HS

Shay Knighten

 The Shay Knighten File

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Twitter: @_shayknighten
Year in Coaching: 3rd
Year at USD: 2nd
Hometown: Buena Park, CA

EDUCATION

University of Oklahoma (2020)
Bachelor's in Human Relations

PLAYING EXPERIENCE

University of Oklahoma, Infielder (2016-19)

USSSA Pride, National Pro Fastpitch (2019-pres.)

COACHING EXPERIENCE

San Diego
2020-Current: Assistant Coach

Oklahoma
2019-20: Undergraduate Assistant Coach










 

Shay Knighten enters her seventh season as an assistant coach for San Diego softball in 2027 after joining the Toreros staff in October 2020, shortly after her older sister, MJ Knighten, took over as head coach. Shay works with San Diego's hitters, having coached both infielders and outfielders over her tenure, while also handling recruiting, scheduling and fundraising duties.

In 2026, Knighten helped guide a Torero lineup that saw freshman infielder Abrielle Diaz make an immediate impact, batting .269 with 18 RBIs, two home runs and five doubles across 30 games en route to All-WCC Freshman Team honors. Utility player Taylor Johnson and outfielder Kaitlyn Wynia both earned All-WCC Honorable Mention recognition.

Knighten's hitters were among their sharpest in 2025. Taylor Johnson's nine home runs were San Diego's most in a season since 2016, and she led the Toreros in home runs, RBI, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS en route to All-WCC Second Team honors. Freshman Sophia Pinedo was named to the All-WCC Freshman Team, and Alyssa Hernandez and Shawnese Hogue-Lacy each earned Honorable Mention recognition for their work in the infield and behind the plate.

In 2024, Taylor Johnson led the WCC in batting average and was named to the All-WCC First Team, joined by infielder Amanda Limon. Joecellia Roberts and Arisa Tovar each picked up Honorable Mention honors.

Knighten's hitters produced back-to-back WCC Player of the Week honors for Izzy Owen in March of 2023, and Owen was named to the All-WCC First Team, joined by Mikalyn Emanuelli's Second Team selection and Emma Giaime's Honorable Mention nod.

In 2022, center fielder Alexia Torculas started all 54 games and provided a steady power presence, capped by a two-home run game against LMU, earning her an All-WCC Honorable Mention alongside first baseman Joecellia Roberts. Izzy Owen was named to the All-WCC Second Team.

Knighten's first season on staff, 2021, saw infielder Sophia Bjerk earn All-WCC Second Team honors and freshman infielder Amanda Limon pick up Honorable Mention recognition.

A two-time national champion and former All-American at Oklahoma, Knighten helped lead the Sooners to back-to-back national titles in 2016 and 2017 during her freshman and sophomore seasons. The Buena Park, Calif. native hit .360 over four seasons at Oklahoma, tallying 247 hits and 42 home runs, and started 233 of 239 career games. She finished her career ranked fourth in program history in sacrifice flies (10) and sixth in RBIs (197). In the Sooners' memorable 2017 postseason run, Knighten put together a career-best 12-game hitting streak that covered every game of the postseason, including multiple game-defining moments during the Women's College World Series, where she was named Most Outstanding Player. She was also named the 2017 Big 12 Player of the Year, a two-time NFCA Second Team All-American (2016, 2017), and a four-time All-Big 12 honoree.

Knighten was selected 20th overall by the USSSA Pride in the 2019 NPF Draft, and the Pride went on to win the NPF Championship that summer. Alongside her playing duties, she helped orchestrate camp activities and coached more than 200 youth athletes for the organization. Her role at USD marked her second stop in college coaching, following a season as an undergraduate assistant at Oklahoma in 2019-20.

Knighten earned her degree in human relations from Oklahoma in May 2020.