CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team is off to its best start in program history at 21-7 and steps outside of Southern Conference action to welcome Georgia State to Frost Stadium on Thursday. The doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m. was originally scheduled for Wednesday, March 30, but forecasted rain pushed the game back a day.
It will be Campus Appreciation Day at Frost Stadium as faculty, staff and students with a Mocs Card receive a voucher for a hot dog, chips and drink at the concession stand. Since Fan Appreciation Day was rained out on March 26 against Appalachian State, all fans entering the stadium will receive a voucher for $1 hot dogs and drinks.
For all Chattanooga home games, fans out of town can follow the action with free live statistics and a live video broadcast is available through MocsVision. Links to all softball events can be found on the schedule page at GoMocs.com, the official website of Chattanooga Athletics.
The Lady Mocs return to their SoCon slate this weekend at preseason-favorite Elon with a three-game series beginning on Saturday at 1 p.m. GoMocs.com will provide live statistics and an audio broadcast for the sereis against the Phoenix.
The Georgia State Doubleheader
- Chattanooga hosts its last non-conference home game against GSU.
- Wednesday serves as Fan Appreciation Day with $1 hot dogs and drinks.
- It is also Faculty and Staff day where free tickets and food is available with a Mocs Card (students included).
- T-Shirts will be thrown into the crowd for every Lady Mocs home run and opponent strikeout.
Scouting the Panthers
- GSU is 15-15 on the season. Georgia State took its Colonial Athletic Association opening series from Towson, 2-1, last weekend.
- Among the teams the Panthers have defeated are Samford (3-1), Belmont (8-2), Ball State (5-2), Mississippi St. (8-5), Appalachian St. (3-0), Georgia Southern (3-2) and Tennessee Tech (3-2).
- Lauren Jones paces the team with a .307 average, recording a team-best 6 HR and 21 RBI.
- McCall Langford is 7-7 on the season with a 1.89 ERA striking out 82 in 88.2 inning pitched. She threw a no-hitter in her last outing against Towson striking out six and walking one.
- Kaitlyn Medlam has a 4-1 mark with 27 strikeouts in 37 innings.
The All-Time Series vs. Georgia State
- Chattanooga leads 7-4.
- The Lady Mocs hold a 3-2 advantage in the Scenic City.
- Chattanooga won four in the 2000 season against the Panthers.
- The teams did not meet again until last season as they spilt the doubleheader in Atlanta, Ga. GSU took game one 2-0, while senior 3B Tiffany Baker broke the UTC home run record (26) with a 2 HR game in a 5-1 win. She now has 41 career round trippers.
Next Home Game vs. UNCG
- The Lady Mocs return to Frost Stadium for a Southern Conference series with UNCG on April 9-10.
- The Saturday doubleheader will serve as the Pink Zone game.
- Sunday's finale will be Youth Day as the Lady Mocs conduct an autograph session following the game.
13-Run Inning Sets Records
- The Lady Mocs 13-run first in game 2 vs. Appalachian State set numerous records and was the most all-time at UTC.
- Tied for the most runs scored in a first inning in NCAA history with Creighton against North Dakota St. on 4/5/10.
- Second most runs in an inning during a conference game. UTEP scored 17 on Houston in the fourth of a C-USA game on 4/6/07.
- Chattanooga sent 17 players to the plate with 10 hits. A double and triple were the only extra-base knocks.
- College of Charleston holds the SoCon and NCAA mark with 29 runs scored in the second against Savannah St. (2/11/04).
Baker's Third Career Grand Slam
- Senior 3B Tiffany Baker hit her third home run with the bases loaded as a Lady Moc in game 1 vs. Appalachian State.
- She is T-4th all-time in NCAA and is T-2nd among active players.
- Her first was hit against Belmont (3/18/09).
- She cleared the bases again at Tennessee St. (4/6/10).
SoCon Player of the Week - March 28
- Baker went 3-for-5 with a 1.800 slg pct.
- She recorded her third career-multi HR game.
