Scott Shepperd joined the University of the Incarnate Word coaching staff prior to the 2017 season. In his first year with the program, Shepperd worked with the pitchers and helped propel the UIW baseball team to a 29-25 overall record and a 13-15 mark in the Southland Conference. This marked the most overall conference wins since becoming Division I and joining the Southland Conference.
In 2016, prior to Shepperd arriving and working with the pitchers, UIW recorded 331 strikeouts. Under his tutelage in 2017, the team recorded 411 strikeouts. Under his guidance, the ERA also improved from 7.41 in 2016 to 4.73 in 2017.
Shepperd joined the Cardinals after five seasons as an assistant at Rice. With the Owls, Shepperd had a host of on-field coaching duties and served as the administrator of the Owls’ Youth Baseball Camps.
A native of Austin, Texas, Shepperd worked with the hitters and outfielders and assisted with the catchers. On game day, he coached at first base.
Shepperd previously served five seasons as a coach at his alma mater, Concordia University in Austin, where he was a four-year baseball letterman. At Concordia his main responsibility was as the team’s hitting coach.
Shepperd was a member of Concordia’s American Southwest Conference West Division Coaching Staff of the Year, as the Tornados were also ranked as high as fourth nationally during the season and finished with a school-record 37 victories (in the program’s NCAA Division III era). All of the regular starting infielders and catcher that Sheppard mentored garnered all-conference postseason honors while leading the Tornados to their second-straight ASC Tournament crown and NCAA West Regional appearance.
All in all, Shepperd has mentored one D3Baseball.com All-American, one All-West Region selection, two ASC West Division Players of the Year, one ASC West Division Freshman of the Year, four All-ASC First Team selection and seven student-athletes who have been honorably mentioned for All-ASC laurels.
Prior to coaching to Concordia, Shepperd served as an assistant at Sam Houston State under head coach Mark Johnson during the 2007-08 academic year. In this position, he helped with the training and development of the infielders, catchers and hitters while also assisting with the playing surface of Don Sanders Stadium. With Shepperd on the staff the Bearkats squad won the Southland Conference Championship and made a second straight NCAA Division I Tournament appearance.
Shepperd started his coaching career at Concordia as a volunteer assistant coach. He served as the first base coach, recruiting coordinator and assistant hitting coach for the 2007 season. He also gained coaching experience as an assistant on the Anchorage Bucs staff in the Alaskan League during the summers of 2007 and 2008.
Before beginning his coaching career, Shepperd lettered with the Tornados for four years (2003-06) as a catcher. He helped the squad advance to the ASC Tournament every year during his playing career. The Tornados posted a 103-62 record and were co-West Division regular-season champions in 2004.
Shepperd comes from a coaching family. His grandfather, Cliff Gustafson, was the former winningest coach in Division I baseball history, registering a 1,427-373-2 ledger over 29 seasons (1968-96) at the University of Texas, and is a member of the National Collegiate Baseball Hall of Fame.
Shepperd earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from Concordia in 2007 and is nearing the completion of a master’s degree in education. He is married to the former Vanessa Van Hook of Brenham, Texas. The couple have two children, Marlene Jane, and Michael Scott, III (who goes by the name “Tripp”).
