2014 - 2015 Tigers Softball Team
2013-14 Season Recap
The tigers are coming off a fantastic 2013-14 season placing 3rd at the NJCAA National Tournament and winning the Region VII Championship. Chattanooga State compiled an impressive number of wins with 55 and only suffered 8 losses on the year. At the Region VII Championship multiple tigers received recognition for their accomplishments throughout the year. Chattanooga State placed 5 players on the Region VII first team, 5 players on second team, and also had the Region VII Pitcher of the Year and Coach of the Year recipients. During the region tournament the tigers went 3-0 outscoring their opponents 24-0. At the conclusion of this tournament 5 players received All-Tournament team awards with one player receiving tournament MVP. The following week the tigers traveled to St. George, UT to compete in the NJCAA National Tournament and represented Region VII with a top 3 finish. Three players received All-Tournament team awards and another player received the Defensive MVP. To top off the year, Chattanooga State had 4 NJCAA All-Americans, 2 NFCA All-Americans, 5 NFCA All-South Region team selections, and 12 TCCAA Academic Scholars. Four sophomores from the 2013-14 team moved on to play at the next level – Khadija Neely (Troy University), Baylee Williams (Lipscomb University), Shelby Willard (Belmont University), and Emily Dagnan (Lee University). “I could not be more proud of the way our team competed this past year. The pitching and offense we consistently displayed throughout the year was some of the best I have ever seen or be a part of. We work tirelessly to challenge our players, enhance their skills, and help them reach their goals of playing at the next level. This was a very special group and they will go down as one of the best in the history of Chattanooga State Softball” – Head Softball Coach, Blythe Golden.
2014-15 Season Preview
The tigers return 10 sophomores from the previous season and added 2 transfer sophomores to round out the class. They have also added 6 new freshmen to join the 2014-15 team. The large number of returners should bring much needed leadership and experience to this year’s team.
On the mound the tigers return two sophomore pitchers, Hanna Manley and Sharlene Godoy from last year’s rotation. They are expected to get plenty of time on the mound and help anchor the tigers in the circle. Two freshman pitchers have joined them, McKenzi Ferguson and Ericka Webster, and they are also expected to get pitching time right away and will be big contributors to the staff this season.
In the infield, the tigers will find leadership in the middle infield with sophomores Katy Richardson, Dana Horgan, and UTC transfer Kaitlyn Walker. On the corners sophomores Lindsey Stickrod and Syndey Sloan will get some help from freshmen Courtney Styles and Chandlar Turner who also bring great defensive skills and powerful bats to the line-up. Styles can and will also help add some depth to the middle infield if needed.
Behind the plate, the tigers have a returning sophomore Cassidy Howren and transfer from Gulf Coast State College, Jordan Roberts. Both of these players will see time behind the plate this season and will manage the pitching staff with their experience and maturity.
In the outfield, the tigers have a combination of new and old faces. The outfield will be anchored by sophomore Courtney Crawford who started every game there for the tigers last season. On either side of Crawford are two sophomores Izzy McCurry and Sydney Spurgeon, and newcomers Shannon Plese and MacKayla Rembert. These players are all battling for starting roles in their respective positions. The outfield has a lot of speed, depth, and players with game changing abilities at the plate this year.
“We have had a great start to our fall season and I look forward to watching this team compete at a very high level this spring. We have a large sophomore class but have added some strong freshman to the mix who will give us the right balance of speed and offensive production that we were looking for. It will be very hard to top the offensive numbers we had last year, but this team looks to be on the right track for another great year. Our pitching staff has added the freshman depth that we needed to carry us through the season and we hope to make a strong case for ourselves as we compete throughout the spring” - Head Coach, Blythe Golden.