FOLLOW OHIO SOFTBALL: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
ATHENS, Ohio — Chatter erupted from Ohio Softball Field as a large group filed into formation underneath the scoreboard in left field. It was a sunny afternoon in September, nowhere near softball season. The group hadn't come out to see a game though, but to visit each other.
Decades of alumnae, current student-athletes and coaches had come together to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ohio's softball program. They swapped stories underneath a tent just outside the stadium.
Since its inception, the softball program has had three Kermit Blosser Hall of Fame inductees — Staci Bellville (1993-96), Jen Morris (1996-99) and Savannah Jo Seigneur (Dorsey) — and countless All-Mid-American Conference nominees.
"Not many programs have been around for 50 years," head coach Jenna Hall said. "I came from a school that we've only been around 20 years, not even half of 50, so it's a special thing. It's really neat to sit back and see all these women that continue to come back even from when I was here before and they still want to be part of it. The support is awesome. I believe that the alumni have always really believed in this program and wanted it to be successful."
The Beginning
In the early 1970s, most of the women who came to Ohio University didn't come to play a specific sport. Women's programs under the intercollegiate athletics umbrella were still in the fledgling phase after ICA merged with the Women's Intercollegiate Athletics program due to the passage of Title IX. Sports were an added bonus.
Marge Fetrow (1973-75) initially toured OU because her family encouraged her to attend a public institution. Once she arrived in Athens, Fetrow fell in love with the scenic campus and knew OU was the place for her, although she didn't know for sure that she'd become an athlete. Fetrow figured it was in the cards as her brother, who was attending Ohio Wesleyan at the time, played baseball, and she was set to major in physical education.
Within her first few months at OU, Fetrow found herself on the softball, basketball and club volleyball teams in the midst of their first official seasons.
"We had a rough year in that transition year, but we had a good time," she said. "It was wild, because we went from driving individual cars to vans. Our managers would drive when we went to games. I know they've got big buses now for them and so forth, but we were definitely the pioneers."
The first team set the tone for the program with an 11 win and one tie season in 1974. They defeated the likes of Ohio State and Miami at great lengths, with their largest margin of victory being a 32-0 win over Otterbein. That team still holds the record for longest win streak in program history.
Ohio continued to make a name for itself in the next season. It became the best team in the state after it posted a 16-1 record in 1975.
Neatie Burris (1974-78) remembers that one loss. Ohio fell to Ball State, and Burris, who was a freshman that season, had to go to the hospital for a broken nose. Burris, like Fetrow, wasn't sure what sports OU had to offer before she stepped foot on campus, but she was glad she made the softball team.
"I played all sports up to that point, volleyball, basketball, track and softball, and so when I went to OU, I thought 'Well, I'll see if they have a team,'" Burris said. "Lo and behold, they did so I tried out, and lo and behold, I made the team. I started from my freshman year through to my senior year."
Neatie Burris slides into a base hoping to beat a play. (Photo provided by Neatie Burris)
Neither Fetrow or Burris knew that their involvement with the program would land them on a flight to Omaha, Nebraska, in the spring of 1975 for the AIAW Women's College World Series. Fetrow recalled how most of the Bobcats hadn't been on a plane before then.
Ohio played three games at the tournament. It fell 8-0 to East Stroudsburg in its first game and entered the consolation bracket. Ohio then defeated Mankato State 10-2, but fell to Michigan State 17-0 to end its tournament run after game three. As the lone team from the state, Ohio finished eighth out of 18 teams.
"It was like a daydream, you know, like you're not really there. You don't really believe you did it until after it was over," Burris said.
The Bobcats established their dominance at the state level in the following years with four consecutive top-three finishes at the state tournament. However, the Bobcats were about to get a host of new opponents after the Mid-American Conference adopted softball as a varsity sport in 1982.
When Ohio started conference play in spring 1983, its schedule expanded to feature more games against conference and nonconference opponents. Ohio went from playing roughly 20 games a season to 40 or more in its first year in the MAC.
Rona (Huber) Dorsey (1981-84) remembers the bus rides the Bobcats took across the U.S., mostly down South or to neighboring states. The conditions weren't always the best, but the time she spent with her teammates made up for it.
"Coach drove an old bus and it had no air conditioning, so when we went to South Carolina, she drove the entire way. We had all the windows down, and she literally hit a duck. Guts flew in through the windows. It was the most disgusting thing," Dorsey said with a laugh.
The 1983 Ohio softball team. (Photo provided by the Alden Library Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections)
As a member of one of Ohio's first few true recruiting classes, Dorsey was drawn to the beauty of OU's campus like Fetrow was. She had multiple offers to play softball at other schools, but nothing could top the drive coming into campus from her hometown of Centerville, Ohio. It was more stunning than her old high school teammate had described.
