Not only will the UTM softball team open a new campaign in 2020, but also a new era under the direction of first-year head coach Brian Dunn in the program’s 35th season.
After Dunn was hired to become the fourth head coach in UTM history back in June of last year, Dunn and his staff of former Skyhawk standout Chelsea Farmer and graduate assistant Marlee Wilson have worked on not only changing the culture of a historically successful program but also gain the trust of a loaded roster.
“I will start this off by saying I did not take this job to lose,” Dunn said. “I wanted these athletes to have a good experience because you don’t win without the players. I want them to have a great experience and know that we care – which takes time. You can tell someone you care, but if you don’t show them that, you cannot build trust. This has been a change that the players needed and they are embracing it.”
UTM boasts a relatively young roster which features just two seniors in Aalia Bivens and Hannah Ridolfi along with four juniors while the rest of the squad is comprised of 14 underclassmen. The Skyhawks will look to grow after a 2019 campaign in which the team posted a 29-27 overall mark while finishing seventh in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC).
Despite a young nucleus and a new coaching staff, Dunn isn’t shying away from the ultimate goal. “Our goal is to win the OVC title this year. We would be stupid not to have that as our first goal. If it isn’t, why are we here? We aren’t a recreational team. That is our number one goal and we can’t be scared. This is softball and the team that plays the best has the best chance to win. It doesn’t matter who you play.”
“Every day we talk that there is no perfection but rather that we are striving for excellence,” Dunn continued. “Excellence is a standard that you are trying to get to. Perfection is impossible. We try to do everything one percent better every day. If you strive to get just one percent better, then at the end of the day, you will be much improved.”
“We have just tried to build who we are,” Dunn said. “Our number one principle is team over self. We have standards that lead to competition. We want to compete every day and expect to win. We can think whatever we want, but we are in control of how we prepare and perform. We have tried to change the mindset of the program because you cannot continue to do what you have always done and expect different results.”
Results will speak for themselves throughout the season as the Skyhawks once again face a challenging schedule. UT Martin will travel to seven states while competing against 13 different conferences – including matchups against three foes from the always challenging Southeastern Conference – along with eight teams which notched postseason berths.
Overall, UTM will host two tournaments while traveling to the Southeastern Louisiana Lion Classic, North Texas Invitational and Mississippi State Snowman. Included in non-conference action will be matchups against No. 12 ranked Tennessee, Mississippi State and No. 21 Ole Miss.
“We are trying to create experiences for our kids,” Dunn said. “We strive to play as many top notch programs as we can. These showcase games not only give our kids a cool experience, but it helps us in recruiting and makes the OVC slate look a little easier when you play so many challenging games in non-conference play. Our league is better than it has ever been from top to bottom. I want to come in here, take what I have been able to do and see how much success we can have to try to win the OVC and advance to the NCAA regional.”
To prepare the Skyhawks for a long season, Dunn and his staff focused on adding variety to the monotony that can be a long offseason of preparation. “We came in and have made an effort to not do the same thing every day. We certainly have core things which we believe are important but we add variety because it is the spice of life. We also focus on trying to build a family. If we can take care of ourselves, play well and do the little things right, it doesn’t matter who we play. We have a chance to compete.”
UTM returns two incumbent starters from a season ago in sophomores Kallie Pickens and Chelsey Gore. Pickens played in 42 games, primarily at third base, while posting a .270 batting average with four doubles, two home runs and eight RBIs. Gore was the primary starter as second base while posting a .264 batting average with three doubles, a triple and eight RBIs. Junior Lex Rogers will compete for playing time at both second and third. The hole at shortstop will be filled by a mixture of Madelyn Dycus, Kaitlyn Kelly and Shyanne Sheffield while first base will see Chayse Skinner, Kelley, Ally Bruner and Skylar Davis compete for playing time.
The Skyhawks return two of three starters in the outfield highlight by Paige Clark and Bivens at the corner spots. Clark was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Region third team and All-OVC second team after posting a .383 batting average with 62 hits, four doubles, four triples, one home run and 24 RBIs while ranking as one of the nation’s top base stealers with 34 stolen bases. Bivens started in all 51 games while notching a .262 batting average with eight doubles, three home runs and 18 RBIs. The newcomer duo of Sheffield (Purdue transfer) and Emily Alexander will compete for the starting nod in center.
UTM returns three pitchers who all have experience. Sophomore Erin Gallagher led the team with 28 appearances last season while posting a 7-4 record and 2.58 ERA in 95 innings of work while senior Ridolfi started 19 games with an 8-11 record and 3.73 ERA in 99.1 innings. Junior Seeley Lane pitched for the Skyhawks in 2017 and 2018 before returning to the program this season.
Sophomore Kenna Garst returns behind the plate for the Skyhawks after playing 47 games last season. Garst posted a .252 batting average with seven doubles and 17 RBIs. The freshman duo of Maddi Long and Mallory Lowe will fight for playing time behind the returning starter.
UTM’s 2020 softball team features a young roster, with outfielder Aalia Bivens and pitcher Hannah Ridolfi being the only seniors on the team. Photo Credit / Sports Information
