GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University softball team sets off on a whirlwind season this Wednesday (Feb. 3) when the Pioneers travel to Southern Wesleyan for an afternoon doubleheader.
Going into her ninth year, Huebner is the second-winningest softball mentor in program history and just seven victories shy of the 200-win plateau. The 2021 squad includes five transfers, nine freshmen, and 13 returners.
In the 2020 COVID-19 abbreviated season, Tusculum went 15-7 and 1-3 in the SAC, while going an impressive 6-2 away from J.C. Red Edmonds Field. The Pioneers' 5-0 start was tied for second-best in recorded program history and they began their home schedule 7-0, tying the fifth-best opening mark (also a Huebner-led team) for games played in Greeneville. Along the way, Tusculum earned its best record in program history at 13-2 to start the season.
Following the series in South Carolina, Tusculum will return to Red Edmonds Field for a pair of doubleheaders over the weekend: Saturday (Feb. 6) versus West Virginia State and Sunday (Feb. 7) against Lee. The Pioneers' South Atlantic Conference slate begins with Wingate on Feb. 27.
The Pioneers were in line to host the SAC Tournament in 2020 before the remainder of the schedule was canceled. The league office granted Tusculum hosting rights again, so for the first time since 2012, Edmonds Field will serve as host of the conference's postseason championship. The eight-team, single-elimination tournament will be held Apr. 23-24 in Greeneville.
INFIELD
Two-thirds of Tusculum's preseason All-Conference honorees reside in the infield, Brittney Franse and Alexis Grampp.
Franse, a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, started and played in 21 games for Tusculum at second base. In her third year, she averaged .212 at the plate, slugged .308, and earned an OBP of .281. The 5-2 right-hander finished the season with 11 hits, nine runs scored, eight RBI, four walks, three doubles, three sacrifice bunts (t-12th in SAC), two steals, hit by one pitch, and one triple in 60 plate appearances. Franse had a fielding percentage of .962 with 40 putouts and 35 assists (tied 12th in the SAC). To open the season, she scored a run in five consecutive games and recorded three RBI in the first game of the year. For her career, Franse enters the season in a tie for eighth in sacrifice flies (4) and tied 10th in fielding percentage (.978).
Grampp, a Harrison, Tenn. product, started every game at first base for the Pioneers. The graduate student finished last year batting .359 (third on the team) with an OBP of .400 and a .667 slugging percentage (second on the team). Grampp led TU with 86 plate appearances, 78 at bats (tied 6th in the SAC), 14 extra-base hits (tied 3rd in the SAC), and eight doubles (tied 4th in the SAC). She was second with 52 total bases (ninth in the SAC), 28 hits (tied 9th in the SAC), 21 RBI, 18 runs scored, and a pair of triples (tied 4th in the SAC). The 5-11 right-hander also added five walks and four homers (tied 3rd on the team). Grampp was fourth in the conference with a team-high 138 putouts, alongside seven assists, for a .993 fielding percentage (tied 3rd for a TU season). In game one against Cedarville, Grampp collected nine total bases (tied 5th in program history), going 4-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored, and one homer. She had eight multi-hit games, seven with multiple RBI, and four scoring more than one run.
Claire Crout is the only other returning infielder for the Pioneers. The Candler, North Carolina sophomore played in nine games with five starts throughout her first collegiate season. She singled three times with two RBI, alongside three walks, two steals, and one run scored. The right-hander was spotless in the field with two assists and one putout. Crout worked two free-passes against nationally-ranked Young Harris in the third contest of her career.
A pair of transfers (Hannah Hughes and Kiley Longmire) and freshmen (Angela Masiello and Zoe Wills) have joined Huebner's squad for the 2021 season.
Hughes comes courtesy of Roane State Community College, a Harriman, Tenn. junior college. The junior Baxter, Tenn. native played in 47 games over two years for the Lady Raiders. In 130 plate appearances, Hughes totaled 117 at bats, 45 total bases, 31 hits, 18 runs, 11 RBI, hit by seven pitches, six doubles, six walks, and four triples. Out in the field, she is credited with 236 putouts and 31 assists.
Longmire's most recent stop was in-state Lee, where she started 49-of-50 games played in her lone season with the Flames. The junior third baseman ended the year batting .336 with an OBP of .383 and slugged .396. In 149 at bats, the Knoxville, Tenn. product collected 59 total bases, 50 hits, 25 runs, 23 RBI, seven walks, six doubles, five HBP, and one homer. Defensively, Longmire is credited with 83 assists and 49 putouts.
