Featured photo by Preston Todd
Story by Jacob Burgess
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MURFREESBORO, Tenn – Middle Tennessee softball struggled to score runs at the beginning of the season. The team had a good batting average but were not able to score the runners who got on base. Now, MTSU’s increase in offense has boosted the Blue Raider’s record.
MTSU head coach Jeff Breeden preaches putting the players who can hit into the lineup and new hitting coach Bryce Brentz is implementing his vast hitting knowledge.
“Honestly, it’s really mindset not going up there trying to throw their way through an at bat,” Brentz said. “It’s going up there being ready to hit by pitch one, staying with an approach that ball stays in that zone. We tell them to bet on themselves, be aggressive.”
That was on Feb. 20 before MTSU had won a game. Since then, the Blue Raiders have gone 8-4 with runs scored in 11 of 12 games. The changes come from the bottom of the lineup which has started to hit better every weekend.
Leading the way are Ava Tepe and Ansley Blevins. Both started the season hitting below .200 before going into The Spring Games. Since then, Tepe has hit .519 and Blevins has hit .333 to boost their total average to .314 and .295, respectively.
“For the most part I’ve just kept my faith in God and trust in his timing more than anything else honestly,” Tepe said. “My teammates have had my back the whole way, my approach at the plate has just been to attack lately and swing the bat.”
“I’m honestly just trying to go up with a clear mind and just knowing that no matter what happens my team has my back, and that brings me a lot of comfort. I’m sticking to what we are doing in the cages, trying to make the best out of it.” Blevins said.
The changes that came since The Spring Game through practice have led to MTSU finding its footing at the plate.
“I think we finally understand our formula, what kind of offense we are, where we were struggling. Once we had our three games where we did put up a lot more runs the girls kind of understood what they got to do to be successful,” Brentz said
As for finding hitters, Breeden has had to make a few changes of late. The designated player spot has been one to see change. Anyce Harvey struggled at the plate, so Breeden inserted Ashlee Jacoway or Riley Gilmore in that spot to try and get more hits.
Jacoway is hitting .250 so far this season while Gilmore is sitting at .209. Breeden has some chances to try players out at various positions with two games remaining before conference play begins.
Breeden has also put pitcher Kamryn Carcich into the hitting lineup instead of having a designated player. Carcich can hit at the plate as she is currently hitting .353 and tied for the home run on the team.
“I’d like to keep her in the lineup but she is also our number one pitcher too so she is going to be in the lineup some on the offensive side, a lot pitching of course, we will just have to see how it plays out the rest of the season.” Breeden said.
MTSU has bounced back after a struggling start just in time for conference play where the season is make or break. Expectations to keep hitting consistently will be high within the team and fans as the Blue Raiders try to become back-to-back conference champions.
Jacob Burgess is a sportswriter for MTSU Sidelines. If you have information for a story, you can contact him at jkb7z@mtmail.mtsu.edu. For more news, visit www.mtsusidelines.com. Also, follow us on Facebook and Instagram @mtsusidelines, or on X @MTSUSidelines.
