COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Michelle DePolo era of Tennessee Tech softball will get underway a week from now as the Golden Eagles compete in exhibition action. Tech will host four Fall Ball dates, starting on Saturday, Sept. 21 as the Golden Eagles entertain Tusculum in a 2 and 4 p.m. doubleheader.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Michelle DePolo has found ways to excel. At Army West Point for nine seasons as head coach and two before that as an assistant, she wasn’t dealing with the typical Division I program in the recruiting spectrum as her focus was on student-athletes that were coming through the United States Military Academy. But the Black Knights found ways to win. In her first season as the head coach at Army in 2010, the team went from a projected next-to-last finish to a Patriot League regular-season championship, the program’s first in nearly 20 years. Now DePolo is getting a new opportunity as she was selected on Tuesday, becoming Tennessee Tech softball’s fifth head coach as the program enters its 35th year, following Robert Swindell (1986-1987), Bobby Holloway (1988-1998), Tory Acheson (1999-2012) and Bonnie Graham (2013-2019).

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – In the last 15 years, Bonnie Graham’s name has been synonymous with Tennessee Tech softball. Whether it was as a record-shattering pitcher, an NCAA-caliber coach or as a Tennessee Tech Sports Hall of Famer, Graham has just about seen it all. But on Thursday, Graham decided it was time to take on a new role and begin a new chapter as she resigned from the head coach position after seven seasons at the helm. Graham will remain in Cookeville, but move on to a position with Cookeville Leisure Services, allowing her to spend more time with her family.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Athletes between the age of 13 and the high school senior grade level who want to improve their softball skills will soon get the opportunity as Championship Softball Camps will host its Pitching and Catching Clinic on Aug. 23 and its Mini Camp on Aug. 24 and 25. The camp and clinic will feature instruction from Tennessee Tech head coach Bonnie Graham along with assistant coaches Carly Van Auken and Megan Mihaliak, as well as current members of the Golden Eagle softball team. Instruction will include aspects of the game such as hitting, bunting, base running, fielding, slap hitting, the mental game, throwing and strength and spring training.

OXFORD, Ala. – With the conclusion of the Ohio Valley Conference softball regular season, the league’s coaches and sports information contacts selected its annual All-OVC team. Once all the votes were tabulated, the Golden Eagles picked up two players on the league’s All-Newcomer Team as freshman pitcher Alyssa Arden and freshman infielder/catcher/designated player Raleigh Lewis were on the squad. Arden finished her rookie campaign with an 11-14 record and a 2.89 earned run average. In 152 2/3 innings of work, she allowed 63 earned runs while walking 77 and striking out 119. Opponents hit .229 against her. She collected 11 of the Golden Eagles’ 18 wins and completed 13 games out of her 25 starts with four shutouts.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It all came down to a flip of a coin. As the weekend opened, the Tennessee Tech softball team had to stay one win ahead of SIUE to earn the final spot in the 2019 Ohio Valley Conference Softball Championship. If the Cougars won one game, they would tie the Golden Eagles and the tiebreaker could not be decided until the knot at the top for the No. 1-seed between Jacksonville State and Southeast Missouri was decided. The games proceeded to fuel Tech’s hopes as Murray State swept the Cougars on Saturday, then Austin Peay took the first game.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – For the Tennessee Tech softball team, their games are through. Now, when it comes to their Ohio Valley Conference tournament hopes, all they can do is wait and see. Following UT Martin’s sweep of the Golden Eagles on Sunday, Tech closes its regular season with an 18-26 record, 8-13 in the Ohio Valley Conference. Belmont and UT Martin have locked in the sixth and seventh spots in the tournament field, leaving the eighth and final spot between the Golden Eagles and SIUE. UT Martin took game one 4-0 in eight innings, then completed a perfect game in five innings for pitcher Lexi Ray as the Skyhawks run-ruled the Golden Eagles 15-0. For Tech, it is its seventh loss in a row, going 2-9 in its last 11 games.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech may not have gotten the wins on Friday, but the Golden Eagle softball team certainly didn’t go down without a fight. Facing one of the teams in the mix for the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season championship in Southeast Missouri, Tech went down to the wire with the Redhawks, falling by a single run in both contests – 1-0 in the first game, then 6-5 in the second. The doubleheader turned into a pitcher’s duel between SEMO’s Kaylee Anderson and Tech’s Alyssa Arden as both pitchers ended up working both contests, taking the decisions in the game with Anderson earning both wins and Arden taking both tough-luck losses.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As the Tennessee Tech softball team enters its final scheduled weekend of the regular season, the Golden Eagles find themselves in a must-win situation. And with Southeast Missouri and UT Martin coming to town this weekend, it’s not going to be an easy task. The Golden Eagles entertain SEMO on Friday for a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m., then the Skyhawks on Sunday for a 1 p.m. start with Senior Day festivities beforehand. Both doubleheaders will be streamed on ESPN+ with Dylan Vazzano providing the call. Admission to all games at the Tech Softball Field is free.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It was a tough day for the Tennessee Tech softball team on Wednesday as the Golden Eagles couldn’t find a way to slow down Austin Peay. The Governors took both ends of the doubleheader, winning 10-0 in game one, then 8-1 in game two. In both games combined, the Golden Eagles (18-23, 8-10 Ohio Valley Conference) were held to seven total hits – two in the first game, five in the night cap. Beth McCulley and Jessie Lowery were the only Tech players to hit safely in game one, while Gabby LaSala was 2-for-3 in the second, with Alexis Trimiar, Haeli Bryson and Hannah Richter also picking up base knocks.