"I've always been an environmental type kid. I just love the woods and everything, so that part was easy. It truly was the prettiest campus I had seen," she said.
Dorsey left her mark on the program in the four years she played. She commanded the mound to the third-best career ERA in program history at 1.65, which was the program best when she graduated. In 1980, Rona also helped Ohio to the program's lowest batting average allowed, .146.
Ohio's bats were equally impressive throughout the 1980s. In 1981, Ohio set a single-season record for most triples with 19. Ohio also collected its most walks in a game when it earned 14 free bases against Drexel on March 23, 1983.
The Bobcats succeeded into the latter half of the 1980s as well. The pitching staff put up the second, third and fourth-lowest averages allowed in 1985, 1986 and 1987. It also racked up the best single-season ERA in program history in 1985 with a 0.71 ERA as well as the second-most single-season shutouts with 15. The 1985 team also has the second-longest win streak in program history with eight-straight victories.
Pitcher Tricia Shaar helped the Bobcats write team history while also setting personal records. Shaar (1984-1986) owns the best career era in program history, a 1.14 mark. Another individual to set a personal record was Cammy Green (1983-86), who owns the record for career triples with 16.
Becoming MAC Champions
Ohio entered the 1990s more silent than it had been in the past. However, that would soon change.
It was the weekend of May 12, 1995 and Ohio had boarded the bus to Bowling Green with one thing on its mind: winning. Not that it wasn't a goal before, but Ohio needed at least a series win if it wanted to secure its first MAC title in program history.
Two seasons before then, the Bobcats had finished last in the conference. It wasn't an easy climb, but second-year head coach Tracy Bunge had instilled confidence into her team. Two years ago did not matter anymore.
Ohio had four games against Bowling Green that weekend, two on Friday and two on Saturday. It had played back-to-back doubleheaders all season, so it knew what to expect, but it couldn't predict the outcome. Ohio had to control what it could and hope the rest would fall into place.
The 1995 Ohio softball team at NCAA Regionals in Tuscon, Arizona. (Photo provided by the Alden Library Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections)
The Bobcats lost the first game to the Falcons, 4-1 on Friday. The loss was a sharp blow to their hopes, but the Bobcats weren't ready to give up yet. They jumped to an early lead in the second game and maintained it to a 5-0 victory. The Bobcats kept the energy going on Saturday, too. They won the first game 3-2 and closed the door on the Falcons in game two, 7-2.
With Central Michigan's loss to Kent State that weekend, Ohio slid into first place by .003 for the first MAC softball regular season championship in program history. Two days after it clinched the title, Ohio played in its first NCAA regional game in Tuscon, Arizona. There was no MAC Tournament at the time.
Bunge became the first coach in program history to earn MAC Coach of the Year for her efforts that season.
The MAC Tournament was reinstated the following year, and Ohio became a regular attendee in the 2000s. Ohio made seven tournament appearances from 2001 to 2009. However, Ohio wasn't just excelling in the MAC, it was crushing programs across the U.S.
Randi Rico (1999-2003) remembers Ohio's road trip to Michigan her freshman year for that reason. Anytime she talks about softball, a grin spreads across her face, but that series in particular brings a different kind of joy.
It was Michigan's senior day, and its last home games of the 2000 season. Ohio, who was fighting to not fall toward the bottom of the MAC East, was the least of its worries. However, Michigan learned its lesson on May 3.
Ohio held off a bases-loaded threat in the bottom of the seventh to force game one into extra innings. In the top of the eighth, Tiffany Bolton (1999-02) knocked a single into centerfield to score Jennifer Schmidt (1999-2000) for the game-winning run.
Hours later, the Bobcats defeated the Wolverines for the second time after they hit a single up the middle with the bases loaded in the sixth inning.
"The Wolverines were ranked No. 13 in the country and we rolled in as a MAC school, and we swept them at their place. It was awesome," Rico said.
Rico was an outfielder for Ohio, but she brought special talents to the team off the field as well. As a meteorology major, Hart learned to predict if the weather would be less-than favorable for games and practices. The first successful prediction of her career took place during a double header.
Ohio's opponent was running late and Rico could tell by the sky that only one game would get played that afternoon. When the first drop of rain fell, Rico's heart swelled. It was the most exciting tarp pull of her life.
"You could see these dark clouds coming over the ridges," she said. "It was happening just like I thought it would. It was the first time I nailed the forecast."
The Modern Era
The forecast for the future of the program was promising in the 2010s. The soon-to-be winningest coach in program history, Jodi Hermanek, was hired ahead of the 2009 season.
