Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Wednesday, October 12
Murfreesboro, TN
4:00 PM
Middle Tennessee
vs
Wallace State Community College-Hanceville
Photo by: MT Athletic Communications
Middle Tennessee Hosts Wallace State on Wednesday
10/11/2022 4:25:00 PM | Softball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Undefeated through six games this fall, the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders look ahead to Wednesday for their next test of the 2022-23 slate when Wallace State Community College comes to Blue Raider Softball Field.
First pitch for the second-to-last game of the fall campaign is set for 4 p.m.
MTSU has blazed through its recent matchups, outscoring opponents a combined 92-3 across its past four games, including a 37-1 thrashing of Jackson State Community College and a 27-0 bruising of Bevill State Community College.
However, Wallace State stands to serve as among the sternest measuring sticks for Middle Tennessee this fall. The Hanceville, Ala. program finished 56-4 a season ago, and was the No. 1 ranked junior college team in the country for four weeks. The Lions won the Alabama Community College Conference championship and advanced to the NJCAA Division I quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, MTSU returns 10 players from last year's team, including pitcher Gretchen Mead. The graduate student from Kingwood, Tex. Is the longest-tenured member of the Blue Raider roster, and the sole player older than a junior. Mead led the '22 pitching staff in appearances with 28, and will co-headline this year's corps of pitcher alongside fellow returners Keri Munn and Claire Woods.
Middle infielder Laura Mealer is back after posting a team-high .350 batting average, 1.034 OPS and 10 home runs in 2022. The Chapel Hill, Tenn. native started in all 53 games a season ago as a freshman. With a year of experience under her belt now, Mealer takes the reins of a batting order that also returns each of its next two top hitters from last season. Fellow sophomore Anyce Harvey hit .326 in 2021, while junior Amaya Harris brings her .314 AVG and 50 hits into the fall season from a year ago.
The Blue Raiders also bring in nine newcomers this season. Transfers C/3B Julia Garcia (Maryland-Eastern Shore), P Carcich (Murray State), 2B Shelby Echols (Houston Baptist) and OF Savannah Behabetz (Incarnate Word) are all expected to immediately contribute and compete for spots in the lineup.
In addition, Middle Tennessee welcomes a five-member freshman class. P Paige Conners comes to Murfreesboro from Lake Travis, Tex., and will be the sole lefty in the Blue Raider pitching staff. C Ansley Blevins is set to be a second-generation MTSU student-athlete; her mother played volleyball for the Raiders from 1992-95.
OF Lexi Medlock joins the Middle Tennessee roster from Murfreesboro's Siegel High School, 1B Riley Gilmore will look to lend her power to the batting order, while SS Julia Sitterding will seek to provide depth to the middle infield.
Head coach Jeff Breeden returns for his 11th season at MTSU in 2023, and assistant coach Tony Foti is back for his 10th campaign. Together, Breeden and Foti led the Blue Raiders to a 26-22 record in 2021, including an 11-8 mark in Conference USA action.
Middle Tennessee also welcomes the newest member of its coaching staff, Helen Peña. The graduate of California Polytechnic State University comes to Rutherford County from the University of Memphis, where she spent the previous five years on the Tigers' staff.
After Wednesday, the Blue Raiders will look ahead to their fall finale at Blue Raider Softball Field against Cleveland State Community College this Sunday at 2 p.m.
Follow the Blue Raiders
Follow Middle Tennessee Softball on social media on Facebook (/BlueRaiderSoftball), Twitter (MT_Softball) and Instagram (MT_Softball).
First pitch for the second-to-last game of the fall campaign is set for 4 p.m.
MTSU has blazed through its recent matchups, outscoring opponents a combined 92-3 across its past four games, including a 37-1 thrashing of Jackson State Community College and a 27-0 bruising of Bevill State Community College.
However, Wallace State stands to serve as among the sternest measuring sticks for Middle Tennessee this fall. The Hanceville, Ala. program finished 56-4 a season ago, and was the No. 1 ranked junior college team in the country for four weeks. The Lions won the Alabama Community College Conference championship and advanced to the NJCAA Division I quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, MTSU returns 10 players from last year's team, including pitcher Gretchen Mead. The graduate student from Kingwood, Tex. Is the longest-tenured member of the Blue Raider roster, and the sole player older than a junior. Mead led the '22 pitching staff in appearances with 28, and will co-headline this year's corps of pitcher alongside fellow returners Keri Munn and Claire Woods.
Middle infielder Laura Mealer is back after posting a team-high .350 batting average, 1.034 OPS and 10 home runs in 2022. The Chapel Hill, Tenn. native started in all 53 games a season ago as a freshman. With a year of experience under her belt now, Mealer takes the reins of a batting order that also returns each of its next two top hitters from last season. Fellow sophomore Anyce Harvey hit .326 in 2021, while junior Amaya Harris brings her .314 AVG and 50 hits into the fall season from a year ago.
The Blue Raiders also bring in nine newcomers this season. Transfers C/3B Julia Garcia (Maryland-Eastern Shore), P Carcich (Murray State), 2B Shelby Echols (Houston Baptist) and OF Savannah Behabetz (Incarnate Word) are all expected to immediately contribute and compete for spots in the lineup.
In addition, Middle Tennessee welcomes a five-member freshman class. P Paige Conners comes to Murfreesboro from Lake Travis, Tex., and will be the sole lefty in the Blue Raider pitching staff. C Ansley Blevins is set to be a second-generation MTSU student-athlete; her mother played volleyball for the Raiders from 1992-95.
OF Lexi Medlock joins the Middle Tennessee roster from Murfreesboro's Siegel High School, 1B Riley Gilmore will look to lend her power to the batting order, while SS Julia Sitterding will seek to provide depth to the middle infield.
Head coach Jeff Breeden returns for his 11th season at MTSU in 2023, and assistant coach Tony Foti is back for his 10th campaign. Together, Breeden and Foti led the Blue Raiders to a 26-22 record in 2021, including an 11-8 mark in Conference USA action.
Middle Tennessee also welcomes the newest member of its coaching staff, Helen Peña. The graduate of California Polytechnic State University comes to Rutherford County from the University of Memphis, where she spent the previous five years on the Tigers' staff.
After Wednesday, the Blue Raiders will look ahead to their fall finale at Blue Raider Softball Field against Cleveland State Community College this Sunday at 2 p.m.
Follow the Blue Raiders
Follow Middle Tennessee Softball on social media on Facebook (/BlueRaiderSoftball), Twitter (MT_Softball) and Instagram (MT_Softball).
Players Mentioned
OF/INF
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OF/UT
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SS/2B
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P/3B
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