BIO
In his 22nd year at Marian University, Scott Fleming serves as head softball coach.
In his 22 seasons at the helm of the MU softball program, he has amassed a 817-260 (.758) career record and a 447-105 (.809) mark in the Crossroads League. He has guided 124 players to all-league honors and has seen 107 earn Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors. He has coached a combined eight players to a total of 17 NAIA All-American Honors. Fleming's All-Americans include:
- Breena Smith, pitcher, three time First Team
- Shelbie Stotts, utility, three time First Team
- Savannah Harweger, shortstop, two time First Team
- Grace Meyer, catcher, one time First Team
- Abby Madere, outfield, one time First Team
- Olivia Stunkel, pitcher, three time Second Team
- Logan Personett, infield, one time Second Team
- Kassidi Cadle, second base, one time Second Team
- Erica Miller, outfield, one time Second Team
- Lily Wendt, infield, one time Third Team
- Abbey Hofmann, outfield, one time Third Team
Additionally, the Knights have had six players earn NAIA All-America Honorable Mention honors. Fleming has coached 10
Crossroads League Players of the Year, seven
Crossroads League Newcomers of the Year as well as nine
Crossroads League Pitchers of the Year. He has also been named the Mid-Central Conference/
Crossroads League Coach of the Year 10 times, including a string of five straight from 2015-2019.
In the 2025 season the Knights made another return to the NAIA World Series, with Fleming leading the Knights to a fifth place finish. Fleming and his staff enjoyed another successful season, posting a final record of 48-9 and a 31-5 record in the Crossroads League. Once again, the Knights claimed both the 2025 regular season and 2025 tournament championships in the Crossroads League. Marian went on to compete in the NAIA Opening Round in Sioux Center Iowa, staying in the winners bracket for the entirety of the tournament with two of those games being run-rule victories.The Knights kicked off the world series with a rematch against 2024 Opening Round opponent, Southern Oregon. Fleming led the Knights to a 3-2, 12 inning victory to advance in the winners bracket. The Knights went on to face Southern Oregon for a second time in the losers bracket where the Raiders would come out victorious in the rematch with a 7-6 defeat in another extra inning contest. Fleming and his staff led the Knights to a 1-2 run at the NAIA Softball World Series, where the team ended the season with a fifth place finish.
Fleming earned win number 800, doing so in his 1057th career game against Grace College on April 15th. For Fleming, the milestone comes at the same location where he recorded win number 700. Fleming is among the top-10 active coaches in the NAIA in career victories, and is the 11th NAIA softball coach to record their 800th career victory. Fleming ended the season with 816 career victories.
Fleming and his staff helped coach four All-Americans, with Grace Meyer making NAIA first team honors, Olivia Stunkel earned NAIA and NFCA second team honors, and Lily Wendt and Abbey Hofmann receiving NAIA third team honors. Stunkel was named Crossroads League Pitcher of the Year for the fourth straight year, with Marian earning seven honors from the league. Marian also brought home two NFCA All-Region VI honors with Hofmann and Stunkel earning the recognition.
In 2024, Marian enjoyed another successful season with Fleming and his staff at the helm, with the team carrying a 46-12 overall record while going 29-7 against the Crossroads League. The Knights won both the regular season and tournament championships in the Crossroads League, and went on to compete in the NAIA Opening Round, which Marian hosted for a second consecutive season. Under Fleming's watch, Marian claimed the league's Pitcher of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, headlining the league-high 14 honors. Fleming was named the Coach of the Year for the 10th time in his career. The season ended with an appearance in the opening round championship game, falling to the defending NAIA Champion Southern Oregon.
