Softball
Shults, Justin
Justin Shults
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
Justin Shults enters his third season with the Oregon softball program as an assistant coach, working primarily as the Ducks’ hitting coach.
The Ducks were one of the most productive teams in the country at the plate in Shults’ second year. Oregon finished eighth in the country in batting average (.350) and ninth in runs per game (7.21) while reaching base at a .427 clip which was good for 12th-best nationally. The Ducks also displayed tremendous depth offensively, with five starters hitting over .350, while 10 different players hit home runs and four starters slugged over .600.
Shults helped senior outfielder Haley Cruse to a Softball America Second-Team All-America selection for the shortened season after she led the team and finished third in the Pac-12 with a .457 batting average. A number of other players made big strides at the plate, including infielder Allee Bunker, who hit .429 while slugging .600 – 163 points higher than her freshman year in 2019. Rachel Cid upped her batting average by over 100 points from .260 to .387 between her freshman and sophomore years while also slugging over 200 points higher at .707.
In his first year at Oregon in 2019, he helped four different players hit above .300, including a pair of freshmen. Shults coached Bunker, Cruse and Jasmine Sievers to All-Pac-12 selections, while Bunker and Sievers were both named all-freshman.
Shults came to Oregon after spending 2017 and 2018 at Fresno State. He led the Bulldogs to a historic offensive year in 2018, when they ranked fifth in the NCAA with a .410 team on-base percentage, up from .373 in 2017. Six Bulldogs owned an on-base percentage of .410 or better, with Hayleigh Galvan leading the way at an astounding .511 clip. Fresno State showed a knack for finding ways to reach base, as Bulldog hitters shattered the program and Mountain West records with 71 hit-by-pitches in 2018, the second-most in the nation, while also breaking the program record with 213 walks.
The Bulldogs also hit for power under Shults, blasting 50 home runs with a .483 team slugging percentage in 2018. Three Bulldog position players earned first-team All-Mountain West honors in 2018, while Galvan also earned NFCA All-Pacific-Region third-team honors. Galvan led the team in batting average (.372), slugging percentage (.657), and on-base percentage (.511) and was tied for the team lead with 90 total bases.
Shults helped lead the Bulldogs to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017, his first season with the program, after he and the new staff took over a team that graduated eight seniors, including the reigning MWC pitcher of the year and MWC defensive player of the year. Offensively, the 2017 Bulldogs broke the program’s single-season record for grand slams (5) and the single-game record for RBIs (23), which they accomplished against Stanford (Feb. 12). The Bulldogs also tied the single-game program records for runs (24), home runs (6) and total bases (40) against the Cardinal.
Shults went to Fresno State following two seasons as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Miami University (Ohio), where he helped guide the Redhawks to back-to-back 30-win seasons, a Mid-American Conference Tournament championship and an NCAA Tournament berth in 2016.
During his last season at Miami (Ohio), the team broke offensive school records for runs (302), runs per game (5.21), RBIs (274), doubles (83), home runs (56) and walks (200). Shults also mentored Taylor Shuey, the first MAC player of the year in school history.
Prior to his time at Miami, Shults spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Southwestern Oklahoma State, where he assisted with hitting, outfield and recruiting. He helped guide six players to All-Great American Conference Team honors.
As a baseball player, Shults spent one season in the Houston Astros organization after being drafted in the 45th round of the 2011 MLB Draft. A highly decorated playing career at UC Riverside, Shults earned 2010 All-American and All-Region honors as a junior. He was also a two-time All-Big West selection. Shults left UC Riverside as the program’s single-season record for RBIs (62) and the single-game records for HR (3) and total bases (16).
Shults earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from UC Riverside in 2011, and his Masters of education in sport management from Southwestern Oklahoma State in 2013.
COACHING EXPERIENCE
The Ducks were one of the most productive teams in the country at the plate in Shults’ second year. Oregon finished eighth in the country in batting average (.350) and ninth in runs per game (7.21) while reaching base at a .427 clip which was good for 12th-best nationally. The Ducks also displayed tremendous depth offensively, with five starters hitting over .350, while 10 different players hit home runs and four starters slugged over .600.
Shults helped senior outfielder Haley Cruse to a Softball America Second-Team All-America selection for the shortened season after she led the team and finished third in the Pac-12 with a .457 batting average. A number of other players made big strides at the plate, including infielder Allee Bunker, who hit .429 while slugging .600 – 163 points higher than her freshman year in 2019. Rachel Cid upped her batting average by over 100 points from .260 to .387 between her freshman and sophomore years while also slugging over 200 points higher at .707.
In his first year at Oregon in 2019, he helped four different players hit above .300, including a pair of freshmen. Shults coached Bunker, Cruse and Jasmine Sievers to All-Pac-12 selections, while Bunker and Sievers were both named all-freshman.
Shults came to Oregon after spending 2017 and 2018 at Fresno State. He led the Bulldogs to a historic offensive year in 2018, when they ranked fifth in the NCAA with a .410 team on-base percentage, up from .373 in 2017. Six Bulldogs owned an on-base percentage of .410 or better, with Hayleigh Galvan leading the way at an astounding .511 clip. Fresno State showed a knack for finding ways to reach base, as Bulldog hitters shattered the program and Mountain West records with 71 hit-by-pitches in 2018, the second-most in the nation, while also breaking the program record with 213 walks.
The Bulldogs also hit for power under Shults, blasting 50 home runs with a .483 team slugging percentage in 2018. Three Bulldog position players earned first-team All-Mountain West honors in 2018, while Galvan also earned NFCA All-Pacific-Region third-team honors. Galvan led the team in batting average (.372), slugging percentage (.657), and on-base percentage (.511) and was tied for the team lead with 90 total bases.
Shults helped lead the Bulldogs to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017, his first season with the program, after he and the new staff took over a team that graduated eight seniors, including the reigning MWC pitcher of the year and MWC defensive player of the year. Offensively, the 2017 Bulldogs broke the program’s single-season record for grand slams (5) and the single-game record for RBIs (23), which they accomplished against Stanford (Feb. 12). The Bulldogs also tied the single-game program records for runs (24), home runs (6) and total bases (40) against the Cardinal.
Shults went to Fresno State following two seasons as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Miami University (Ohio), where he helped guide the Redhawks to back-to-back 30-win seasons, a Mid-American Conference Tournament championship and an NCAA Tournament berth in 2016.
During his last season at Miami (Ohio), the team broke offensive school records for runs (302), runs per game (5.21), RBIs (274), doubles (83), home runs (56) and walks (200). Shults also mentored Taylor Shuey, the first MAC player of the year in school history.
Prior to his time at Miami, Shults spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Southwestern Oklahoma State, where he assisted with hitting, outfield and recruiting. He helped guide six players to All-Great American Conference Team honors.
As a baseball player, Shults spent one season in the Houston Astros organization after being drafted in the 45th round of the 2011 MLB Draft. A highly decorated playing career at UC Riverside, Shults earned 2010 All-American and All-Region honors as a junior. He was also a two-time All-Big West selection. Shults left UC Riverside as the program’s single-season record for RBIs (62) and the single-game records for HR (3) and total bases (16).
Shults earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from UC Riverside in 2011, and his Masters of education in sport management from Southwestern Oklahoma State in 2013.
COACHING EXPERIENCE
| 2019-present | Assistant Coach | Oregon |
| 2017-18 | Assistant Coach | Fresno State |
| 2015-16 | Assistant Coach | Miami (Ohio) |
| 2013-14 | Assistant Coach | Southwestern Oklahoma State |
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