Maryville College Baseball and Softball show out at home
Both the baseball and softball teams had successful weekends at home Feb. 28 and March 1, with baseball winning their series at 2-1 against Wittenberg and softball sweeping both LaGrange and Sewanee (4-0). Masin Hall (‘29) was named Rookie of the Week, Sydney Dickinson (‘28) was named Player of the Week, and Tia Stewart (‘27) was named Pitcher of the Week for the Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS).
When asked about baseball’s performance, Head Coach Clint Helton said, “Overall, we had a good weekend, taking two out of three and winning the series. We certainly should have won the game on Sunday, but we let one slip away from us. Wittenberg was a good opponent; they were a top 50 NPI team last year.”
Helton had high praise for his defense, but mentioned that they’ve struggled a bit staying disciplined on offense.
“A big challenge for us is to continue to stay disciplined. Pitching continues to be a very strong, consistent piece to what we’re doing right now, and for the most part, our defense has been very strong,” Helton said.
Helton gave a big shoutout to his extensive pitching staff.
“The whole pitching staff has thrown very well to this point. We got a complete game performance from Kaden Wimsatt (‘28) on Saturday. The other two starting pitchers, Kyle Timko (‘26) and Titus Torbett (‘29), have given us a competitive and quality start each time out. Pete Pappas (‘28), Logan Denton (‘28), Gavin Mohrman (‘27), and Xavier Resto (‘26) have also performed well out of our bullpen,” said Helton.
Going forward, they plan to continue playing clean baseball. Although they are already close-knit, they are continuing to get to know each other on and off the field. They hold each other accountable to make sure they are playing at a high level.
Softball debuted black pinstripe uniforms at their home opener that same weekend. They had a shutout sweep against Sewanee on Sunday and only allowed a single run from LaGrange.
Head Coach Bayleigh Masterson and Assistant Coach Jenica Brown had nothing but good things to say about their team.
“Everyone got a pretty decent chance this weekend and they did well in their opportunity, so I was impressed with the whole team. There’s something nice I could say about every single player in our roster right now. We’re in a good spot. We’ve won six straight,” Masterson said.
“I think we’ve seen glimpses of our best, and it’s really exciting to think about it being all put together [in] a full game. So, yeah, we are not at our best right now, but…that’s how it’s supposed to be, and it is exciting to already see the glimpses of who we will become,” Brown said.
Both Masterson and Brown commented on how special the team’s chemistry is this season and how it has contributed to their success.
“I don’t think there’s ever a moment where someone is in the box or in the field and they feel isolated, alone or not supported. I think that’s a testament to the family that we are and that’s really special and unique,” said Masterson.
“Our girls know their teammates’ success is our team’s success, and I think that’s huge,” Brown said.
Paige Dickinson (‘26) was a leader in making her teammates a priority this season. She went into the games feeling confident in her team’s ability to secure some wins.
“Even when my hitting wasn’t going exactly the way I wanted it to, I turned my attention into being a good teammate. I really like our team chemistry. I feel like we’re all best friends,” Dickinson said.
When asked about their plan moving forward, Masterson said, “We’re going to go win a conference championship. Now, we won’t stop working on that.”
Pitcher Tia Stewart (‘27) faces LaGrange hitters at home opener
Photo courtesy of Connor Pylkas