2021-22 MIDDLE TENNESSEE SOFTBALL RECORD BOOK TABLE OF CONTENTS GENERAL INFORMATION Location ...............................Murfreesboro, TN 37132 Quick Facts ..................................................................1 Enrollment .............................................................21,720 2021 Review Founded .....................................................................1911 NCAA Division ........................FBS (17 sports: 8M/9F) Notes ............................................................................3 Conference .......................................Conference USA Results ..........................................................................5 Nickname ..................................................Blue Raiders Overall Stats ...............................................................6 Colors ........................................ Royal Blue and White President ..................................Dr. Sidney A. McPhee Conference USA Stats .............................................7 Athletic Director ....................................Chris Massaro Conference USA Standings ....................................8 SWA .......................................................Diane Turnham Middle Tennessee when.../The last time... ..........9 HOME FIELD INFORMATION History & Records Name ..................................Blue Raider Softball Field Program timeline ...................................................... 11 Capacity ..................................................................... 563 Year-by-Year ..............................................................12 Opened .....................................................................1994 Dimensions ...........................L: 200 | C: 220 | R: 200 Series Results ...........................................................21 Conference Tournament Results & Records ... 33 TEAM HISTORY NCAA Tournament Results & Records .............. 35 First Year ........................................1993 (30th season) All-Time Record ............................................709-838-1 NISC Tournament Results & Records ................ 36 NCAA Tournament Record/Appearances .......0-4/2 Individual Career Records .................................... 37 ........................................................................2000, 2018 Individual Season Records ..................................40 TEAM INFORMATION Team Season Records .......................................... 43 2021 Overall Record ........................................... 26-22 Yearly Team Leaders ............................................. 45 2021 Conference USA Record ..............................11-8 Letterwinners Returning/Lost ...............................16/8 Yearly Team Stats ...................................................50 Starters Returning/Lost ........................................... 3/6 Individual Single Game Records ........................55 Pitchers Returning/Lost ............................................ 5/1 Team Single Game Records ................................58 Newcomers .................................................................... 6 Awards & Honors ...................................................60 ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS Letterwinners ...........................................................65 Softball Contact ..........................................Matt Posey Jersey Numbers ..................................................... 67 Email ................................ [email protected] Office Phone ..........................................615-898-8209 Blue Raider Sports Hall of Famers .....................69 Cell Phone ............................................... 931-993-9179 Blue Raider Softball Field ..................................... 70 MEDIA CREDENTIALS Media members looking to cover a Middle Ten- CREDITS The 2021-22 Middle Tennessee Softball Record Book is a product of the nessee softball game must be issued a credential Athletic Communications Office and was edited and designed by Matt Posey. Photography by Matt Brown, Stephanie Van Horn, Nathan Wallach, from the Middle Tennessee Athletic Communica- Brady McBride, and Vasha Hunt. tions office. All requests should be directed to Mission Statement: The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics serves Matt Posey at least one day in advance. and represents Middle Tennessee State University and its community, while being committed to providing a first class collegiate experience and competing at the highest level. By promoting institutional pride, generating visibility, enhancing campus life, and serving as a connection with alumni POSTGAME INTERVIEWS and community. It is devoted to serving the best interests of its student- athletes and employs people and administrative staff who embody the Middle Tennessee student athletes and Head highest standards of professionalism, integrity, ethical behavior, and sportsmanship. Coach Jeff Breeden will be available to the media following a cooling off period. The Blue Raiders’ Middle Tennessee State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or disability. See our full policy at www.mtsu.edu/iec. locker room will remain closed. @MT_SOFTBALL 1 #BLUERAIDERS 2021-22 MIDDLE TENNESSEE SOFTBALL RECORD BOOK @MT_SOFTBALL 2 #BLUERAIDERS 2021-22 MIDDLE TENNESSEE SOFTBALL RECORD BOOK 2021 Notes Locked in during the late innings » Just as they did in the first meeting between the two teams, the Blue » Game three against FIU marked MT’s 10th extra inning game in 2021. Raiders stole a season-high seven bases. The 10 extra inning games are the second-most in program history (1999: Blue Raiders drop C-USA opening series at Charlotte 12), and the seven wins in extras is a new program record. » MT won just one of the four games at Charlotte to begin the C-USA » MT’s 13-inning marathon in game one vs. FIU tied the program record for slate. longest game and was the most innings played in a game since 2006. » Two games went to extra innings, and the other two games were de- MT in the C-USA stat categories cided by two runs each. » The Blue Raiders led the league in sacrifice bunts (42) and fielding per- Baldwin goes the distance in 10-inning win at Murray State centage (.972) and were second in hits (353) and stolen bases (63) at the » Summer Burgess had her first multi-RBI game of the year, and Nahri conclusion of the regular season. Tath-Slezak scored a pair of runs as MT won at Murray State in extra in- Clutch moments: Blue Raider walk-offs in 2021 nings on Tuesday before opening C-USA play. » Nine different Blue Raiders have a walk-off hit in 2021, and six different » Right-hander Amber Baldwin notched a new career high for innings Blue Raiders have scored in those game-ending plays this season. pitched as she got the complete game win. » Makenzie Hutchinson (vs. SIU Edwardsville), Summer Burgess (vs. Day- Two games vs. Georgia Tech rained out ton), Mia Marinakis (vs. North Dakota State), Kaylee Richetto (vs. Western » MT added a weekend series vs. Georgia Tech to the schedule just two Illinois), Danielle Taitt (vs. Jacksonville State), Lexi Cushing (vs. Marshall), days before the first game of the three-game set. Jocelynn De La Cruz (vs. WKU game 3), Lani Rodriguez (vs. WKU game » After the Yellow Jackets won a 10-1 decision on Friday night, games on 4), and Ryan King (vs. FIU game 1) were at the plate for those nine clutch Saturday and Sunday were canceled due to weather and field conditions moments. in Murfreesboro. Raiders run-rule Jacksonville State THE 2021 CAMPAIGN » MT’s first midweek matchup of the season ended in the sixth inning on Season ends in C-USA First Round Danielle Taitt’s first career hit, a two-run double that sealed a 11-2 victory » Lexi Cushing hit career home run No. 50 and Jocelynn De La Cruz went for the home team. 3-for-3, but Middle Tennessee dropped a 4-2 decision in the first game of » Taitt also earned her first career save in the game, entering in the circle the Conference USA Championship in Bowling Green, Kentucky. with the bases loaded and the tying run on deck in the top of the sixth. Burgess, Hill garner postseason awards » MT stole seven bases against the Gamecocks, which is the most in a » Graduate student shortstop Summer Burgess wrapped up her last single game since Feb. 2018 and tied for the third-most in a single game in season with a spot on the All-Academic Team after posting a 4.0 in her first program history. year in the Public Health master’s program and also earned All-Confer- Burgess becomes program’s all-time hits leader, Dodd named Pitcher ence First Team honors. of the Week » Sophomore outfielder Kelci Hill was listed on the All-Conference Second » MT shortstop Summer Burgess entered the weekend against Western Team and Freshman Team after leading MT in multiple offensive catego- Illinois and Mercer five hits away from becoming the program’s all-time hits ries. Hill was eligible for the Freshman Team because no postseason leader. After a 4-for-4 performance to open the weekend against Western awards were given in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season. Illinois, Burgess collected a program record career hit No. 244 on Sunday Seniors shine in final regular season series vs. FIU against Mercer. » Amber Baldwin tossed a program record 13 innings in the 1-0 victory » Pitching continued to be the strong suit for MT over the weekend, as over FIU in game one of the series, which was cut short on Sunday due to Corrina Dodd tossed two