Bio

A former Division I pitcher, Kelsey Aikey was named a full-time assistant coach for the Simpson softball team in August 2024 before being promoted to associate head coach in July 2025.

In Aikey's first season, Simpson won a share of the American Rivers Conference regular season title with 34 wins, the most since 2000 and reached the NCAA Regional final. Simpson featured two NFCA All-Americans in Megan Heidelbauer and Ashlyn Steen, along with Heidelbauer being named A-R-C Player of the Year, and eight All-Conference selections. The Simpson coaching staff was named the A-R-C Coaching Staff of the Year.

Aikey came to Simpson after spending two seasons on the staff at Division I University of Missouri-Kansas City as the pitching coach. Aikey helped increase UMKC's victories in 2023 from nine to 23 in 2024. The pitching staff dropped their team ERA from 8.18 in 2023 to 3.88 in 2024, and featured eight Summit All-League selections.

Prior to UMKC, Aikey coached one season at Division II Upper Iowa and three years at Cedar Falls High School.

Aikey played collegiate softball at Western Kentucky from 2017-21, where she was a two-time second team all-conference selection and a six-time Conference USA Pitcher of the Week. When she left the Hilltoppers, Aikey held the school record in saves (17), ranked second in career strikeouts (554), and pitched the first extra-inning no-hitter in program history.

Aikey graduated from Western Kentucky in 2020 with a degree in health science before earning a master's of recreation and sports administration in 2022 from the same institution. During her playing time, Aikey was selected to the Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll as well as Dean's and President's Lists.

A native of Cedar Falls, Iowa, Aikey played three years at Cedar Falls High School before transferring to Waverly-Shell Rock for her final season.