Aug. 11, 2008

KENNESAW, Ga. - Kennesaw State head softball coach Scott Whitlock has announced the hiring of former KSU All-American, Sarah Locket, to the position of assistant coach with the Owls program.

Lockett, a former player and graduate assistant for the Owls, is a native of Perth, Australia and arrives at Kennesaw State after serving as an assistant coach at Coastal Carolina for the past four years.

"It is very exciting to come back to Kennesaw State," said Lockett. "Being able to work with Coach Whitlock again is an honor and I am looking forward to being a part of the Black and Gold again."

Lockett played one season for the Owls in 2002 where she starred at third base earning NCAA Division II All-American honors. She hit .406 in the regular season and .353 in the postseason as she finished with 11 home runs and 54 runs batted in, helping to guide the Owls to the NCAA Division II National Tournament.

In addition to her stellar collegiate career, Lockett played internationally for almost a decade starring on the Great Britain and Australian national teams. She was a member of the Great Britain squad for three years before retiring in 2006 and played for the Australian squad in several international tournaments between 1998 and 2002.

After serving as a graduate assistant with the Owls for two seasons, Lockett took the position of first assistant at Coastal Carolina in 2004 and held that position until joining the KSU staff. While at Coastal Carolina, Lockett helped lead the Chanticleers to a Big South championship in the 2006 season and a berth in the Athens, Ga. regional. She also helped the Coastal squad set consecutive single-season team home run records.

"We are very pleased to have Sarah back with us as an assistant coach," said Whitlock. "She was a tremendous player both collegiately and internationally and is equally as talented a coach. She'll bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to our team."

Lockett earned a Master of Conflict Management from Kennesaw State in 2003 after earning her undergraduate degree from Coastal Carolina in 2002.