By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – In the 2000s, the Tennessee Tech softball team was dominant, winning four Ohio Valley Conference regular-season and five conference tournament titles. From 2001 to 2007, there was only two seasons that the Golden Eagles weren't coming away with a conference crown of some sort.
On Saturday, the Tech softball team will welcome back alumni from that era as the program welcomes back members of the 2003 OVC regular-season and tournament champion Golden Eagles before the start of the doubleheader against Tennessee State.
First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required) with Dylan Vazzano on the call.
The 2003 team was a veritable who's who of Tech softball talent, headlined by TTU Sports Hall of Famers Lori Bayless, Stephanie Dallmann and LeeAnne Mongar. The squad also made its first official appearance that season in an NCAA Regional after two previous appearances in NCAA play-in series against DePaul in 1997 and Bethune-Cookman in 2001.
To get to the NCAA Regional, however, was an impressive feat as the Golden Eagles finished 41-16 overall and 17-3 in the OVC. While those marks have since been surpassed by 50-win seasons in 2006 and 2007, the 41 victories then was the second-most in program history.
How dominant were the Golden Eagles? Tech had four of the top five hitters in the conference and three of the top four pitchers. The Golden Eagles had 38 home runs – 20 more than the closest team – and scored 255 runs – 90 more than second-place Eastern Kentucky. Tech's pitchers posted a 1.56 ERA – nearly a run better than the Colonels – while striking out 306 batters.
After splitting the OVC opener with Tennessee State, Tech won 16 of the next 18 games in league play – including a nine-game winning streak with sweeps against Eastern Kentucky and UT Martin – to take the conference's top spot and the right to host the 2003 OVC Tournament at Tech Softball Field.
Bayless was untouchable in the circle during the tournament, earning MVP honors as she threw a two-hitter in a 4-0 victory over Southeast Missouri, then shutout Eastern Kentucky twice – including a no-hitter.
Before the conference tournament began, the Golden Eagles claimed four first-team picks with Dallmann, Bayless, Mongar and Kacy Bennett earning selections, while Samantha Lovelady and Tia Brenning were second-team picks. Dallman was also the OVC's Player of the Year – the second straight year the Golden Eagles earned the honor after Mongar was the league's pick in 2002 – after the Tech senior led the league with a .432 batting average with 24 RBI, 79 hits and 48 runs scored. Dallmann later earned an All-Region selection by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.
The conference also awarded Tech head coach Tory Acheson his first OVC Coach of the Year honor, but it was not his last as he also won the award in 2006.
Mongar's numbers were solid too – she posted a .345 average with 11 home runs, 45 RBI, 26 runs scored and 68 hits. Bennett hit .364 with seven homers and 35 RBI. Bayless ended the season with a 1.30 earned run average and a 16-8 record across 156 innings, walking 51 and striking out 148.
With the victory in the OVC tournament, Tech earned the OVC's automatic bid to the NCAA Regional and drew a spot in the Austin bracket, facing Northwestern in a 2-1 decision and seeing its season come to a close with a 6-0 loss to Arizona State.
Included on the 2003 team were Bayless, Bennett, Lindsey Bornhoeft, Brenning, Dallmann, Amy Goad, Lisa Lamb, Jadryen Layne, Millie Lomax, Lovelady, Jennifer Markham, Mongar, Maranda Mounce, Jessie Norman, Marianne Novac, Lindsey Simpson, Jess Sterling, Kim Williams, Lindsay Williams, Dana Yates and Meghan Young. The staff included Acheson, his wife Terry and manager Chris Albert.
The 2003 team's legacy is still felt today as several players still rank among the team's career leaders with Dallman second in career batting average (.378) and Mongar eighth (.334), Dallman second in runs scored (171) and first in hits (308) with Bennett fifth (248), Mongar sixth (244) and Lovelady tenth (213). Mongar (34) and Bennett (28) also still rank fourth and seventh in career home runs. Bayless ranks fourth in victories (65), third in strikeouts (594) and first in ERA (1.23).