UPDATE (4/22/19, 8:20 a.m.) -- The doubleheader has been rescheduled to Wednesday, April 24, at 2 p.m. Admission is free. UPDATE (4/19/19, 8 a.m.) -- With the forecast continuing to show rain all day, the Tech-Austin Peay softball doubleheader has been postponed. A make-up date is in the process of being set and will be announced soon. COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Due to expected inclement weather in the Cookeville area, tomorrow's scheduled softball doubleheader between Tennessee Tech and Austin Peay has been pushed up to a 1 p.m. CT start at Tech Softball Field.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – With just two weeks remaining in the Tennessee Tech softball team’s regular-season schedule – potentially three if the weather forces any postponements to the Ohio Valley Conference’s built-in make-up week – the Golden Eagles are clinging on to a spot in the postseason tournament. And Tech (18-21, 8-8 OVC) can help its cause in a big way on Friday, weather permitting, should it take two from Austin Peay (23-17, 8-4 OVC). Game time is scheduled for a 4 p.m. start. The games will be broadcast on ESPN+ (subscription required) with Dylan Vazzano providing the call. The Governors have split its last six contests, alternating wins and losses against Jacksonville State, Murray State and Southeast Missouri in the last two weeks. APSU had a pair of games scheduled at UT Martin last week, but rain washed those out and those have been added to the make-up week, along with a pair of games at SIUE.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – For eight innings, the game was clearly in control of the pitchers. It wasn’t until the ninth inning that either team was able to dent the scoreboard, but Western Kentucky had all the runs it needed with a two-run home run in the top of the second extra frame. WKU added two more in the frame before the Golden Eagles had their chance, taking a 4-1 victory on Wednesday to pick up its 30th win of the season.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- The scheduled doubleheader on Wednesday between the Tennessee Tech and Western Kentucky softball teams has been changed to a single game, starting at 4 p.m. Admission to the Tech Softball Field is free.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech softball team will close out its non-conference schedule on Wednesday as the Golden Eagles host Western Kentucky. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. and the games will be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required) with Dylan Vazzano providing the call.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech softball team wrapped up its road slate on Sunday, taking away a split at Belmont. The Golden Eagles fell 4-3 in the first game, then held on to take a 7-5 victory in the nightcap. The Bruins (26-17, 8-8 OVC) pulled out the victory in the bottom of the seventh in game one as Audrey Lyle hit an RBI single to right center, driving in Cameryn Strother for the walk-off win.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee State came up with a dramatic win in the bottom of the seventh of game one, but the Tennessee Tech softball team pulled off some heroics of its own in extra innings of the second game to earn a split on Friday. The host Tigers won game one 3-2, while Tech won 11-5 in eight innings in the nightcap. The Golden Eagles keep even pace as their record moves to 17-19 on the season, 7-7 in Ohio Valley Conference play. In the opener, Alyssa Arden held Tennessee State to one run through the first five frames, then the Golden Eagles scored single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to take the lead. Raegan Sparks drove in pinch runner Amanda Phy on a single to left for the first run, then Beth McCulley scored on a throwing error at short on a grounder from Gabby LaSala.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – As Tennessee Tech softball gets set to head to Nashville this weekend for doubleheaders at Tennessee State and Belmont, the Golden Eagles find themselves in a must-win situation. Following Wednesday afternoon’s games, Tech (16-18, 6-6 Ohio Valley Conference) finds itself tied with Belmont (24-15, 6-6 OVC) and, by percentage points, SIUE (12-16, 4-4 OVC) for seventh in the league standings, essentially battling for the final spot for the conference tournament, which will be held May 8 through 11 at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Ala. Granted, that’s just under a month away and there’s still plenty of games left to play, but for the Golden Eagles, the competition doesn’t get easier, even if all the games following this weekend are at the Tech Softball Field. Following a midweek non-conference doubleheader Wednesday against Western Kentucky, Tech entertains Austin Peay, Southeast Missouri and UT Martin to close out the regular season.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech softball team needed a statement win and, on Tuesday, the Golden Eagles found it. After a 7-0 loss in game one to Jacksonville State, a contest where the Golden Eagles were two-hit by Faith Sims, one of the Ohio Valley Conference’s top pitchers, Alyssa Arden certainly made her own case in game two. The freshman hurler threw her third no-hitter of the season, blanking the Gamecocks in a 2-0 victory in the nightcap. With the no-no, Arden becomes the first Tech pitcher to throw three no-hitters in a single season.