Masiello graduated from Crestwood High School in Mantua, Ohio and lettered in four sports: swimming, volleyball, softball, and track. The right-hander won numerous conference and district championships while a Red Devil. Masiello racked up accolades including, but not limited to, team MVP, team captain, all-district honorable mention, all-conference, offensive and defensive player of the year, and Golden Glove Award.
Wills attended her hometown high school in Coal City, Illinois, where she lettered two seasons in softball. In 2019, Wills was named academic all-conference as a member of the regional runner-up team and earned the title of team captain for the following season.
OUTFIELD
Rounding out the trio of preseason all-conference nods is Anna Alloway. Listed as a utility player, the Louisville, Tenn. native, started all 22 games in the outfield during her junior season. She was the first TU position player to earn SAC Player of the Week since 2013 due to a stellar opening weekend. As the team MVP, Alloway led the roster with a .417 batting average, .494 on-base percentage, .764 slugging percentage, 55 total bases, 30 hits, 25 runs scored, and seven home runs (tied 9th in TU season records). All figures were within the top-11 of the South Atlantic Conference and a pair were listed across NCAA Division II highs. The 5-2 right-hander was among top-four on the squad with 84 plate appearances, 72 at bats, 19 runs batted in, 11 extra-base hits, eight walks, four doubles, and was hit by three pitches, all while striking out just twice. Alloway recorded at least one hit in 17-of-22 games and scored a minimum of one run in 14. She collected 21 putouts on a .913 fielding percentage. In the program record book, Alloway is ranked among the top-10 in four categories: slugging percentage (3rd; .605), OBP (5th; .407), home runs (tied 6th; 18), and batting average (7th; .350).
Also returning in the grass are Ashley Harbison and Kristen Gass. Harbison played in 10 games in her first collegiate season, starting in two. She finished with a batting average and slugging percentage of .222, while having an OBP of .417 from the left side of the batter's box. The Knoxville, Tenn. sophomore recorded three walks, two singles, and batted in one run. She is credited with a perfect fielding mark and one putout.
Hailing from Etowah, N.C., Gass saw action in 17 games, including nine starts, in 2020. The senior accumulated nine runs scored, five walks, four hits, four RBI, three steals, and one double with an OBP of .370. In the field, Gass is credited with seven putouts and one assist.
The lone outfield transfer is Mya Maddox and is one of a pair of new Pioneers that spent last season at Nova Southeastern. Starting in all 29 games for the Sharks, the lefty from Lewes, Delaware ended the year with a .288 average, .411 OBP, and .315 slugging percentage. In 73 at bats, Maddox notched 23 runs, 23 total bases, 21 hits, 13 walks, 11 RBI, 11 sacrifice bunts, and a triple. She also went 12-for-14 on stolen bases and had a perfect fielding percentage with 38 putouts and two assists.
Two freshmen will be vying for time in the outfield: Maddie McBride and Madison McGinnis.
McBride (Mint Hill, N.C.) graduated from Central Academy, lettering in basketball and softball over four years. During her junior season, she earned all-conference recognition with a .523 batting average in 44 at bats, 23 runs, 23 hits, 14 runs batted in, eight steals, six triples, three doubles, and a pair of homers in 55 plate appearances. McBride is also credited with 24 putouts.
McGinnis reunites with Powell (Tenn.) High School teammates Franse, Harbison, and Longmire at Tusculum. The right-hander lettered four seasons on the diamond, racking up two district championships, and, in 2018, region, substate, and state titles. McGinnis was also named all-state all-tournament, and most improved during her stint as a Panther.
CATCHER
Hailey Berglof, Chloe Freischmidt, and Julia Street return behind the plate for the Pioneers in 2021. Berglof (Maryville, Tenn.) notched a pinch hit single in her lone action of the season.
Freischmidt had a banner year and took advantage of her newfound starting role. She was named SAC Player of the Week and Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II Player of the Week for her performances over Cedarville and Davis & Elkins (Feb. 22-23), totaling a .545/.583/1.273 slash line, 11 RBI, six hits, five runs scored, two doubles, two grand slams, and a walk-off hit. Collectively, Freischmidt finished with a .333 average, .419 OBP, and a .603 slugging percentage. She compiled a team-best 23 RBI (tied 9th in the SAC), 21 hits, 15 runs, six walks, five doubles (second on the team), four homers, four HBP (tied 7th in the SAC), and three steals across 76 plate appearances. Behind the plate, Freischmidt was stellar with a .975 fielding percentage with 108 putouts and seven assists.
