Brenau softball coach surpasses career win No. 300

Brenau University's softball coach Devon Thomas earned his 300th career win on Tuesday in the Golden Tigers' 11-1 defeat of Emmanuel College.

Thomas started the softball program at Brenau and has seen his team grow into a competitive and perennial postseason contender since its inception in 2004.

"Our first record was 2-37. I had to recruit constantly to stay competitive and to even field a full roster," Thomas said. "In my third year, we won 37 games, which was an incredible turnaround. But I never thought I would get to 300 wins."

Over his 10-year career at Brenau, Thomas has coached 38 SSAC all-conference selections, 58 SSAC all-academic selections, two SSAC Players of the Year, three SSAC Freshmen of the Year, four NAIA All-Americans and three NFCA All-Americans. Thomas was also an NAIA National Coach of the Year finalist in both 2009 and 2012.

When asked to reflect on his journey to 300 wins, Thomas noted that his most memorable moment was not his team's 2012 Final Four appearance in the NAIA national tournament which secured a final No. 3 national ranking, but instead it was winning a regular season Conference Championship in 2009. "That championship validated how far this program had come from its beginning," said Thomas. "That was the moment I was most proud of because that represented all of our hard work".

Thomas has a cumulative record of 300-174, with four seasons of 30-plus wins and three seasons of 40-plus victories.