Hermanek retained the assistant coaches that were already at Ohio, including current head coach Hall, after she was hired. Together, they led the Bobcats to their first MAC East Division title in 2011.
"I really think you know, after coach Hermanek got here, she kind of instilled that championship mindset because she'd been winning. At her previous stop, she'd won a couple championships," Hall said. "After I left in 2012, I knew that it was going to turn into something special."
Hall's intuition was right. In just two years, Hermanek and the Bobcats lifted the trophy for the program's first MAC Tournament Championship.
It wasn't an easy feat by any means, though. Ohio knocked down Kent State 2-1 to move on to the second round of the tournament where it had to face No. 1 Ball State, who it got swept by in the regular season. Also, Ohio hadn't scored a run on Ball State in 2014 leading into the semifinal game.
The Bobcats put their stamp on the Cardinals with a perfect game by Seigneur (2013-17), saved by center fielder Alyssa Wolfe's home run rob on the final out. The dive over the temporary wall at Firestone Stadium capped off Seigneur's first collegiate perfect game.
Ohio got more than it bargained for in its first game against Buffalo a day later. The rubber match went into 13-innings and ceased after Dakota Pyles hit a two-run home run to secure Ohio's spot in the winners bracket. The next day, Ohio defeated Buffalo again for the Championship.
"Winning MACs was a big moment, and looking back, it doesn't feel as big as it felt when we were doing it, I think because only the team from 1995 had ever been to regionals, and then we won," Seigneur said. "That year, we demanded ourselves to win, we expected to win. We were like, 'there's no reason we shouldn't win.' But then when we won, we're like,' wait, what do we even do like nobody's done this in a long time.' It was a cool, new experience for us to go to regionals."
Seigneur was named the 2014 Tournament MVP after she went 4-0 over the weekend with four complete games and three-straight shutouts.
A week later on May 16, Ohio walked onto the field for its first NCAA regional game. It was set to play host No. 14 Kentucky in the first round.
The Bobcats fell 2-0 to the Wildcats, who later went on to make their first-ever Women's College World Series appearance. Now in the consolation bracket, the Bobcats still had a chance to stay alive. However, the Bobcats fell 5-1 in their final game.
Savannah Jo Seigneur (Dorsey) in the middle of her windup. (Photo provided by Rona Dorsey)
Even though they lost, it was still a season well-done for the Bobcats. It set them on course for the latter half of the 2010s. The Bobcats established dominance in the MAC and beyond.
"That year specifically (2014), we beat a lot of big name teams, Power Five teams. I think that kind of became the expectation over the years," alumna Taylor Kelly (Saxton) (2014-18) said.
Kelly recalled the way it felt to get back at Kentucky in 2016. Ohio somehow got its familiar foe to agree to a doubleheader in Athens in March, and Kentucky got more than it bargained for. Ohio went on to defeat No. 12 Kentucky 1-0 in eight innings in game one, although it fell 3-1 in game two.
Although they could knock down high-level opponents with ease, it took a few more years for the Bobcats to earn the title of MAC Champions again despite being in the Tournament every year. Most of the first MAC Champion classes graduated before the Bobcats could hoist the trophy again. Regardless, they graduated as some of the most-decorated student-athletes in the program's history.
Ohio rewrote the record book throughout the 2010s. Lauren Gellarman (2010-13) set a new program home run record and scattered her name among other batting categories, while Raven King (2011-15) set a new career walks record with 100 during her time in green and white. Furthermore, Kelly set the single-season singles record with 63 and nearly tied single-season stolen bases record with 40 in 2016. Two alumnae, Casie Hutchinson (2013-17) and Amanda Dalton (2012-16) set new single-season walks records in 2014.
Seigneur claimed all but two career pitching records by the time she graduated. She collected 89 wins in the 180 appearances she made, which span 953 and one-third innings. Throughout her career, Seigneur collected 1194 strikeouts and 23 shutouts. She also tossed 80 complete games.
"I think we definitely did feel like and I felt like we had all of the pieces that we needed. It was just a matter of showing up and performing in that moment, and I think that kind of resonated throughout the team. I think everybody had that same level of belief. I mean, I feel like that sounds cliche, but it's true," Kelly said. "We all knew that we were capable of it and it was just a matter of executing in those moments. We didn't always, but did the majority of the time and our records and some of the teams we beat and those accolades will kind of stick to that."
Double the Fun
Kelly was the lone member of the 2014 team standing when Ohio started its 2018 campaign. The team around her looked a lot different as they stood on the field at ROC Park awaiting the first pitch of the season, but the tradition was still there. Ohio opened the season with a 4-0 shutout of Virginia, a precursor of what was to come.