Street (Glade Spring, Va.) also saw limited action, playing in three games. She was perfect in the field with three putouts.
Kaylee Higgins joins the Pioneers fresh out of North Murray High School. The Rocky Face, Georgia native lettered in softball, soccer, and cross country and earned All-District second team honors for the Mountaineers.
UTILITY
Three Pioneers will rotate among various positions in the Tusculum lineup, with the capability of starting in both the infield and outfield, along with designated player. All three have yet to suit up in the Black and Orange.
Hayley Lazo (Port Orange, Fla.) redshirted in 2020 as a freshman at Tusculum. She lettered all four years in softball and once in weightlifting at Spruce Creek High School. Lazo was a four-time district champion and regional runner-up.
Claire Smeltzer and Julia Zelinski will fight for playing time in their first collegiate season. Smeltzer graduated from Smithfield High School located in her hometown, lettering in softball, volleyball, weightlifting, and as the wrestling manager. She twice earned conference, district, and state honors, while collecting a student-athlete academic award each year. Smeltzer was the 2018 Offensive Player of the Year batting .563 and most valuable player the next year with an average of .528.
Zelinski played for her hometown Oak Forest (Ill.) High School, winning one conference and two region championships along the way. She was also the most improved after her junior season.
PITCHERS
The Pioneers return three pitchers from last year's roster: Delilah Malczewski, Madison Michael, and Kaitlyn Pickens.
Malczewski has already made her mark in the TU program record book. In just one season as a Pioneer, the senior notched three saves, tying her for first in season marks and second in the career totals. Additionally, the lefty made nine appearances with three starts, including two complete games. She collected a 4-2 record with SAC-leading three saves (25th in the NCAA) in 29.1 innings of work. The Mt. Prospect, Illinois native was second on the team with a 2.86 earned run average and struck out 27 batters to only one walk. Her strikeout-to-walk ratio (27.00) led Division II and was second nationally with .24 walks allowed per seven innings.
Michael appeared in seven games (six starts) with two going the distance during her freshman season. She finished with a 2-2 record and a 3.60 ERA in 23.1 innings pitched (third on the team). The Cumming, Ga. product struck out 15 batters (third on the team), walked four (tied 2nd least on the team), and hit only one batter (tied for the NCAA lead). Across the SAC, Michael was second in WHIP (0.99), third in walks allowed per seven innings (1.20), and sixth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.75). She is credited with a perfect fielding percentage, adding five assists and one putout.
Pickens (Knoxville, Tenn.) spent the 2020 season as a redshirt after two years at Cleveland State, earning a 2.24 ERA with 176 strikeouts as a Cougar.
Huebner brought in a pair of transfer pitchers over the off-season: Savannah Foster and Emily Sappington.
Foster is the other Pioneer to come from Nova Southeastern. The Crestview, Fla. native started 13-of-15 appearances, including 11 complete games, in her lone year for the Sharks, compiling a 9-4 record. The right-hander posted a 2.64 ERA with one shutout, 37 walks, and 72 strikeouts (6th in the conference) in 85.0 innings pitched. Half of Foster's strikeouts caught the batter looking, second-best in the league.
Sappington (Ashburn, Va.) attended UConn for one season, pitching an inning in relief as her collegiate debut. The Ashburn, Virginia sophomore is the other left-handed pitcher on the TU roster.
Two freshmen also signed to join the pitching staff in 2021. Keylon Reynolds and Nancy-Jo Roberts will battle the experienced throwers for their time in the circle.
Reynolds lettered in softball, volleyball, and basketball and graduated as the salutatorian at Roane County High School. The Kingston, Tenn. product added an all-district, two all-district tournament teams, and a pair of all-state academic team honors to her resume. In 2018, the Yellow Jackets were the district champion, region runner-up, and sub-state champions before finishing fourth in the state tournament. Reynolds was also a part of the 2017 district runner-up team. Collectively, she totaled 187 strikeouts, 74 RBI, and seven homers in 171 innings.
Roberts played volleyball and softball at Northwood High School, where she holds both the shutout and strikeouts in a game records. The Broadford, Va. native racked up county, area, district, region, and state honors to go along with team MVP laurels. Roberts was a member of two district, district tournament, and regional tournament championship teams with appearances in the semifinal of the state tournament.
