Lori Bayless to be enshrined in TTU Sports Hall of Fame in Class of 2016
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – There’s no question one of the most dominant eras of Tennessee Tech athletics came in the early 2000s as the Golden Eagle softball team built up a foundation that the program still stands by to this day. One of the cornerstones of that foundation was pitcher Lori Bayless, who dominated in the Ohio Valley Conference during her career.
By TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – There's no question one of the most dominant eras of Tennessee Tech athletics came in the early 2000s as the Golden Eagle softball team built up a foundation that the program still stands by to this day.
One of the cornerstones of that foundation was pitcher Lori Bayless, who dominated in the Ohio Valley Conference during her career.
Bayless will be one of five people inducted into the 42nd class of the Tennessee Tech Sports Hall of Fame at the Roaden University Center on Friday, Oct. 21, part of the University's Homecoming festivities.
Joining Bayless in the induction will be Marcia Borys (administration), Jillian Burns Elliott (women's soccer), Emily Christian Hughes (women's basketball) and Allison Clark (women's basketball).
One of the most decorated pitchers in Tennessee Tech softball history, Lori Bayless put up amazing numbers in her four year career as a Golden Eagle.
Even as the inductees are honored on Oct. 21, Bayless will still own the lowest career earned run average in the program's record book with a miniscule 1.23 mark.
When she completed her tenure with the program, she tallied some incredible totals – 65 career victories, 594 strikeouts and 752 1/3 innings of work.
Bayless was named to the Ohio Valley Conference's first-team roster three times, including her senior campaign in 2004 – a year where she was also recognized as the league's Pitcher of the Year, leading the OVC in wins, strikeouts, shutouts and ERA.
In that season, Bayless won 10 straight games en route to a 21-7 record. She struck out 207 batters – the second most in Tech single-season history at the time of her graduation – while her 1.03 earned run average is still the fourth-best mark in Tech single-season history.
Bayless was also recognized nationally as the National Fastpitch Coaches Association named her to the All-South Region second-team roster.
Bayless was named three times to the all-OVC Tournament team, winning the tournament's Most Valuable Player honor after leading Tech to its second tournament title in a three-year span as a member of the Golden Eagles.
Her Tech squad reached an NCAA play-in series against Bethune-Cookman in 2001, then made an NCAA Regional appearance in 2003 at the University of Texas, facing Northwestern and Arizona State.
The appearances there began one of the most dominant eras of Golden Eagle softball as the program won nine regular-season and tournament championships from 2001 to 2007.
Bayless is also the only Tech pitcher to ever record a postseason no-hitter, accomplishing the feat twice as she no-hit Eastern Illinois in 2002, then Eastern Kentucky in 2003.
However, her prowess in the circle wasn't her only strength as she could also swing the bat well. In her senior campaign with the Golden Eagles, Bayless batted .290 against OVC opponents to close out her career.
Off the diamond and in the classroom, Bayless also succeeded – she was twice named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll.
Tickets to the Hall of Fame Dinner and Homecoming football game against Southeast Missouri are available through the Athletics ticket office in the Hooper Eblen Center or by calling (931) 372-3940. Reservations must be made for the dinner, with tickets set for $25 each. The dinner will take place in the Multipurpose Room of the Roaden University Center on the TTU campus beginning at 6:30 p.m. CT.
