East Carolina Head Coach Shane Winkler announced that Lexie Handley has been hired as an assistant coach.
Handley comes to Greenville after a successful career in professional softball, having competed in the Women’s Professional Fastpitch (WPF) league, Japan Diamond League (JDL), and the Federation of Italian Baseball and Softball (FIBS) league. She was a WPF Champion in 2023 with the Texas Smoke during the league’s inaugural season and won a European Cup Gold Medal in 2022, where she also received the “Best Pitcher” award. Additionally, she was an Italian National Champion and Italian Cup Gold Medalist that same year. Handley currently plays for the Hub City Adelitas in the WPF.
“I’m excited to welcome Lexie to Pirate Nation,” Winkler said. “She brings a wealth of professional playing experience both in the WPF and internationally. It’s clear that she has a passion for coaching and giving back to the game. She’s going to be a fantastic addition to our program, and I’m looking forward to her developing what will be a very talented pitching staff.”
Originally from Mogadore, Ohio, Handley was also an accomplished collegiate pitcher. At Ohio State in 2022, she was named to the NFCA All-Midwest Region First Team, All-Big Ten Second Team, and Big Ten All-Tournament Team. Handley set multiple single-season records with the Buckeyes, including strikeouts (271), wins (22), and complete games (24).
Before Ohio State, she played for three seasons at Auburn and started her college career at Akron, where she was named the Mid-Atlantic Freshman of the Year after recording 183 strikeouts and a 2.45 ERA with the Zips in 2017.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to join such a special program and coaching staff,” Handley said. “I’m excited to get to work and help the Pirates compete for championships!”
Handley graduated summa cum laude from Ohio State in 2022 with a master’s degree in sport coaching after earning a bachelor’s degree in nutrition science from Auburn in 2021.
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