In the 2023 season the Knights returned to their NAIA prominence of the late 2010's, with Fleming leading Marian to the NAIA World Series where they finished fourth. Fleming's team posted a final record of 52-9, going 31-5 in Crossroads League action to claim the 2023 Crossroads League Regular Season Championship. Marian would go on to win the Crossroads League Tournament with an extra-inning win over Taylor, recording their first tournament championship since 2019. Marian continued their team success by winning the NAIA Opening Round, hosted by the Knights for the first time ever, with Fleming's team winning three consecutive elimination games to capture the title on their home field. Fleming capped the season with a 3-2 run at the NAIA Softball World Series, bringing home the first trophy in program history as the Knights ended in the semifinal round.
Fleming and his staff helped coach three All-Americans, with Savannah Harweger making first team NFCA and NAIA honors, while Olivia Stunkel earned second team NAIA and Sierra Norman made second team NFCA. Harweger earned the Crossroads League Player of the Year honors and Stunkel was named the Crossroads League Pitcher of the Year, with Marian earning 20 total honors from the league. Marian also brought home three NFCA Region VI honors with Harweger, Norman, and Stunkel earning the recognition. Fleming's 2023 squad ranked fourth in the NAIA in hits, eighth in RBI, second in sacrifice flies, and eighth in total runs scored. Harweger finished as the third-best hitter in the NAIA under Fleming with a .484 batting average, while Sydney Wilson and Stunkel each finished in the top-10 in the NAIA in wins during 2023. Fleming saw four records get broken during the season, with Harweger setting three new marks including hits, stolen bases, and assists, while Norman broke the putouts record.
Fleming also recorded his 700th career win during his 20th season, accomplishing the milestone on April 11 in a doubleheader win over Grace. The milestone win helped Fleming become the fastest coach in Crossroads League history to win his 700th career game.
Youth continued to fill Fleming's lineup card in 2022, with the young talent and senior leaders guiding Marian to the NAIA Opening Round, recording a 40-13 record. The Knights were the runner-up in the Crossroads League posting a 28-8 record in league play throughout the season, and finished third in the league tournament. Fleming's Knights were among the NAIA's best in multiple categories, including third in the NAIA with a team-record 62 home runs. Marian also ranked No. 5 in sacrifice flies, No. 6 in slugging percentage, and were top-20 in the NAIA in runs scored, hits, RBI, and extra base hits. As a team the Knights had a 2.25 combined ERA and batted .340 at the plate. Marian had 14 total All-Crossroads League honors, with Shelbie Stotts earning Player of the Year and Olivia Stunkel taking Pitcher of the Year. Sierra Norman and Savannah Harweger also earned First Team Honors, with the quartet all earning NFCA Region VI honors. Stotts went on to earn NAIA and NFCA First Team All-American honors, with Norman being a First Team NFCA All-American. Stunkel was a finalist for the NFCA Freshman of the Year, and was the top freshman in the NFCA Region VI where she was a first team pitcher.
With a young roster in 2021, Fleming continued Marian's dominance in the Crossroads League by winning the regular season title for the sixth straight season, taking the team to a 45-15 overall record and 30-6 mark in the Crossroads League while reaching the NAIA Opening Round. Fleming's Knights held several top rankings in the NAIA in 2021, ranking No. 1 in the NAIA in fielding percentage, No. 2 in total hits with 591, and No. 3 in total innings pitched and at bats. Marian also had one of the highest hits per game rate in the NAIA, while Fleming's players totaled 23 triples, the fifth highest mark in the NAIA. As a team, Marian hit .342 at the plate while the pitching staff combined for a team ERA of 2.20. The Knights had eight players earn All-Crossroads League honors in 2021, with Shelbie Stotts, Kassidi Cadle, and Savannah Harweger all claiming Gold Glove Team and First Team honors, while the trio and Lanie Horen were all named NFCA NAIA Region VI Team members. Stotts ended the year of awards by being named to the NAIA All-American First Team and the NFCA All-American Second Team.
