furman staff as an assistant coach. This marks the first college coaching job for the two-way standout.
As one of Clemson’s best players to ever take the field, Cagle brings an extensive resume with knowledge from the mound and at the plate to Greenville.
Maintained a .379 career batting average with 66 home runs and 224 runs batted in.
Tallied 288 base hits while scoring 180 career runs over five years.
Compiled an 86-37 career record in the circle with 14 saves over 153 appearances, including 114 starts.
Posted a 1.72 career earned run average with 819 strikeouts in 756.1 innings and authored 79 career complete games with 28 shutouts.
Finished her career as the program’s all-time offensive leader in games played, games started, batting average, at-bats, hits, doubles, home runs, runs batted in, total bases, and walks.
Owns school career pitching standards in wins, saves, appearances, games started, complete games, shutouts, innings, and strikeouts.
2023 USA Softball Player of the Year
2023 Rawlings Gold Glove Award Recipient
2021 ACC Freshman of the Year
Four-time NFCA All-American
As the No. 1 overall draft pick during the Athletes Unlimited Softball College Draft in 2024, Cagle played one year with the league, starting once during the Championship season, having four at-bats. Cagle did not join the inaugural Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) in 2025.
With Team USA, she appeared in the 2023 and 2024 Japan All-Star Series. In 2023, she hit .333 with a home run and three runs batted in.
Additionally, she led Team USA to a gold medal at the 2021 Junior Women’s World Championship, tallying 20 strikeouts with just eight hits allowed over 12 innings.
The addition of Cagle to the coaching staff comes just two months after Mary Beth Dennison was tabbed as the program’s new head coach and Kristina Burkhardt as assistant coach.
Coming off a 15-38 record and a failed run in the Southern Conference championship, Cagle, under Dennison’s new direction, will have the opportunity to turn around a program that is in need of a refresh.
The Paladins finished with a 4.76 collective ERA and a 1.74 WHIP, an area Cagle will certainly look to improve.
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