Ashford Softball Camps - Ashford University

Kyle Yore
Head Coach

Yore prepares to enter her fourth year at the controls of developing the Saints' softball team this coming spring. Yore, a three-sport athlete (softball, basketball, soccer) at Ashford's predecessor, Mount St. Clare College, was a major contributor on and off the field for the college as a student.

In her debut season as head coach in 2007, Yore guided the Saints to a 16-win season and in 2008, provided guidance as Sarah Manning collected First-Team All-MCC honors. The 2008 squad was a recipient of the NAIA Scholar Team Award, a testament to the unit's academic excellence.

Four players would receive Academic All-MCC recognition in 2008 and in 2009, Yore helped produce outfielder Jamie Gillespie and third baseman Whitney Bauer into Honorable Mention All-Conference recipients.

She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science with an endorsement in education. Before accepting the Saints' head-coaching job, Yore was an assistant coach for the softball program at Notre Dame High School in Burlington, Iowa, and also served as the assistant softball coach for Ashford in 2005.

She brings a wealth of knowledge to the softball team and a desire to translate experience into wins for a young program.

Yore currently resides in Clinton, Iowa.

Vern Deters
Assistant Coach

Deters joins the Saints this year as an assistant coach who brings a wealth of experience to the Ashford University softball program. He enters his second season as an assistant coach to contribute to Head Coach Kyle Yore's program.

A 32-year veteran of high school coaching, Deters most recently served as head coach of Camanche High School for the previous 28 season. Before that he served as three seasons as head coach of Manning High School and one year at Mormon Trail High School.

Deters has a daughter, Nicole, and a son, Nate. He currently resides in Camanche, Iowa.

Karen Marie Pena
Grad Assistant

Peña begins her first season as Ashford's graduate assistant softball coach this spring under Head Coach Kyle Yore. She will assist Yore in all facets of the team, specializing with an emphasis in pitching.

Peña starred at nearby Rock Island Alleman High School where she was a three-time Illinois High School all-state selection (1997, 1999-00). She currently is tied for the state record for the most strikeouts in a single game (38 in 22 innings vs. East Moline H.S.) and carried a 0.17 earned run average her junior year.

Peña then went on to begin her collegiate career in Gainesville, Fla., at Santa Fe Community College before transferring after two years to Div. I Western Illinois University. She was a second-team all-conference honoree as a freshman and voted team MVP at Santa Fe before collecting first-team recognition as a sophomore. With the Leathernecks in Macomb, Ill., Peña played under Head Coach Kathy Veroni, one of the winningest coaches in college softball history with 869 career victories.

Peña coached for two years (2008-09) at Davenport Central High School as an assistant junior varsity softball coach prior to coming on board at Ashford. She acquired her Bachelor of Arts degree from Western Illinois in 2006. Peña currently resides in East Moline.