Marian started the 2020 campaign with a 10-2 record under Fleming until the remainder of the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. In those 12 games, Marian went 8-2 over spring break and opened the Crossroads League season with a sweep of Goshen College. Fleming led a pitching staff that combined for an ERA of 1.12 on the season, with a team hitting .369. Sydney Wilson was one of the top ranked pitchers in the NAIA in the shortened season, carrying the third lowest amount of earned runs and fourth lowest ERA, while Emma Maple was on pace to sit as the No. 1 pitcher in the NAIA in saves and break both the Marian single season and career records. Fleming also coached senior lead-off Olivia Hoffman to a top-10 batting average in the nation, leading the Crossroads League.
Fleming guided Marian to even higher marks in the 2019 season, as he led them to the best record in program history, going 54-3, winning the Crossroads League Regular Season Championship. The Knights went 10-0 to start the season, marking the first undefeated spring break trip in program history. The streak continued throughout the season, as Marian's undefeated start lasted through the regular season, entering postseason play with an unblemished mark of 47-0, with the streak reaching 50 straight before Marian's first loss. The Knights won the NAIA Opening Round and reached the NAIA World Series for the fourth straight season. The Knights had seven players named to the All-Crossroads League Team and three named to the All-Crossroads League Gold Glove Team, while Fleming also earned Coach of the Year honors. He coached the Crossroads League Pitcher of the Year (Breena Smith), and the Crossroads League Player and Newcomer of the Year (Shelbie Stotts), including seven NAIA Daktronics Scholar Athletes.
The success continued to grow for Fleming and the Knights in 2018, as he guided the team to their first 50 win season going 51-7, winning the Crossroads League Regular Season Championship. Marian also made their third straight trip to the NAIA World Series in 2018, winning the Bowling Green Opening Round Championship. The Knights had six players named to the All-Crossroads League Team, while Fleming earned Coach of the Year. Fleming also coached the Pitcher of the Year (Breena Smith), Co-Newcomer of the Year (Issy Hoyt), and Co-Player of the Year (Olivia Hoffman). Four players earned NAIA Daktronics Scholar Athlete honors, coaching Smith (1st Team) and Hoffman (Honorable Mention) to NAIA All-American honors. Fleming also coached Sadie Baugh and Kassidi Cadle to the NAIA World Series All-Tournament Team.
After a successful 2016 campaign, Fleming led the Knights to another dominant season in 2017. Marian finished with the best record in program history at 47-6 and captured the Crossroads League regular season title, Crossroads League Tournament title and the program's second-straight appearance in the NAIA World Series. The Knights had six players named to the All-Crossroads League Team, while Fleming earned Coach of the Year and Breena Smith won her second-straight Pitcher of the Year award. Smith was named an NAIA All-American First Team honoree, while Grace Lumpkin earned NAIA All-American Honorable Mention.
Fleming led the Knights to their most successful season at the time in program history during 2016. Marian finished 48-12 overall and 31-4 in the Crossroads League. The Knights swept the postseason awards in the conference with Logan Personett winning Player of the Year, Breena Smith winning Pitcher of the Year, Morgan Burtron winning Newcomer of the Year and Fleming grabbing the Coach of the Year award. Marian's season culminated with a trip to the NAIA World Series after winning the Lindsey Wilson Regional.
After a 25-24 season in 2014, Fleming led the Knights back to the top of the Crossroads League in 2015. MU finished the 2015 season as the league's regular season champions and earned its second berth in the NAIA Opening Round in three seasons. The team finished with their second 40-win season and are the first team to earn 30 wins in a league season. Sophomore Erica Miller earned the program's fourth league player of the year award, while sophomore Amanda Wintrow earned the program's second pitcher of the year accolade. Five Knights earned all-league honors with Miller and sophomore Logan Personett both earning second team all-america honors.
