COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Tech softball's fall schedule is in full swing. The Golden Eagles have played in five games and are preparing to host the University of Tennessee Lady Vols Friday, October 5 for a single game at 6:00 pm.
The Golden Eagles have added 12 newcomers to this years roster, and the excitement of the teams potential is spreading throughtout Tennessee Tech's campus.
"We're excited about the players coming in this year. Our belief is they will continue to build upon the base we have here," said head coach Tory Acheson. "It is always exciting to have new energy going into the upcoming season"
Olivia Bennett - 5-4, Freshman, Outfield, Redlands East Valley
Bennett received four varsity letters at Redlands East Valley playing centerfield and finished her career with a batting average of .438 and a .857 slugging percentage. Bennett was awarded the Scholar Athlete Award her junior and senior year.
Acheson on Bennett: Olivia is off to a very strong start this fall. She came to us from a very good Arsenal travel ball team in California where she was very well prepared for the transition to college softball. She is competing for a spot in the outfield and will be a contributor this year.
Chelsea Burgess - 5-5, Junior, Catcher, Chattanooga State
Burgess is a transfer from Chattanooga State with an unbelievable resume. Last season Burgess helped Chattanooga State win the NJCAA National Championship. In high school, Burgess graduated from Sequatchic County High School where she lettered in softball all four years playing catcher and outfield. She was recipient of the Best of Preps Award from 2008-10 and was named to the All-State team in 2009. She was also awarded the District Player of the Year in 2010.
Acheson on Burgess: Chelsea is coming off a National Championship season at Chattanooga State and brings a tremendous work ethic to the program. She is battling for time behind the plate and has swung the bat very effectively so far this fall. I see her adding some pop to the order as the DP when she isn't catching. Chelsea is a junior so she has been competing at a high level for some time.
Samantha Cook - 5-7, Freshman, In/Outfield, White House Heritage School
Cook earned four varsity letters at White House Heritage and played pitcher, short stop, and outfield. Cook accumulated a batting average of .500 and a fielding percentage of .950 during her senior season. During her senior season Cook received All-District, All-Tournament, and MVP honors and won the Leadership Award, MVP, and All-District in 2011. In 2009 Cook received All-District honors. Cook was on the Honor Roll all four years of high school and graduated fourth in her class with a 4.0 GPA. Cook was the recipient of the National Scholar Athlete Award.
Acheson on Cook: Sam is a very hard working player who is competing for time in the infield. She is a very dedicated player who is willing to help the team any way she can.
Bekah Everhart - 5-4, Sophomore, Outfield, Wallace State Community College
Everhart comes to Tech from Siegel High School in Murfreesboro, Tenn. where she played softball for three years as a centerfielder and leftfielder. In 2009 Everhart helped her team become regional and sectional champs and then continued on to a third place finish in the state.
Acheson on Everhart: Bekah is a sophomore transfer from Wallace State where she was a part of a top 3 finish at the NJCAA Championships last year. She is competing for time in the outfield and is a very good base runner. We expect her to contribute on the base paths this spring.
Cortney Fry - 5-6, Freshman, Infield/Pitcher, Keller Central
Fry earneed four varsity letters as a pitcher, first baseman, third baseman, and shortstop. Fry accumulated a .407 batting average with a slugging percentage of .520. During her freshman season she led her team to the Sweet 16 in Texas state playoffs and was named the All-District Newcomer her freshman season. Fry also earned First Team All-District honors her junior and senior season. Fry was also awarded the Superintendants award her freshman year and was an Academic All-District selection her junior and senior year.
Acheson on Fry: Cortney is making a very strong impression so far this fall. She is competing for time in the infield and on the mound and we are looking for her to make a major contribution this year. She is a very good hitter who lived and played in Atlanta for most of her career and then moved to Texas late in her high school career. We are very excited about Cortney and her potential.
Tori Gentile - 6-0, Freshman, Infield/DP, Southridge
Gentile was a four year varsity softball letter winner playing first base and outfield. In 2012, she was the recipient of the Metro League Player of the Year and named to the First Team All-Metro League and the 6A First Team All-State. Gentile led her team to a victory at the 2012 Metro League Championships and had a season batting average of .540 and a league batting average of .615.
Acheson on Gentile: Tori is competing for time at first base and in the DP role this year. Tori is a very strong hitter who has tremendous potential already this spring. She played for a very strong travel ball team back home in Oregon and is used to playing at a high level. We are excited about Tori being a part of our program.
