April Charles enters her third season as the assis
tant coach for the University of Pikeville softball team for the 2019 season.
She will be in charge of UPIKE’s pitchers, while also serving as the head coach of the junior-varsity team.
Charles came to Pikeville after a successful stint as the head coach at Jenkins High School for 12 seasons from 2005 to 2016. Charles inherited a team that had finished 2-15 the prior season, then posted a 16-15 record two years later, which was the best in the 14th region.
Jenkins reached the Kentucky State Tournament once under Charles in 2010 and advanced to the 14th Region Championship Game four times in 2008, 2010, 2013 and 2015. Upon leaving Jenkins, Charles had amassed a 285-125 record.
Charles graduated from UVa.-Wise in 2004 where she was a four-year member of the Cavaliers softball team. Damron is UVa.-Wise’s career leader in wins with 53 and posted the second best ERA in a single season at 1.09 in 2003.