Dale Zanine

Season Preview: 2024 Softball

By Davis Barlow: Assistant Director of Athletic Communications

2/15/2024 10:00:00 AM

Piedmont University's softball team is set to begin its 2024 journey this upcoming weekend, hosting a four-team tournament for opening weekend. The Lions will take on Cal Lutheran and Mount St. Joseph in single game contests on both Saturday and Sunday.

Piedmont is coming off a 2023 campaign that ended in Jackson, Mississippi with the Blazers of Belhaven eliminating the Lions before going on to win the CCS. In the 2024 Preseason Coaches Poll, Piedmont was selected to finish in fourth place and received one first place vote.

2023 IN REVIEW

The 2023 season saw ups and downs for the program, with the Lions winning 14 out of 15 games in the middle of the season followed by dropping 10 of their final 12 to close out the regular season.
Piedmont finished the season 25-18 overall and 10-6 in CCS conference play.
The Lions earned the No. 4 seed and a trip to No. 1 seed Belhaven along with No. 5 Covenant, who they faced in the first round matchup.
- After besting Covenant and dropping their first game to Belhaven, Piedmont once again took down the Scots before losing to the Blazers again.

2023 Season Recap

THE 2024 SCHEDULE

The Lions will have 40 regular season games during their 2024 campaign, including the NFCA Leadoff Classic and the William Peace Triangle Classic.
After opening weekend, Piedmont will host two more series at the WAC before heading off for its first road contests of the year.
Upon returning home, the Lions will have just one more home series against the College of Saint Benedict before beginning CCS play.
Piedmont begins conference play with three road series before playing its first home CCS series on March 30.
- In conference, the Lions will play host to Covenant (March 30), Huntingdon (April 13), LaGrange (April 14), and Maryville (April 20)
- True road games will feature Berea (March 17), Agnes Scott (March 22) , Wesleyan (March 24) and Belhaven (April 5)

2024 Schedule

Kennedy Votava - All-CCS Second Team

Kaitlin Isley

Riley Ford

THE ROSTER

This year’s squad sees five returners out of the eight starting field players from last year's team, including three All-CCS honorees and NFCA All-Region honoree Jasmine Lowery. She led the Lions in hits (50), posted a batting average of .400 and ranked in the top three seven major batting categories on the team.
The Lions do have multiple key faces to replace, including star DP/P Emma McBrayer and All-CCS First Team honoree Madison Henry.
- McBrayer was the USA South Rookie Pitcher of the Year, the tournament MVP, and an NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team selection in 2021 and was a USA South All-Conference Second Team West Division selection in 2022 while leading the Lions in innings pitched (131.2), ERA (2.39) and complete games (18) in 2023.
- Henry earned All-CCS honors after slugging .535 for the Lions while posting a batting average of .327.
Senior third baseman Kaitlin Isley is a notable return for the Lions as she enters her fifth-year with the program after starting all 39 games at third base for Piedmont in 2023..
Junior Lyndzi Partlow returns as an All-CCS Second Team selection in 2023 where she posted a batting average over .300 and started 36 games at second base for her team.
Junior Kennedy Votavah returns as an All-CCS Second Team selection in 2023 after leading the Lions in batting average (.438), ranked second in hits (39) and was perfect on stolen bases going 19-19.
14 new faces have joined the roster this year including 12 freshmen.

2024 Roster

Kara Taylor

Jasmine Lowery - NFCA All-Region

Lyndzi Partlow - All-CCS Second Team

Piedmont softball 2023 Photo: Dale Zanine

COACHING AND SUPPORT STAFF

Terry Martin is entering his 26th season leading the Piedmont softball program.
- Martin, the only head coach in Piedmont softball history, has 608 wins to his credit to start the 2024 season.
- He has led the Lady Lions to nine NCAA Regional appearances, six conference tournament titles and 11 conference regular season championships.
- Martin has coached a pair of CoSIDA Academic All-Americans and 22 NFCA All-Region selections.
Assistant Coach Madison Whiteside enters her second year in charge of pitching duties for the Lions.
- Whiteside, a former Piedmont softball standout on the mound, returned to the Lady Lions in the fall of 2022.
- She was a three year starter for the Lady Lions with a 16-7 record in the circle. She totaled 42 appearances and 29 starts over her career.
Assistant Coach Drew Greer enter his first season with the program following a stint as the Head Softball Coach at Elbert County High School.
- Greer has served in multiple softball coaching roles within the high school ranks in Georgia including time at Stephens County High School and Middle School as well as multiple baseball travel organizations.

Head Coach Terry Martin

Piedmont SB. (Photo: Karl L. Moore/Mooreshots LLC)

Assistant Coach Madison Whiteside

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