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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

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Sam Maples

Sam Maples

Entering her first season, Sam Maples was named head softball coach in June 2025.

Maples comes to UCO after a successful stint at Oklahoma Baptist, where she guided the team to the national tournament for the first time in its Division II history. Maples won 170 games in six seasons (a .594 win percentage), including the canceled 2020 season and shortened 2021 season. Maples led OBU from 2018 to 2024, when she stepped away from coaching to spend time with her family. 

Originally from Sarasota, Florida, Maples played collegiately at Florida Atlantic, where she wrapped up a four-year career in 2015. She earned All-Conference honors and still ranks in the top 10 for shutouts, appearances, and games started in FAU school history, received her bachelor's degree in health administration there in 2015. She led FAU in ERA in 2013 & 2014, compiling the team high for wins, appearances, shutouts, and saves in 2014. In 2015, Maples won an NCAA regional game against Florida A&M. She moved to Colorado to spend the next two seasons as a graduate assistant at Colorado Christian. She served as interim head coach at CCU in 2016 and remained there for the 2017 and 2018 seasons under the tutelage of Shanon Hays.
 
Maples was named head softball coach at Oklahoma Baptist in May 2018, leading the team onto the field for the first time in 2019. She went 17-39 in her debut season, but spent the next five years above .500, going 14-10 in 2020 before the shutdown and 21-20 in the pandemic-altered 2021 season. Back to playing a full schedule in 2022, Maples led OBU to a 33-22 record.
 
In 2023, Maples led the Bison to the best season in school history, winning a DII program record 44 games, winning the Great American Conference title, and making an appearance in the NCAA Division II Softball Championship for the first time in school history. Maples led OBU to a 41-14 record in 2024, with another GAC title and a second consecutive NCAA national tournament appearance.

Sam is married (Taylor) and has two daughters (Wyatt and Elliott).

 
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