2023-24 Tennessee Tech Softball News
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Tennessee Tech softball team improved by leaps and bounds on the diamond this past season, but the Golden Eagles were also hard at work in the classroom. Their efforts paid off as Tech received No. 25 standing in NCAA Division I as the National Fastpitch Coaches Association released its top GPAs as well as collecting 15 Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete selections on Tuesday. The players selected included Carmen Betts, Olivia Evans, Mac Fitzgerald, Meaghan Houk, Jordan Key, Sydney Kirby, Abbee Klinefelter, Brooklin Richardson, Ashlyn Riggs, Alina Schlageter, Abby Shoulders, Bailee Stack, Brooklyn Stewart, Savannah Talley and Emily York.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As the NCAA closed out the record books for the 2023-24 academic year on Tuesday, Tennessee Tech Softball came away with a statistical champion as Mac Fitzgerald led all of Division I softball in stolen bases per game. Fitzgerald, a native of Portland, Tenn., finished the 2024 season with an average of 0.87 stolen bases per game, beating out Denver Lauer (USC Upstate, 0.81), Kaliyah Gipson (Jackson State, 0.77), Megan Delgadillo (Cal State Fullerton, 0.76) and Anna Dethlefson (UC Davis, 0.75) for the honor.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A can-do attitude and a tremendous work ethic can go a long way. The Tennessee Tech softball team was witness to that with the efforts from Jordan Key, a recent graduating senior for the Golden Eagles.
PEORIA, Ill. – Only one team is going to end the season with a victory. That’s one of the ironclad truths of athletics. It’s also never easy to see the campaign end with a loss, especially in a hard-fought battle like the one Tennessee Tech had Thursday night against Southern Indiana. And the Golden Eagles fought to the very last pitch. As the Screaming Eagles put a run on the board, Tech countered. When the Golden Eagles pulled ahead, USI found a way. Neither team wanted to see their season come to an abrupt stop, but, unfortunately, it is the nature of the beast.
PEORIA, Ill. – The seventh time was the charm as Tennessee Tech found an answer to Lindenwood to take them out in the opening round of the Ohio Valley Conference Softball Championship, winning 7-3 Wednesday morning. The victory advanced the Golden Eagles into the double-elimination rounds and will take on Tennessee State at the conclusion of the UT Martin/SIUE first-round contest. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required).
PEORIA, Ill. – This time of year, it’s never over until the final out is recorded. Tennessee Tech might have had a slight cushion heading into the bottom of the seventh, but with as strong as Tennessee State has played this season, it’s unwise to count them out. The Golden Eagles, unfortunately, learned that lesson as the No. 3-seeded Tigers walked off the game with a two-run triple to right from Nahtali Simpson to give TSU the 9-8 victory Wednesday afternoon. Tech (23-23) now falls into the consolation bracket, but the season is not over yet. The Golden Eagles will play again at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, taking on the loser of Game 6 between top-seeded Eastern Illinois and the winner between Wednesday night’s game between Southern Indiana and SIUE.
PEORIA, Ill. – The regular season is in the books, now the Tennessee Tech softball team looks to add another Ohio Valley Conference championship in their trophy case. There’s still plenty of work to be done and it all starts Wednesday morning as the Golden Eagles take on Lindenwood at 10 a.m. at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria, Ill., to open the 30th OVC Softball Championship. The games will be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required) with Max Thoma and Kirsten Dell handling broadcast duties.
PEORIA, Ill. – On the eve of the Ohio Valley Conference Softball Championships in Peoria, Ill., the Tennessee Tech softball team took home some hardware as senior third baseman Carmen Betts and junior first baseman Sydney Kirby were named to the first- and second-team rosters respectively, while Kirby and freshman pitcher Emily York and junior pitcher Payton Wagner were both named to the OVC All-Newcomer Team on Tuesday night. The teams were voted on by the league’s coaches and sports information contacts.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Weather was not kind at Tennessee State’s field on the weekend. After Saturday’s games were washed out and rescheduled as a doubleheader on Sunday morning, Tech and TSU got the day’s opener in with the Golden Eagles emerging victorious 7-4. Tech also worked its way to a 3-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning of game two before rain fell once more. With the field unable to hold any more water, the game was called, erasing everything that had transpired in the previous four and a half innings.
NASHVILLE – It’s the final week of the Ohio Valley Conference softball regular season, and for the Tennessee Tech softball team, the Golden Eagles already know that they’re going to the postseason tournament next week at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria, Ill. Tech can not drop in the standings, its seventh-place spot secured as a minimum. The Golden Eagles (21-22, 11-13 OVC) can still finish as high as fourth – with a sweep over Tennessee State this weekend and Western Illinois sweep over Southern Indiana. UT Martin and Lindenwood both face the top two teams in the conference standings – Eastern Illinois and Southeast Missouri – with Tech two games back from both of those teams. That presents a window where the Golden Eagles could move into fifth or sixth.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As the Tennessee Tech softball team wrapped up the home portion of the 2024 campaign, the Golden Eagles honored their senior student-athletes who have devoted countless hours on the field and in the classroom representing the Purple and Gold. It was a celebration of the success the program had this season with still much more to go as Tech has clinched a spot in the Ohio Valley Conference softball championships with a weekend still to play, giving the Golden Eagles a chance to raise their standing in the race. Sunday’s series finale against SIUE was a close battle until the sixth inning with the Cougars scoring five runs. Tech answered with four in the home half of the frame and had a chance to even the game in the bottom of the seventh, but SIUE evaded the sweep with a 7-5 victory in the finale.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – With two victories on Saturday to take both ends of the doubleheader against SIUE, the Tennessee Tech softball team is assured of one thing – the Golden Eagles will be heading back to postseason action in the Ohio Valley Conference softball championships in Peoria. With the two wins and now four games up on the Cougars and six on Morehead State, Tech (21-21, 11-12 OVC) is assured of at least the No. 7-seed with a chance to move up further with wins in their last four games of the season and help from fellow OVC teams in the final three days of conference competition.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As the Ohio Valley Conference schedule begins to draw to a close with the conference tournament just two weeks away in Peoria, Ill., the Tennessee Tech softball team can potentially clinch a spot this weekend as the Golden Eagles host SIUE on Saturday and Sunday. But while there is business to take care of this weekend, it’s also a moment to reflect on the careers of the Tech seniors as they will be honored Sunday during the team’s Senior Day festivities as third baseman Carmen Betts, second baseman Mac Fitzgerald, outfielder Jordan Key, outfielder Brooklin Richardson, pitcher Lennon Spicer and catcher S.J. Talley will be recognized for their efforts in the Purple and Gold.
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – After taking a 2-0 lead, the Tennessee Tech softball team saw host Austin Peay score five runs in its final three frames to take a 5-2 victory on Wednesday afternoon. The Golden Eagles (19-21) return to action on Saturday and Sunday as they take on SIUE in Tech’s final home series of the season.
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Once Tennessee Tech and Austin Peay were bitter rivals in the Ohio Valley Conference, but the Governors packed up and jumped to the Atlantic Sun Conference. Wednesday, the two teams will square off once more as the Golden Eagles head to Clarksville to take on APSU in a 4 p.m. battle. First pitch on Wednesday is set for 4 p.m. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ (subscription required).
CHARLESTON, Ill. – Sydney Kirby had a big day in the finale as she drove in four of Tennessee Tech’s seven runs on Sunday as the Golden Eagles put together a strong offensive effort in the finale to take a 7-1 victory over Eastern Illinois. Kirby ended the game 2-for-3, while Mac Fitzgerald also had a multi-hit game with an RBI and Carmen Betts drove in two.
