Christina May joined the A&M-Commerce coaching staff in 2013 after winning a national championship as Associate Head Coach at West Texas A&M. She coaches hitting, infield and outfield for the Lions. May was promoted to Associate Head Coach in October 2016.
During the 2018 season, May helped lead one of the best offenses in all of Division II, averaging more than eight runs per game. They led all of Division II in on-base percentage, finished second in home runs per game, third in slugging percentage, fourth in scoring average, sixth in batting average and seventh in stolen bases. The Lions led the LSC in steals for the fourth consecutive year and led the conference in scoring, on-base percentage and RBIs and finished second in batting average, slugging percentage, fielding percentage and home runs. The team set offensive records in nearly every category.
Under May, Mariah Jameyson became one of the best hitters in the country in 2018. She was named D2CCA National Player of the Year, Fastpitch News National Player of the Year and NFCA Catcher of the Year and was named a First Team All-American by four different organizations (NFCA, D2CCA, FPN, CoSIDA). She led the nation in on-base percentage and was second in batting average, slugging percentage and RBIs, third in total bases, fourth in walks and fifth in homers. Kinsie Hebler also shined for the Lions, earning NFCA and D2CCA First Team All-America honors as designated player. She was third in the nation in RBIs, sixth in home runs and 10th in slugging percentage and total bases. She was a top-25 finalist for NFCA National Player of the Year. Four players were named to the All-Region team and six were named to the All-Conference team.
During the 2017 season, May helped guide the Lion hitters to a top 25 ranking in the nation in scoring, averaging more than six runs per game. The team was also top 25 in home runs, slugging percentage and on-base percentage. On the defensive end, the team was top 25 in fielding percentage and double plays turned.
May helped coach the leading home run hitter in the country in Mariah Jameyson, who received numerous accolades including NFCA National Player of the Week, First Team All-LSC, two First Team All-Region selections and three Second Team All-American selections. Kinsie Hebler also was in the top 10 in the conference in home runs and was a First Team All-Conference and Second Team All-Region selection. Additionally, Chealsea Slider, Baylea Higgs and Ciera Nunez earned All-LSC honors and Higgs, Slider and Tyler Oppenheim were named Gold Glovers.
May was an intricate part in the Lions becoming the first team to earn a berth in the NCAA tournament in only its second season. The Lions made the South Central Regional tournament and had one win, ending the 2016 season with a 37-19 record. The team twice received votes in the NFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll for Division II softball, gaining national recognition from coaches across the country. The team finished second in the LSC in batting average, RBIs and win-loss percentage. The team finished 35th in the NCAA in batting average and ninth in scoring.
May helped coach three All-LSC players in 2016. Luci Ponce was named First Team All-Conference, Kylene Hatton was named Second Team All-Conference and Baylea Higgs was named Third Team All-Conference. Ponce also received a Golden Glove Award for her play at first base. Right fielder Magan Lynch also received a Golden Glove.
Ponce was also named hitter of the week once during the season. She ranked 19th in the NCAA in RBIs, 25th in RBIs per game, 26th in home runs and 41st in home runs per game. Higgs led the LSC and ranked 13th in the NCAA in steals. Cherie Jackson ranked 51st in the NCAA in RBIs and 33rd in RBIs per game. Ciera Nuñez was 42nd in the NCAA in stolen bases.
In addition to excellence on the field, Hatton and teammate Monica Cherry also received CoSIDA Academic All-District and All-Academic Lone Star Conference honors. Hatton would go on to become the program’s first-ever CoSIDA Academic All-America honoree.
In the 2015 season, May coached four All-LSC players. Team leader Tyler Oppenheim was named First Team All-Conference and received a Golden Glove as a defensive standout. Lynch, Ponce and Aundria Zunigia-Romero were named Third Team All-Conference.
The Lions ranked eighth in the LSC in batting, fourth in fielding, fifth in runs and fifth in RBIs. The Lions batted .300 on the season, scoring 5.72 runs per game. The team hit 0.85 home runs per game, slugged .452 and had a fielding percentage of .959 with 0.25 double plays per game. Ponce had a .364 batting average with 46 runs scored. Zunigia-Romero had 11 home runs and December Rivers had 47 RBIs. Rivers was eighth in fielding in the LSC. Ponce was tenth and Oppenheim was 15th.
May joined the staff after a highly successful five-year stint as the Associate Head Coach at West Texas A&M. During her time at WT, May worked with the Lady Buff hitters while providing assistance with day-to-day operations and recruiting. The 2014 squad claimed the 2014 NCAA National Championship. May and the rest of the staff earned NFCA Division II Coaching Staff of the Year honors.
“She did an outstanding job at West Texas A&M to help lead them to a national championship,” A&M-Commerce head coach Richie Bruister said when May was hired. “She brings Lone Star Conference and national championship experience to our program as we climb to the top.”
May played at LSC-member Eastern New Mexico. As a member of the Zia softball team, she earned two All-LSC Awards (2005, 2006). In 2007, she was sidelined with an injury and took a medical redshirt.
May finished her career at St. Gregory’s (Okla.) in the Sooner Athletic Conference. She was a key player in St. Gregory’s sixth-place finish at the 2008 NAIA National Championships. In 2008, she earned Academic All-America honors. In her final season, she helped St. Gregory’s to the school’s most successful postseason, as they finished runner-up at the 2009 NAIA National Championships.
A native of Albuquerque, N.M., May earned her Bachelor of Science degree from St. Gregory’s in 2009 and her master’s degree in sports management from West Texas A&M in 2011. The former Christina Helland, she married current Texas A&M-Commerce Co-Offensive Coordinator and Quarterback Coach Jared May in the summer of 2014.
