Shawn Semler, the program’s all-time leader in victories, begins his ninth season as head coach at SMSU in 2012.
A three-time NSIC Coach of the Year, Semler has compiled a record of 241-160 at SMSU and boasts an overall collegiate record of 411-258 in 14 seasons as a head coach. He has led SMSU to five regular season conference championships and four NCAA tournament appearances during his tenure.
Semler became SMSU’s all-time leader in victories on April 2, 2011, with a 5-4 walk-off victory over Bemidji State. During his time in the Mustang dugout, Semler has coached a total of 27 first team All-NSIC players, four different first team all-region players, a four-time NSIC Pitcher of the Year, two different NSIC Players of the Year, an NSIC Newcomer of the Year, a two-time Region Pitcher of the Year, a Region Player of the Year and the program's first All-America selection at the NCAA Division II level.
In 2004, his first season at SMSU, Semler led the Mustangs to their first NSIC regular season title since 1999, leading the team to a 14-2 league mark.
In 2005, SMSU finished with a 22-25 overall record and a 6-8 mark in conference play, before turning the corner in a big way the following season.
He guided SMSU to a 41-12 overall record and a 14-0 NSIC finish in 2006 to claim the conference title for the second time under his helm. The 41 wins set a single-season school record. Semler also led the Mustangs to make their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance as the region’s No. 2 seed.
In 2007, SMSU finished with a 38-13 overall record and a 16-2 conference record, earning a share of the NSIC regular season championship, before claiming the NSIC tournament title. He also led the Mustangs to their second consecutive NCAA tournament appearance as they earned the region's No. 3 seed and won its first two games at the regional tournament.
Over the course of the 2007 season, Semler’s squad reached many milestones. SMSU was ranked in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) poll for the first time since becoming NCAA Division II in 1996. The Mustangs also broke the NSIC record for consecutive victories; winning 30 straight games and broke the school record for home runs in a single game with six.
The Mustangs continued dominance in 2008, achieving their highest national ranking in school history, while finishing 39-12 overall and 17-1 in the NSIC, claiming their fourth NSIC regular season title. SMSU was ranked seventh in NCAA Division II in the April 9 NFCA top-25 poll and was ranked throughout the entire season. SMSU also reached the NCAA tournament for the third consecutive season.
Another year, another regular season title was the storyline for Semler's squad in 2009. The Mustangs finished the year 32-23, captured the NSIC regular season title and for the fourth straight season and advanced to the NCAA tournament.
Semler has also coached SMSU's first-ever NCAA All-Region players. In both the 2006 and 2007 seasons, he had one player earn first team NFCA All-Region honors and one individual earn second team all-region accolades. Also in 2007, four players earned Daktronics All-Region, with two making the first team and two making the second team. In 2008, pitcher Amanda Johnson and catcher Erin Dickhausen both earned all-region honors from both AFCA and Daktronics.
The accolades continued to pour in during the 2009 season. Amanda Bukhart became the program's first All-America selection at the NCAA Division II level, picking up first team honors from Daktronics and third team accolades from Louisville Slugger/NFCA. Burkhart was also named the NSIC Player of the Year and was tabbed Daktronics Central Region Player of the Year honors. Amanda Johnson picked up her fourth straight NSIC Pitcher of the Year nod and second straight Daktronics Region Pitcher of the Year award. His players also earned five different all-region certificates.
Following a rebuilding 2010 season in which SMSU finished 18-25, but was still able to qualify for the NSIC tournament, the team rebounded in 2011 and nearly reached the NCAA tournament. The 2011 squad finished 29-19 overall and was ranked in the top eight of the NCAA region rankings for much of the season, before an upset in a conference tournament bumped SMSU out of an NCAA tournament bid.
Semler, the eighth head coach in SMSU history, spent six years at the College of Saint Mary in Omaha, Neb., posting an overall record of 170-98 (.634). Semler also spent four years as the head softball coach at Marian High School (Neb).
A native of Bellevue, Neb., Semler led the College of St. Mary (Neb.) to a 35-9 overall record in 2003, winning the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference title before losing in the NAIA IV regional finals to Midland Lutheran. The team received national rankings in three of his last four seasons, while Semler picked up a pair of MCAC Coach of the Year citations.
Prior to his coaching career, Semler received his bachelor’s degree in secondary physical education and special education at Peru State College (Neb.) in 1991. He was a four-year starter for the Peru State baseball team, where he was the first player to be named All-America in school history. In 2000, Semler received his master’s degree at Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass., in computer technology.
He began his coaching career at Bellevue East High School where he took over the reigns of a struggling program (4-20 his first season). After Semler implemented Bellevue’s first girls’ fastpitch summer organization for high school players, the Chieftains showed signs of improvement moving to a mark of 14-16 in Semler’s third season.
At Marian High School, Semler was the head softball coach while also teaching physical education, weightlifting and computer application classes. During his stay at Marian, he helped the Crusaders to an 83-53 record including state final top-10 ranking three of the four seasons.
Semler lives in Marshall and has one son, Toby.
Semler Year-by-Year
| Year |
School |
Overall |
Conference |
Conference Finish |
| 1998 |
St. Mary (Neb.) |
24-21 |
|
|
| 1999 |
St. Mary (Neb.) |
27-17 |
|
First |
| 2000 |
St. Mary (Neb.) |
29-17 |
|
|
| 2001 |
St. Mary (Neb.) |
29-20 |
|
|
| 2002 |
St. Mary (Neb.) |
26-14 |
|
|
| 2003 |
St. Mary (Neb.) |
35-9 |
|
First |
| 2004 |
SMSU |
22-31 |
14-2 |
First |
| 2005 |
SMSU |
22-25 |
6-8 |
Fifth |
| 2006 |
SMSU |
41-12 |
14-0 |
First |
| 2007 |
SMSU |
38-13 |
16-2 |
First |
| 2008 |
SMSU |
39-12 |
17-1 |
First |
| 2009 |
SMSU |
32-23 |
21-5 |
First |
| 2010 |
SMSU |
18-25 |
11-5 |
Eighth |
| 2011 |
SMSU |
29-19 |
16-9 |
Sixth |
| |
Overall at SMSU - 8 yrs.
|
241-160 |
115-42 |
|
|
Overall - 14 yrs. |
411-258 |
- |
|
Shawn Semler vs. Opponents
Semler on the Job...
- 2004-Present, Southwest Minnesota State, Head Coach
- 1998-2003, College of St. Mary (Neb.), Head Coach
- 2000-2003 Marian (Neb.) High School, Head Coach
- 1993-1999 Bellevue East (Neb.) High School, Head Coach
Semler's Awards
- 2000 Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year
- 2003 Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year
- 2006 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Coach of the Year
- 2007 Northern Sun Intercollegaite Conference Coach of the Year
- 2008 Northern Sun Intercollegaite Conference Coach of the Year
