Bethaney Wells is entering her sixth year at UNCG as an assistant coach under Janelle Breneman for the 2021-22 season. A part of the coaching staff that has guided the Spartans to the last four Southern Conference Regular Season Championships (excluding 2020), the 2018 and 2021 SoCon Tournament Title, a spot in the 2019 SoCon Championship, as well as two NCAA Tournament Regional appearances. Wells works primarily with the Spartan outfield and as a hitting coach.
The 2021 season saw the Spartans sweep the SoCon Regular Season Championship and the Tournament Championship for the second time in program history. UNCG earned its sixth NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and recorded a single-season program record of 90 home runs. As a team, they finished in the top-50 nationally in seven categories: 4th in home runs per game (1.79) and walks (216), 13th slugging percentage (0.543), 18th in scoring (6.25), 21st in on base percentage (0.394), 23rd in doubles (76), and 33rd in doubles per game (1.49). Makenna Matthijs, Kayleigh Willis, and Jasmin Palmer earned CoSIDA Academic All-District Honors, while Matthijs was also named to the NFCA Mideast All-Region second team. Morgan Scott was named SoCon Pitcher and Freshman of the Year, while Scott, Matthijs, and Willis were named to the first team, Palmer and Maycin Brown were selected to the second team, while Brown and Scott were named to the All-Freshman team.
The Spartans won 15 of their 22 matchups in 2020 before the season was brought to a sudden halt. In that short time, UNCG grabbed three wins against ACC, including Virginia, Clemson and North Carolina. The Spartans ranked 12th in all of Division I softball with a total of 99 walks, while the team's 1.27 home runs per game was 15th. The side was the highest scoring team in the Southern Conference with 5.36 runs per contest, while its .365 on base and .428 slugging percentages were both SoCon-highs. The Spartan roster totaled 28 home runs, led by Kayleigh Willis (7), Samantha Lagrama (6), Delaney Cumbie (5), Makenna Matthijs (4) and Hannah Kincer (4).
Last season the Spartans had again one of the best offenses in the SoCon. UNCG led the league in slugging percentage (.438), homers (58), doubles (72), walks (181), and were second in RBI’s (239). First baseman Marisa Sholtes tied the program’s single-season record for homers (17) and was also fifth in slugging percentage (.720) and tied for eighth in RBI’s (48) and wrapped up her career in program history second in slugging percentage (.675), third in homers (43) and sixth in RBI’s (135).
In 2018, UNCG had one of the best offenses in team history. The Spartans led the SoCon in slugging percentage (.447), on-base percentage (.376), runs (320), RBIs (298), home runs (58), doubles (84), walks (195) sac flies (15) and hit by pitches (67). In school history UNCG had the most walks in a season and also finished second in doubles, third in RBIs, runs and home runs and fifth in slugging percentage.
UNCG saw a surge in power in Wells' first season in 2017. The Spartans launched 61 home runs on the season, ranking eighth nationally with 1.15 long balls per game. Sholtes ranked second in the league with 10 homers, while freshman Jordan Gontram blasted nine dingers to tie for fourth. Overall, UNCG posted 125 extra-base hits on the season.
Wells, a former standout at NC State, spent three seasons as an assistant coach at William Peace University. During her three seasons at the NCAA Division III school, the Pacers accumulated a 62-58-1 record, advancing to the USA South Conference Tournament Championship Game in 2015.
Wells appeared in 25 games as a freshman at NC State before redshirting her sophomore year with the Wolfpack. Upon her return, she appeared in 47 games and earned 41 starts as a redshirt sophomore. She led the squad in home runs, runs batted in, total bases and slugging percentage that season and tied for the team-best hitting streak of eight games.
As a senior at NC State, Wells started in 53-of-54 games in the outfield. She once again led the team in home runs and RBIs and was ranked fourth in the ACC in slugging percentage.
She helped lead the Wolfpack to an ACC Tournament Championship in 2013 and earned NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete from 2011-13.
She ranks third all-time for career home runs (30) at NC State and is also ranked within the top-10 in career RBI (97) and slugging percentage (.484).
Since 2008 she has helped plan and organize the NC State Softball summer camps as well as provided hitting and defensive instruction. In 2013 Wells began hitting and defensive skill lessons for Grand Slam USA and has helped run camps and clinics with local coaches.
While coaching at WPU, she was the hitting and outfield coach for the Pacers. She was responsible for recruiting, scouting reports, organizing community service projects, organized alumni and fundraising events and was responsible for organizing and facilitating practices.
Additionally, Wells has volunteered with the Wolfpack Blitz and the Miracle League of the Triangle.
Wells has a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition Science from NC State, graduating in 2013.