- The East Ridge, Tenn., native blasted her third career Grand Slam in a six RBI performance.
- She is the all-time UTC leader with 41 HR and has nine this year.
- Baker is the fourth Lady Mocs honored with a weekly SoCon award.
Best Start in School History
- Thru the first 28 games the Lady Mocs posted a 21-7 mark.
- Breaking the 1999 squad's 18-7 record for the best start in the 17-year history of the program dating back to 1994.
- That team finished the season at 48-18, but played 10 more contests than the 56-game season that is allowed today.
The Dual-Threat Fuzzzard
- Junior Michelle Fuzzard has been a stellar for Chattanooga in the circle recording nine victories.
- She has been even more impressive offensively with a .398 avg., driving in 38 runs in 28 games.
- She is 10th nationally in RBI with 1.42 per game. Kat Dotson from Tennessee is the leader at 1.85.
- The Huntington Beach, Calif., native has six home runs and is tied for the team lead in hits with senior OF Lyndsey Stiles at 33.
- She also strung together 11-consecutive hits, T-3d all-time in NCAA history, from Feb. 20 vs. Southeastern Louisiana to her final at bat vs. IUPUI. The longest such streak is 13.
- Fuzzard went 7-for-8 on the first day of the USF "The Game" Tournament with two HRs and 11 RBI against Rutgers and Colorado State.
- She has thrown two one-hit complete games including going down to the last out before the first hit of the contest vs. Appalachian State.
A Powerful Offense
- The Chattanooga offense has been a force this season and it may be one of the most dangerous in the history of the program.
- The Lady Mocs have run-ruled nine opponents, eight of those being in five innings.
- In the 21 wins:
- .390 avg., .633 slug%, .471 on-base%
- 215 hits, 184 runs, 175 RBI, 34 2B, 8 3B, 28 HR, 80 BB
- The best offense over a season was in 1998 (47-15):
- .361 avg., .483 slg%, .422 on-base%
- 564 hits, 361 runs, 310 RBI, 95 2B, 18 3B, 20 HR, 166 BB
Reed Notches 850th Career Win
- Each milestone victory for head coach Frank Reed seems to be memorable and 850 was no different against Liberty.
- The Lady Mocs fell behind 6-2 in the fourth, but an offensive out-burst of eight runs powered by three-run homers from senior 3B Tiffany Baker and sophomore SS Jessica Traxler started in the bottom of the frame.
- Chattanooga would run-rule Flames, 14-6, in the sixth inning.
- Reed notched his 800th win as the Lady Mocs came from behind twice, once in extras, last season in a 6-5 win over Rutgers.
Dominating The Circle
- The team ERA of 2.75 has kept opponents off the scoreboard and the offense has kept the pressure off the pitching staff.
- Senior Kandice Irwin and Fuzzard have each notched a conference-leading eight wins.
- Irwin has been a relief specialist with just one start compiling a 1.59 ERA with 59 strikeouts in 57.1 innings pitched.
- Fuzzard paces the team with 72.0 innings and has fanned 42 hitters in compiling a 3.31 ERA.
- Senior Nikki Waters has had some strong starts posting complete game wins in three of her four victories, while notching a 3.50 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 46.0 innings.
Starting Conference Strong
- The Lady Mocs sweep of Samford was the fourth-consecutive year that the team has accomplished the feat.
- Twice against Furman (2009-10), UNCG (2008) and Samford (2011).
- Last year, Chattanooga swept the first four SoCon series en route to setting a record with 19 victories.
Consistency In The Lineup
- Eight Lady Moc starters are hitting above .300.
- The entire lineup is slugging better than .400.
- Seven also have an on-base pct. over .400.
- Each defensive position has also driven in and scored double-digit runs.
Hitting For The Cycle
- Freshman catcher Natalie Power hit for the cycle in four-straight at bats in two games against Samford.
- The Gleenpool, Okla., native registered a triple and home run in the final two at bats in the first game.
- She sat as the backup catcher in game two, then notched a double and single in the first two plate appearances of the finale.