In 2013, Fleming, the 2013 Crossroads League Coach of the Year, led the Knights to one of their greatest seasons on record in softball. He led the team to their second Crossroads League regular season championship and guided the ladies to their third league tournament title, which MU hosted a Midwest Sports Complex in Indianapolis. The team came back from the loser's bracket, in their fifth straight title game appearance, to earn the championship and the bid to the NAIA National Championships Opening Round. The team went 33-11 overall and earned a berth in the championship game of the Park University Bracket in the NAIA National Championships Opening Round. They won the league title with a 15-3 record and went 5-1 en route to the tournament title. He guided Emily Gwaltney to her second Crossroads League Player of the Year honor and had five student-athletes earned all-league honors. It was the sixth straight 30-win season, and, Coach Fleming surpassed the 300-win mark for his career.
In 2010, he guided the Knights to their best-ever record of 42-6 and guided MU to a 16-0 mark in the then-MCC. While the Knights missed out on a trip to the NAIA tournament, it was the winningest season in program history and culminated with Fleming being named MCC Coach of the Year for the second straight season.
From 2008 through 2019, under Fleming's tutelage, the Knights amassed 30 or more wins in 11 of 12 seasons, won the league/conference title seven times, won the league/conference tournament five times and lost no more than seven games in a league season. In 2014, the MU pitching staff was decimated early in the league season by injury and the Knights could only eek out a 25-24 overall record and the first sub-.500 season in league play in Fleming's decorated career.
During his tenure with Marian University, Fleming spent 12 seasons as assistant men's basketball coach and helped guide the Knights to three NAIA Division II National Championship tournaments. He also spent seven years as an admission counselor and as an assistant director of admission. He also served as a volunteer coach for men's basketball for six years and for women's basketball for one year.
Fleming is a 1989 graduate of Marian University and is married to Gina, who is a 1993 graduate of Marian University. The couple has two sons and resides in Indianapolis.
Scott Fleming Year-by-Year Coaching Record
| Year |
Record |
CL Record |
Postseason |
| 2004 |
26-16 |
9-5 |
|
| 2005 |
21-21 |
8-8 |
NAIA Region VIII Tournament |
| 2006 |
22-18 |
11-5 |
NAIA Region VIII Tournament |
| 2007 |
28-14 |
12-4 |
NAIA Region VIII Tournament |
| 2008 |
30-16 |
11-5 |
|
| 2009 |
37-9 |
14-2 |
MCC Tournament Champions |
| 2010 |
42-6 |
16-0 |
MCC Champions |
| 2011 |
36-9 |
12-4 |
|
| 2012 |
36-14 |
11-7 |
|
| 2013 |
33-11 |
15-3 |
CL Champions, CL Tourney Champions
NAIA Championship Opening Round |
| 2014 |
25-24 |
16-18 |
|
| 2015 |
40-14 |
31-5 |
CL Champions,
NAIA Championship Opening Round |
| 2016 |
48-12 |
31-4 |
CL Champions
NAIA World Series
|
| 2017 |
47-6 |
31-2 |
CL Champions, CL Tourney Champions,
NAIA World Series
|
| 2018 |
51-7 |
33-2 |
CL Champions
NAIA World Series
|
| 2019 |
54-3 |
35-0 |
CL Regular Season and Tournament Champions
NAIA World Series
First Undefeated Regular Season
|
| 2020 |
10-2 |
2-0 |
Season Ended Abruptly due to COVID-19 Pandemic |
| 2021 |
45-15 |
30-6 |
CL Co-Regular Season Champions
NAIA Opening Round Qualifier |
| 2022 |
40-13 |
28-8 |
NAIA Opening Round Qualifier |
| 2023 |
52-9 |
31-5 |
CL Regular Season Champions
CL Tournament Champions
NAIA Opening Round Champions and Host
NAIA World Series - Fourth Place |
| 2024 |
46-12 |
29-7 |
CL Regular Season Champions
CL Tournament Champions
NAIA Opening Round Qualifier and Host |
| 2025 |
48-9 |
31-5 |
CL Regualr Season Champions
CL Tournament Champions
NAIA Opening Round Champions
NAIA World Series - Fifth Place |
| Totals |
817-260 (.758) |
447-105 (.809) |
|
