Raiders start fall slate against Volunteer State

Thursday, September 18

Manchester, Tenn.

6 p.m.

Middle Tennessee

Volunteer State

9/15/2014 1:54:00 PM | Softball

By: @MTAthletics

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The Middle Tennessee softball squad is slated to open their fall slate of games Thursday, traveling to Manchester, Tennessee and Coffee County High School for a single 10-inning match-up with Volunteer State.

The Blue Raiders then host Cumberland in a single contest at Murfreesboro Thursday Sept. 25, before traveling to Columbia, Tennessee to play Columbia State Saturday Sept. 27.

MT returns to Murfreesboro for a single contest against Trevecca Wednesday Oct. 8 and plays its only doubleheader of the fall at Alabama Sunday Oct. 12. To close the fall slate, the Blue Raiders play host to Columbia State Friday Oct. 17.

Middle Tennessee returns six from last year's team, including starters Samantha Nieves, Austyn Whaley, Cheyenne Willis and Marinna Shadley. Nieves and Shadley are the only two to have played in every game last season, while Austyn Whaley missed only one game during the 2013 slate. Nieves leads the group of returners at the plate, tallying a .236 batting average with 16 RBI in 2014.

The Blue Raiders also return Caitlin McClure, who led the team with 138 and two-thirds innings pitched and held opposing batters to a team-best .317 batting average.