Coaching Staff
Carla Shepherd-Devereaux | Assistant Coach
Former ACC saves leader Carla Shepherd-Devereaux has re-joined the UMBC Softball coaching staff, head coach Chris Kuhlmeyer has announced.
"I am excited to have Carla join our staff here at UMBC," Kuhlmeyer said. "She has had a successful track record of developing pitchers throughout her career, and can't wait to see the improvement our staff will have under her tutelage."
Shepherd returns to UMBC, where she was an assistant in 2017, after working at Coppin State where she helped the Eagles to their most wins since 2012 and a nearly two run in improvement in team ERA. She also coached Madison Didion to a three-run improvement in ERA and a spot on the MEAC all-conference team. In 2017, her lone season at UMBC, she was instrumental in the recruiting process of rising sophomore All-American pitcher Courtney Coppersmith.
"I am beyond excited to return to UMBC and would like to thank Coach Kuhlmeyer and Director of Athletics Tim Hall for giving me this incredible opportunity," Shepherd-Devereaux said. "UMBC offers a first class education, great facilities, and I love the tight-knit community. It is such an honor to coach with Coach Kuhlmeyer and continue to build on the great things he has done for this program."
Prior to her first stint at UMBC, she worked at Shepherd (WV) University where she helped guide the team to an impressive 14-game improvement after only winning 20 games in the year prior to her arrival. In her lone season with Rams, Shepherd guided the pitchers to a 2.44 ERA, substantially lower than the 4.53 from the previous campaign. The pitching staff allowed only six home runs all season after permitting 39 in 2015. They tossed eight shutouts, double from the previous year, and struck out 220 batters (up from 160 in 2015). She coached Shepherd's Female Athlete of the Year and First Team All-MEC Conference honoree Kaitlin Munda, who went 21-5 in 2016. The Rams also won the North Division title for the Mountain East Conference.
Before Shepherd, the Miami, Fla. native has been an assistant coach at George Mason, South Dakota State, Occidental College, and Louisiana State University Eunice.
A 2007 graduate of Sewanee: The University of the South, Shepherd earned a degree in U.S. History with a concentration in education, and completed a master's degree in sports management from Southeastern Louisiana University in 2010.
Shepherd started her collegiate playing career at College of Charleston where she posted a 7-2 mark with a 2.36 ERA in 2003. She later moved on to North Carolina State where she led the ACC in saves and garnered Georgia Tech Tournament MVP accolades in 2004. She finished her career at Sewanee, where she had a 1.66 ERA and set a school single season record with 160 strikeouts as a senior.
Bobby Baxter | Assistant Coach
Bobby Baxter is a native of Baltimore, MD., is a local resident of Linthicum, MD. and joins the UMBC coaching staff with an extensive coaching background. From 2015-2019, Bobby was the Assistant Coach at CCBC Catonsville NJCAA Division II Women's Softball headed by Chuck Slater. In 2019, the coaching staff was awarded the NFCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year, East Region NJCAA Division II. There, the Lady Cardinals were Nationally Ranked in each of the four years and were Conference Champions in 2018.
Bobby has been the Head Coach or Assistant Coach of travel-select softball at several Maryland programs including the Maryland Chill, Catonsville Chaos and Western Howard County Fever from ages 12U A to 18U A Showcase. At the 18U A level and Junior College, many student athletes Bobby coached moved on to numerous college programs including McDaniel, Stevenson, Hood, Frostburg, Mount St. Mary's, Louisburg College (NC), University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Towson, Salisbury, Morgan State, Bowie State and UMBC.
From 2009 to 2015, Bobby was the Head Coach at several local Maryland High School Varsity and Junior Varsity Softball programs including North County, Centennial, Atholton and Howard High Schools.
"It is with an intense amount of excitement and appreciation that I get to join a well respected coaching staff including Coach Kuhlmeyer and Coach Shephard-Devereaux to assist in enhancing an already exceptional program at the Division I level. I've worked hard to focus on and implement positive coaching techniques at each competitive level and expand my knowledge of the sport I've loved to play and coach for more than half my life. My wife is a UMBC Alumni and Maryland is my home. Couldn't ask for a better opportunity!"
Bobby has been married to his wife Jeanne for 28 years, has two children Brooke (24) and Brady (20). Brooke is a Police Officer in Colorado and Brady is a junior at Towson University majoring in Business.