Katie Grimes - Assistant Coach - Softball Coaches

Katie Grimes

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
kjgrimes@ncsu.edu
Phone:
(919) 513-7593

Katie Grimes enters her fourth season as an assistant coach on NC State head coach Shawn Rychcik's staff. She serves as the team's hitting coach and also works with the outfielders.

The Wolfpack's offensive numbers have seen a dramatic increase since Grimes joined the program. The 2015 squad broke school records for most runs scored (320), most runs batted in (293), most walks (227), highest on-base percentage (.367) and second-most home runs in a single season (75).

As a result of the strong offensive numbers, NC State made its first-ever appearance in an NCAA Super Regional after advancing through the NCAA Harrisonburg (Va.) Regional with a perfect 3-0 mark.

Under her direction, Renada Davis broke the individual single season record for hits with 72, while Tyler Ross eclipsed the program mark for runs batted in (RBI) in a single season with 55.

In the past three seasons, State's home run totals have been the highest in program history. The 2013 team set a school record with 88, the 2015 squad smashed the second best clip in school history with 75 and the 2014 team hit 67 homers. NC State has led the ACC in home runs in two of the three seasons Grimes has served as the hitting coach.

Grimes helped Pack shortstop Davis turn in a career season in 2014, as she broke the school record for highest batting average with a .375 clip. She also became the ACC all-time career home run leader with 65, 60 of which came under Grimes’ leadership.

Her presence was immediately felt with the program as the team saw a spike in many offensive categories from 2012 to 2013. In particular, Grimes worked to alter and fine-tune some of the player's swings, which resulted in the squad hitting 88 home runs - the most in the ACC and tied for the sixth-best total in the nation.

That team's home run total was also a program best. It topped the previous year's tally (35) by more than 50 homers. Other offensive numbers that increased due to Grimes and the Wolfpack coaching staff were team batting average (.266), runs scored (288) and hits (398).

In 2013, NC State led the ACC in slugging percentage with an average of .491. The squad also posted the third-best mark in the league in total bases with 736.

Under her leadership, Davis broke the school record with 26 homers. Davis' mark was the best among league opponents and tied as the second-best total in the nation.

Davis along with outfielder Caitlin Dent and catcher Kirsty Grant earned All-ACC honors for their performances in 2013.

Grimes spent two seasons on coach Shawn Rychcik's staff at Boston University, one as a volunteer assistant and the second as a full-time assistant. While in Boston, Grimes worked with the team's pitchers, outfielders and hitters; served as the first base coach; and handled recruiting, scouting and summer camps.

She handles similar duties with the Wolfpack.

A native of Tampa, Grimes played collegiate softball at Hawaii from 2007-10 and was a four-year starter at catcher. Grimes helped lead Hawaii to a pair of Western Athletics Conference titles, two NCAA regional championships (2007, '10) and the school's first-ever berth in the College World Series (2010).

She was named the WAC Freshman of the Year in 2007 and to the WAC All-Tournament team in 2010. As a senior, she had a career-high .282 batting average, with five doubles, 11 home runs, 41 RBIs and a .497 slugging percentage.

Grimes earned WAC All-Academic honors in each of her four seasons. She earned a bachelor's of science degree in psychology in 2010 and added a master's of education degree in counseling, sport psychology, from Boston University in 2012.