Home runs have been the key to success this year for Middle Tennessee softball (23-27, 10-14 CUSA). Through 50 games, MTSU smashed the program’s home run record, slugging 59 home runs thus far.
On April 5th, in the second game of a weekend series against Liberty, a pinch-hit home run to left field by Anyce Harvey broke the previous record of 44 set in 2024.
“It’s not something we strive for, but it’s a good outcome of our hard work,” catcher Ansley Blevins said.
Blevins is a key contributor to the record-breaking this season, leading the Blue Raiders in home runs with 12.
“Overall, hitting home runs is fun,” Blevins said. “It gets everybody amped up. It gets everybody in the crowd; it helps us feed off of it and goes into us getting runs. We have a couple home runs a game, which is pretty fun. It gets everybody on their toes.”
These excessive yard balls have propelled the offense for Middle Tennessee, as their 59 home runs are good for second in Conference USA while they trend towards the bottom of the conference in other key offensive stats such as a .249 team batting average (ninth) and a .343 on-base percentage (ninth).
This record-breaking season for MTSU included a streak of 23 consecutive games with a home run.
“That streak was just absurd,” hitting coach Bryce Brentz said. “Everybody contributed whether it was the bottom of the seventh or the first, it didn’t matter one through nine.”
With an increase of almost 20 home runs between the two seasons, Brentz credits the Blue Raiders power to their mentality at the plate.
“Come game time it’s all about our approach and being confident,” Brentz said. “Picking our spots, picking our windows that we want to hunt in. Of course, throughout the game, hitting is contagious when everyone is feeling it.”
The firepower within MTSU’s offense also comes from a strong foundation focused on contact.
“It’s all about ball striking,” Brentz said. “When we work it’s all about, hey, when you swing how often do you miss.”
Brentz doesn’t take all the credit for the team’s power surge, as the director of strength and conditioning for Middle Tennessee, Jamie Blatnick, has made a big impact on the program this spring.
After football season ended, Blatnick picked up softball in the winter and has worked with the team all season. A former All-Big 12 linebacker for Oklahoma State, Blatnick stresses the importance of details in training.
“Details matter,” Blatnick said. “Every detail, not just the ones you want to care about. All those details that we do lifting translate to the field.”
A large detail that Blatnick makes sure that the softball team focuses on is providing them with power to use on the diamond.
“You have to produce power,” Blatnick said. “You can hit the ball all you want. If you don’t have power behind it, it’s not getting out.”
Blatnick’s centers the softball team’s workouts around core work and box jumps, as these provide power, he said.
“Addy [Edgmon] has hit quite a few home runs this year,” Blatnick said. “She also had the biggest improvement on her box jump. What do you know, power, right?”
Throughout the season, the team has been very willing to put the work in off the field with the time that they get, Blatnick said.
“I’ve never seen them sweat and leave that weight room like that since I’ve had them,” Blatnick said. “We need to work. This isn’t a feel-good lift. You feel good afterwards when you are done with it. You feel good when you are hitting home runs.”
With a weekend left before the CUSA tournament, the Blue Raiders look to keep slugging their way to success. Middle Tennessee hosts the University of Texas at El Paso (22-25, 10-14 CUSA) for their final home series, including senior night as it looks to extend the program’s home run record even further.
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