SCHEDULE ADVISORY: With current field conditions, today's softball doubleheader against Jacksonville State has been pushed back one hour and will start at 3 p.m.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Following a tough weekend at Murray State, the Tennessee Tech softball team will have to quickly move past that performance as they get set to host Jacksonville State in an Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader on Tuesday. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. at the Tech Softball Field. Admission is free. The visiting Gamecocks slipped into second place in the OVC standings with an 8-2 record in the league, with Murray State’s sweep over the Golden Eagles propelling the Racers (7-1) into first place by percentage points and one fewer loss.

MURRAY, Ky. – A late miscue broke a scoreless tie at an inopportune moment on Saturday while the Tennessee Tech softball team couldn’t get the timely hit it needed to break onto the scoreboard as the Golden Eagles were swept in both ends of the doubleheader against Murray State. The Racers (17-18, 7-1 Ohio Valley Conference) won the first game 1-0, then defeated Tech (15-17, 5-5 OVC) 5-0 in the second. The first game was a fantastic pitchers’ duel between Tech’s Alyssa Arden and Murray’s Hannah James as the two went blow for blow in the contest and neither hurler yielding a run. Arden even had a no-hit bid going through the sixth.

MURRAY, Ky. – Last Friday, Alyssa Arden threw a no-hitter over Eastern Illinois, her second no-no of the season. Before the weekend was out, Murray State’s Hannah James went one step better, throwing a perfect game against Belmont. The two hurlers could square off against each other on Saturday as the Golden Eagles head to Racer Field for a 1 p.m. start of this weekend’s lone doubleheader. The games will be broadcast live on ESPN+ (subscription required).

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech came back in dramatic fashion to take game one against SIUE on Sunday, but couldn’t work the same magic in the second game as the two teams split the doubleheader at the Tech Softball Field. Tech won the first game 7-3, while the Cougars took game two 10-3. The Golden Eagles evened their season record at 15-15 overall, while moving to 5-3 in the Ohio Valley Conference race, a tie for sixth with UT Martin while two games back from conference leader Jacksonville State (7-1).

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The way Alyssa Arden was pitching on Friday, the Tennessee Tech softball team only needed one run. But as the freshman mowed down the Eastern Illinois offense in the first game, all the visiting Panthers could do was muster a walk on a hit batter. The one miscue was it as Arden collected her second no-hitter of the campaign in a five-inning 8-0 affair in game one. Tech also won the second game In a come-from-behind fashion to take the sweep with a 5-3 win in the nightcap.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As the two Illinois teams in the Ohio Valley Conference come into the Tech Softball Field this weekend, all three teams between Tennessee Tech, Eastern Illinois and SIUE have all seen their share of ups and downs. The Golden Eagles (12-14, 2-2 OVC) actually come into the contest with the most wins between the three teams. SIUE is still looking for its first OVC games of the season with an 8-11 record, but also has not played a game since March 15 with an appearance in the Rainbow Wahine Classic at the University of Hawaii. Eastern Illinois has a 10-23 record, a 1-3 mark in league play after getting swept by Murray State and splitting a pair against Austin Peay. Tech hosts EIU on Friday in a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m., while the Golden Eagles will entertain SIUE on Sunday in a twinbill starting at 1 p.m.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Home runs for Alexis Trimiar and Gabby LaSala weren’t enough on Wednesday afternoon as the Tennessee Tech softball team took a tough 8-3 defeat to Lipscomb on the Draper Diamond. The Lady Bisons (21-11-1) held the Golden Eagles to just three hits – the two homers and a double for Ashley McGowan – as Megan Gray went the distance, walking four and striking out six along with the three earned runs.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – After starting Ohio Valley Conference play over the past weekend, the Tennessee Tech softball team will take a quick breather from the league slate as it heads to Nashville to take on Lipscomb on Wednesday. The game is a single contest, scheduled for a 5 p.m. start at the Draper Diamond at Smith Stadium. Lipscomb enters the game with a 20-11-1 record, including a 5-2 mark at home. The Lady Bisons have dropped four of their last five games, including a 1-2 run this past weekend at Atlantic Sun Conference foe Liberty, as well as a 5-0 loss to Texas and a 9-7 loss to Virginia Tech.

MOREHEAD, Ky. – After a tough day Friday at Eastern Kentucky, the Tennessee Tech softball team found an opportunity to put some runs and hits on the board as the Golden Eagles swept Morehead State on Sunday. Tech (12-13, 2-2 Ohio Valley Conference) won the first game 13-2, then the second 15-3 in five innings. But the numbers from just those two games are staggering – nine home runs for the Golden Eagles and 27 RBI, as well as a .400 batting average, collecting 26 hits in 65 at-bats on Sunday.  Tech also scored 10 runs in one inning in the second contest.

RICHMOND, Ky. – Ohio Valley Conference play had a bumpy start for the Tennessee Tech softball team on Friday as the Golden Eagles put plenty of hits on the board, but the explosive Eastern Kentucky offense put up run after run. The Colonels won game one 9-4, bolstered by a six-run fourth inning, then completed the sweep with a five-inning 13-3 defeat in the nightcap. Tech falls to 10-13, 0-2 in the Ohio Valley, while EKU improves to 15-10, 2-0 in the league. Tech continues the weekend’s road trip with a jaunt over to Morehead State on Sunday, with first pitch slated for 11 a.m. Central.