Lauren Matthews - 5-3, Junior, Outfield, Bryan College
In high school, Matthews lettered in basketball, volleyball, cross country, and softball while attending Stone Memorial High School. She lettered all four years in softball playing centerfield. During her senior season, she had a batting average of .468 with an on-base percentage of .688. Matthews contributed to the team's district championship victories in 2008, 2009, and 2012 and a regional championship victory in 2008. Matthews graduated 16th in her class and was top 25 for all four years.
Acheson on Matthews: Lauren is a sophomore transfer from Bryan College and has shown a great work ethic. She is a very good base runner and is competing for time in the outfield and on the base paths.
Logan McEarl - 5-10, Freshman, Infield, Chester County
McEarl is a versatile athlete. She played volleyball, basketball, and softball in high school and played at first base under Coach Brandon Pipkin. McEarl had a season on-base average of .390, a fielding percentage of .833. McEarl was named Scholar Athlete during senior year.
Acheson on McEarl: Logan is competing for playing time at first base and has shown strong potential at the plate so far this fall. Logan is a very good hitter and will contribute at the plate this year.
Dani McHugh - 5-4, Freshman, Outfield, West Potomac
McHugh had a batting average of .500 with a slugging percentage of .721. She also accumulated an on-base percentage of .721. McHugh received first team all-district, first team all-region, and second team all-state honors. McHugh was a part of the district runner-up team. McHugh also played basketball, and volleyball and was a member of the A-B Honor Roll.
Acheson on McHugh: Dani is a very talented player who brings tremendous athletic ability to the team. She is a tireless worker who has excelled in the early season workouts. She is competing for time in the outfield and has made some very nice plays in practice already this fall. We are looking for Dani to make a very strong contribution this year.
Madison Taylor - 5-2, Freshman, Outfield, Mt. Juliet
Taylor had a batting average of .402 as an outfielder. In her senior season, she was named to the TSWA AAA All-State Team, Tennessean's All-Midstate Team, MTSCA AAA All-Midstate Second Team, MTSCA All-Academic Team, and All-District Team while leading her team to a Region 16AAA Championship victory. Taylor's junior season, her team went to the her team to the State Tournament finishing fifth and securing the Region 16AAA Championship as well as the District 9AAA Tournament championship. Taylor was the recipient of the Offensive Player of the Year Award and named to the All-District Team and All-District Tournament Team. For her sophomore campaign, Taylor was named Defensive Player of the year.
Acheson on Taylor: Madison comes to us from the Fury organization in Chattanooga which has been a source of many Tech players over the years. Madison is a very good hitter who will compete for a starting spot in the outfield this year. She has been one of our more consistent hitters already this fall. She has a huge upside and we are excited about what she will bring to our program.
Hannah Weaver - 5-5, Freshman, Pitcher, Eleanore Roosevelt
Weaver lettered in softball three years as a pitcher. As a senior, she became the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in league games. As a freshman, she was the first pitcher to have the most wins in a season. Weavers performance earned her way onto the ALL CIF second team her freshman and sophomore years.
Acheson on Weaver: Hannah comes to us from the Arsenal program in California and is going to make a major contribution to our program this year and beyond. Hannah has great composure on the mound and fields her position very well. We expect her to do a great job for us. We are very excited about what Hannah brings to the Tech program on the field and in the classroom.
Katie Whetstone - 6-0, Freshman, Pitcher/Infield, Vandalia-Butler
Whetstone was a versatile athlete competing in both golf and softball for Vandalia-Butler. She earned four varsity letters as pitcher, first baseman, third baseman, and catcher. During her senior season, Whetstone had a season batting average of .507, an ERA of .94, and a record of 11-5. Whetstone earned a career batting average of .411 and an ERA of 1.20. She was named to the GWOC First Team from 2009-2011.In 2011, she was named to the Southwest District Second Team as well as the Southwest District All-Star Team. In 2010, she was Southwest District Honorable Mention and was awarded with the Aviator Award.
Acheson on Whetstone: Katie is a freshman competing for time on the mound and in the infield. Katie is a strong hitter and has tremendous potential. She played for a very strong travel ball team in Ohio and has played at a very high level. She has a very strong work ethic and will be a major contributor to our program.
