Bio

Travis Owen enters his third season as Head Coach for the Racers. In his first year with the program, Owen led UNOH to it's first 30-win campaign since 2018, matching the program record for conference wins (16) with a second place finish in the WHAC regular season. In year two, Owen's Racers set the single season wins record with 33 and again matched the program's record for conference wins (16).

In 2023, UNOH more than doubled the program record for stolen bases with 83 while catching opponents stealing twelve times, also a program record. UNOH earned a program best 13 shutouts, hitting .316 as a team with a .470 slugging percentage and .374 on base percentage.

Under Owen in 2024, the program continue to set new high water marks both individually and as a team. On the offensive side, Zoe Johnson set a new record for season RBI (53) and Sydney Shaffer did the same for stole bases (30). Defensively, Carlie Hanes broke her own record for shutouts (7), Tess Denning set a new record for putouts (401), and Anna Ankney marked a new program best for assists (151). As a team, the Racers racked up a program record 24 triples, topping the previous best by ten, as well as resetting the team's record for stolen bases (87). UNOH turned more double plays than in any previous season (28) while holding opponents to the lowest stolen base percentage in program history (.780).

Prior to UNOH, Owen coached at the University of Minnesota Crookston for three seasons, helping the team to it's highest win total in program history at the time, as well as the lowest ERA in program history.

From 2016-18, as the top assistant at Division I Northern Colorado (UNC), Owen helped develop the squad as the lead hitting coach, lead pitching coach, and recruiting coordinator. The program reached new heights setting a program record for wins in its Division I era, including it's first post-season appearance (NISC) and a top-100 RPI finish; an improvement from 254 at the start of the season. The Bears' ERA saw a decrease each year, from 6.89 prior to Owen's arrival, to 4.43 and 3.76 in Owen's final year. In the heavy-hitting Big Sky Conference, the Bears finished first in the conference in RBI, On-base percentage and doubles in 2018 while improving their home run total from 20 to 37.

Prior to UNC, Owen spent one season as an assistant at Division I Radford University (Virginia). During Owen's time with Radford, the Highlanders climbed 96 spots in RPI, the biggest jump for any team in Division I that year. Working with the pitchers, Owen helped the team ERA improve from 6.64, the worst in the Big South, to 2.90, second best in the league. That season, the Highlanders boasted two pitchers in the top ten nationally in walks per game 0.59 and 0.90.

In 2014-15 before joining Radford, Owen spent a season playing and coaching in New Zealand with the Howick Softball Club. Besides being around some of the game's top competition as a player, Owen helped coach the Howick Club's Premier Women's team to a Top-8 national finish.

Owen went to New Zealand after leading the Lyon College Scots (NAIA) to their third best finish in program history. While at Lyon, the Scots' improved their offensive numbers with a 68-point increase in batting average. The team also decreased team errors from 135 to 85 with almost a full point drop in team ERA (.96).

Owen started his softball coaching career at Northern State University where he received his Master's degree in 2011, playing fastpitch in Sioux Falls while helping coach the Wolves. Owen's parents, Mary and Paul, live in Colorado as well as his brother Ryan. He has a 10-year old German Shepherd named Cash and has enjoyed success as a former national and pro-qualifier handball tournament competitor.

TEAM HONORS

First Team All-WHAC

2023: Anna Ankney

2024: Carlie Hanes, Zoe Johnson, Anna Ankney

Second Team All-WHAC

2023: Carlie Hanes, Chloe Goulter, Dani Keighley, Sidney Unger, Tess Denning

2024: Dani Keighley, Tess Denning, Alexis D'Alexander, Karsyn McGlothen

WHAC All-Defensive Team

2023: Autumn Pelok (2B), Tess Denning (1B)

WHAC Player of the Week

2023: Anna Ankney

2024: Dani Keighley, Anna Ankney

WHAC Pitcher of the Week

2023: Carlie Hanes, Jaylyn Mullenax

2024: Carlie Hanes

NAIA Scholar-Athlete

2023: Anna Ankney, Dani Keighley, Sydney Shaffer, Tess Denning, Zoe Johnson

2024: Anna Ankney, Tess Denning, Zoe Johnson, Dani Keighley, Sydney Shaffer, Alexis D'Alexander, Amber Shayler, Lilly Booher, Sidney Unger

WHAC All-Academic Team

2023: Alexis D'Alexander, Zoe Johnson

2024: Zoe Johnson, Alexis D'Alexander, Lilly Booher, Amber Shayler, Payton Albright, Anna Ankney, Kiya Benschoter, Tess Denning, Dani Keighley, Sydney Shaffer, Sidney Unger

No-Hitters

2024: Carlie Hanes (5/1/24)