STARTING LINEUP meet the skyhawks season preview in review
SKYHAWK SOFTBALL LOOKS FOR LEADERSHIP TO PAVE WAY TO OVC CHAMPIONSHIP The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team enters its 16th season under the direction of head coach Donley Canary with an experienced squad infused with depth and competition at several positions to provide championship aspirations. The Skyhawks enter the season looking to take another step in its stride towards the program’s first conference title since 2012 after posting a 30-26 record last year despite playing with an inexperience squad which was comprised primarily of underclassmen. With the calendar flipping to 2017, UT Martin has seen its previous inexperience transition into a balanced and competitive squad which features nine returning starters on offense and one of the Ohio Valley Conference’s top pitching aces returning to the circle. “Last season we saw some highs and lows because we were forced to play so many freshman,” said Canary. “While that was an obstacle then, it has proved to be a positive for us in the long run because we feel like we have a number of strong classes. We feel like we have a strong group of seniors, dedicated juniors and mature sophomores which you feel confident in their production. When you combine that with a handful of freshman and a couple of key transfers, we feel that we can do some good things this season.” Looking for leadership on this Skyhawk team will not be hard to find when you consider the return of three four-year seniors to the fold in Carly Gonzales, Renate Meckl and Brooke Kennedy. Not only is the group seen as leaders by the coaching staff – serving as an extension of the staff on the field and within the locker room – but the
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2017 UT Martin Softball Guide
BROOKE KENNEDY circle. Aeron understands the game so well and serves as a player-coach on the field. I feel like these four are great leaders for our program this season.” When you combine the team’s leadership with a wealth of experience returning throughout the lineup, the Skyhawks have no holes to fill, but rather depth to be organized. The junior trio of Jodie Duncan, Savannah Dodson and Alicia Hansen each started more than 48 games for the Skyhawks last season while sophomores Alli Fulcher (56 games), Lauren Myers (53 games) and Gracyn McBride (43 games) all saw their name on the lineup card more often than not during their debut season. Overall UT Martin returns 13 players from last season while welcoming eight newcomers to the fold. “I believe that if we can stay healthy and our pitching comes along like I think it can, we will be very competitive,” said Canary. “Our schedule is really tough when you consider all of the NCAA Tournament teams that we will have to matchup against. With six preseason tournaments before heading into conference play, we hope it will help the team bond together and teach them to win. Then when you look at our league, I think there are six or seven teams that can conceivably compete for a conference title and we are one of them.” While the Skyhawks will turn to Kennedy to anchor the pitching staff once again, Canary believes that depth inside the circle should alleviate the burden placed on her shoulders when she’s not on the field. Highlighting the pitching additions
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players themselves voted Gonzales, Meckl and junior catcher Aeron Smith to serve as team captains. “When I first started coaching, I thought it was all about talent because it wins out, but it is really about leadership,” said Canary. “After 25 years of coaching, I know that player leadership is so important in having a strong program. In the past I haven’t elected captains, but with such a young team I thought it would be important to have the girls vote and these were nearly unanimous.” Gonzales is no stranger to headlines dating back to her freshman season when she was named OVC Freshman of the Year. Since then the centerfielder has moved herself into the conversation of some of the program’s all-time greats with a career batting average of .347 while tallying 156 hits, 74 RBIs and 47 stolen bases. Just last season alone she picked up her second All-OVC honor after ranking amongst league leaders with a .372 batting average, 61 hits and 22 stolen bases. Meckl enters her senior year having served as the team’s primary starter at catcher for the past three seasons. Meckl has started in 118 games throughout her career while posting her best offensive season in 2016. She notched a .298 batting average while tallying six home runs and 23 RBIs along with swiping 10 bases. She tallied 39 base hits – including 14 for extra bases – while posting a .984 career fielding percentage behind the plate. Kennedy posted one of the best overall seasons in program history last year by posting a 17-14 overall record along with one save and a 2.16 ERA in 210.2 innings of work. Her 17 victories ranked as the fourth-best single-season in school history while her 175 strikeouts also ranked fourth in the record books. Serving as the anchor of the pitching staff, she tossed 25 complete games including a dominating 10-inning performance against Chattanooga where she struck out eight while allowing just one earned run. Serving as the team’s lone junior captain, Smith enters her third year in a Skyhawk uniform as the team’s alternate catching option – garnering 44 starts in 2016. Smith posted a strong freshman campaign where she notched a .314 batting average before expanding her offensive damage as a sophomore by notching three home runs and 19 RBIs. Behind the plate, Smith caught 15 potential base stealers while posting a .988 career fielding percentage. “Carly leads by example because she plays so hard on the field while also providing a vocal leader,” continued Canary. “Renate is a silent leader but leads by her play on the field and the way she hustles in everything she does. Brooke demands so much out of herself and is a commanding presence in the
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UT MARTIN SOFTBALL GUIDE • 2009, 2012 OVC TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS