Kelsey Aikey named associate head coach for Storm softball

lNDIANOLA, Iowa - Simpson College head softball coach Brent Matthias announced on Monday a promotion for Kelsey Aikey to associate head coach for the Simpson Storm softball program.

Aikey joined the Storm coaching staff last August after spending two seasons at Division I University of Missouri-Kansas City as the pitching coach. 2025 proved to be a historic season for the Storm that included 34 wins, a share of the A-R-C regular season title, and a trip to the NCAA regional final, the first since 2016.

"Coach Aikey brings an abundance of knowledge with her to our staff," said Matthias. "Coaching both at the NCAA DI level as well as DII, she has brought her teaching experiences here to Simpson and we have seen the positive impact already in just one year."

Simpson's offense was among the nation's best, setting single-season program records for runs scored (324), triples (21), home runs (49), RBIs (287) and walks (158). The team ranked sixth nationally in scoring at 7.53 runs per game and posted the third-highest slugging percentage at .575. At their peak, the Storm were ranked No. 13 in the country and No. 2 in the region.

On top of the team's success, the individual awards poured in. NFCA Second Team All-American and Gold Glove winner at first base Megan Heidelbauer and NFCA Third Team All-American Ashlyn Steen highlighted the awards. Simpson as a whole featured eight All-American Rivers Conference selections along with the Storm coaching staff being named the A-R-C Coaching Staff of the Year.

With Aikey's promotion, the Storm are well-positioned to continue making national strides both on and off the softball field.