5/11/25
Alicia Dorgan is in her sixth year at USC Aiken.
Dorgan became the first full-time assistant coach in the softball program's history in the summer of 2021.
“Alicia proved instrumental to our program in her part-time role last season,” Poole said. “Her ability to instruct and adapt is something I was looking for in the assistant role. Alicia brings a wealth of knowledge with her from her Division I playing experience and her previous coaching experience in the travel ball circuit. She will assist with all aspects of the game and our players will definitely benefit from having her in a full-time role. It’s a great time to be a Pacer.”
Dorgan, who was a part-time assistant coach during Poole’s first season at the helm of the program, coached the Carolina Aftershock 16-under team since 2018. During that time, she ran clinics and camps. Additionally, Dorgan gave private hitting and fielding lessons while preparing her student-athletes for college softball.
In 2025, the squad was ranked in the region for multiple weeks and she helped guide the squad to its second-most PBC wins in school history. The team produced four all-conference performers, including two first-team selections.
The 2024 season saw the team crush the school record for home runs with 51, marking the third consecutive season the program has shattered the record.
She coached six student-athletes that earned all-PBC recognition in Payton Baker, Jena Dewalt, Austyn Dixon, Skylar Morley, Lakyn Phillips and Mallory Shaver. Poole’s team earned a region ranking throughout the season and knocked off then-No. 11 Wingate during the regular season. She guided the Pacers to a fifth-place finish in the PBC.
In 2023, the team set the school record for home runs with 42., marking the second straight year the program has shattered the record.
Emily Ayers and Lakyn Phillips garnered second-team all-conference honors while Shi Cain picked up PBC all-tournament team accolades after helping send the Pacers to the PBC Semifinals. During the PBC Tournament run, Cain recorded a pair of home runs and tallied two game-winning hits, including one against nationally-ranked No. 2 North Georgia. During the regular season, Phillips recorded her second career no-hit bid. She worked with Ayers, who ended up as one of the most productive USC Aiken student-athletes in history. Ayers wrapped up her career in the top 10 in batting average, slugging percentage, hits, doubles, home runs, RBI, total bases, sacrifice flies, chances and putouts.
In 2022, Dorgan helped the team increase its win total by 23 games. The team went 29-22 and made the PBC Tournament for the first time since 2016. USC Aiken upset No. 12 North Georgia twice, including one via a walk-off home run by KB Moore and the other a 4-0 shutout.
The 29 wins marked the most in the program since 2019. During the season, her team tied the school record for consecutive road wins. It also established a school record with 11 steals in the win over Erskine. The Pacers’ 41 home runs also set a school record. Individually, Moore tied the school record with a seven-RBI performance in the victory over Georgia College while Taylor Butts tied the school mark for sacrifice bunts in a game.
In 2022, Dorgan coached four all-league performers (Emily Ayers, Jena Dewalt, Moore and Lakyn Phillips). It tied for the most all-conference honors USC Aiken has had in a single season in school history (2009).
Prior to her time there, she was an assistant instructor for Elite 80 LLC. There, she assisted with developing student-athletes and was an administrator for camps and tournaments.
In 2017, Dorgan coached the Carolina Aftershock 14-under squad.
She had a stellar career at USC Upstate where she earned her degree in interdisciplinary studies with an emphasis in psychology and criminal justice. Dorgan also holds a minor in coaching. She’s the sister of fellow Pacer standout Lyndie Dorgan.
