Palm Beach Atlantic University Athletics

Bailey Castro was named the head coach of PBA softball in July 2017. She spent the previous two season as an assistant with the Sailfish.

In Castro's first season as the head coach of the PBA softball program the Sailfish posted a record-breaking year, as they finished 36-8 and were the Sunshine State Conference Champions.  The Sailfish broke into the top-5 of the NFCA Coaches Poll for the first time ever, and were named the #1 seed and host of the NCAA South Region 1 Tournament.  The Sailfish had a 23-game winning streak during the season, and fell in the championship game of the regional tournament to Alabama-Huntsville.  The Sailfish finished SSC play with an incredible 26-4 record. Castro was named SSC Coach of the Year for her impressive first year as head coach.

During her two years the 'Fish posted 30 wins in each season and accumulated a 66-32 overall record. She helped coach Magnolia West in 2017 who became one of the best outfielders in the South Region as a freshman. West was named to both the NFCA and the D2CCA All-South Region Teams along with being named D2CCAA All-American Honorable Mention.

A native of Pembroke Pines, Fla., Castro posted a tremendous senior season in 2015 as she clubbed 17 home runs for the Gators and head coach Tim Walton, on her way to earning her degree in Sociology. She went on to set career bests in batting average, at-bats, runs scored, home runs, runs batted in, slugging percentage and on-base percentage as a senior.

Perhaps her hottest stretch of softball came during the 2014 season when she batted over .500 during her team’s run to their first-ever Women’s College World Series championship. Castro was recognized following the tournament by being named to the WCWS All-Tournament team.

A solid student in the classroom, in addition to her prowess on the field, Castro was a two-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection while also being named to the SEC Freshman Honor Roll. She also took on a leadership role within the team by helping lead Bible studies for her teammates.

She got her feet wet in the areas of instruction and coaching by working several years with the UF Softball Camps as well as providing private instruction in her hometown.

Before suiting up in Gainesville, Castro was a standout student-athlete at American Heritage High School while also playing for the Gold Coast Hurricanes travel team.

As a high school senior Castro was named the 3A Florida Player of the Year and one of 10 nominees for the MaxPreps National Softball Player of the Year Award in 2011. She was also selected as a two-time Sun Sentinel Player of the Year as she hit over .600 her final two seasons at American Heritage while smashing 28 total home runs.

As a freshman and sophomore she helped guide American Heritage to back-to-back state championships, a feat she would repeat at the college ranks in her final two seasons with the Gators.

CASTRO'S CAREER NUMBERS

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