Taylor Kelly (Saxton) times up a pitcher at Ohio Softball Field. (Photo provided by Taylor Kelly)
Ohio blazed through its schedule and went on nine- and 10-game win streaks throughout the year. It swept five conference opponents and defeated two more Power Five teams, Pitt and Ohio State. The win against Ohio State, a 7-0 shutout in Columbus, is one of Kelly's favorite memories from her career.
However it wasn't all wins that earned Ohio its big moments that season. Ohio clinched the MAC Regular Season Title for the first time since 1995 with the help of a loss from Toledo.
Kelly, who had been elected captain, was confident in her team as they arrived at Firestone Stadium. She knew that they'd been there before and had defeated every team that stood in their way to a Championship at least once in the regular season.
Ohio faced Miami first. Ohio won the game 1-0 on May 9 with the help of a single from Natalie Alvarez (2016-19) and 11 strikeouts from Danielle Stiene (2016-18). Those strikeouts helped Stiene move to second all-time in career strikeouts.
The next day, Ohio took down Kent State 3-1 to move to the semifinals of the tournament. Stiene picked up her 25th win that day, which tied the single-season record for wins. She broke the record the next day, May 11, when she no-hit Northern Illinois during Ohio's 8-0 win en route to the championship game.
Northern Illinois defeated Ball State to move on to the championship game, where it faced Ohio and Stiene again. She sent Northern Illinois down in order in the first two innings to open the door for the offense. Michaela Dorsey (2015-18) knocked a two-run home run in the bottom of the second to score the first two runs of the game.
The Bobcats succeeded to defend their lead through the next five innings. They had finally won the MAC Tournament again, and were the first regular season champions to do so since 2011.
"Amazing accomplishment by an awesome team that's been determined after last year. After being on this field and not getting our way, we wanted to earn our way back here. From being regular season champs, and east champs and coming out here this week and being amazing. Just determination. I'm so incredibly proud of this group," Hermanek said at the time of the win.
Stiene earned Tournament MVP honors for her performance over the four-day event, as well as an All-Tournament Team nod. Alex Day (2016-2019) and Michaela were also named to the All-Tournament Team.
On May 18, Ohio prepared to play its first NCAA Tournament game since 2014. It had been sent to the Knoxville Regional along with James Madison, Monmouth and the host, Tennessee. Ohio fell to James Madison 2-1 that afternoon to move to the consolation bracket.
Ohio needed to defeat Monmouth to keep its NCAA Tournament dreams alive, and it did. Then-freshmen Katie Yun (2018-2021) and Madi McCrady (2018-2021) led Ohio to a victory with a two-run home run and a dominant pitching performance, respectively. The win was Ohio's first NCAA Regional victory in program history.
Ohio lifts the 2018 MAC Tournament trophy at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio.
The Bobcats kept the energy in the regional semifinal later that day. They found themselves trailing the No. 23 Dukes in the bottom of the fifth inning, and scored six runs on four hits to take the lead. The Bobcats added one more run in the bottom of the sixth to seal a 7-3 victory and their first ever trip to a Regional Championship.
Although Ohio fell 5-1 to No. 10 Tennessee, the loss was sweetened by the fact that Ohio accomplished its goals that season.
Looking Ahead
On July 28, 2022, Hall returned to Athens to be the head coach of the Bobcats. That season, she led the team to tie the second-longest win streak in program history with 10-straight wins. Hall won MAC Coach of the Year for her efforts, but to her it's not just about winning, it's about continuing a tradition set by the hundreds of student-athletes and the handful of coaches that came before her.
"(Being head coach) comes with a lot of pride and a lot of responsibility to connect these generations because this is a part of it that I think can impact them for the rest of their life because they're going to always come back. You want this to feel like home for them," she said.
Head coach Jenna Hall high-fives freshman Brenna Farmer during Ohio's game against Central Michigan on March 30, 2024.
Although most of the alumnae have retired their cleats, they've found a way to stay connected to sports.
Burris and Fetrow both became coaches after they graduated from OU. Both enjoyed the way sports helped them forge friendships over their lives. Dorsey also became a coach after she graduated. She coached both of her daughters, Savannah and Michaela, along with career RBIs leader Morgan Geno (2016-19), 2022 MAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year Skipp Miller and a few more.
Several alumnae have found that the lessons they learned on the diamond are applicable in other spaces of life.
"Later on, I worked for the Department of Rehabilitation and corrections. I spoke in front of Congress, in front of the house, in front of legislatures, and it was so much easier because it wasn't much different from stepping on the rubber in a big game. For that, 30 seconds, you're nervous and then you throw the first pitch," Dorsey said. "Just like when you're in big moments in a game you've got to stand there and you got to throw your best and then let the game take care of the rest. All through my life, I've treated everything like that whether it's a big presentation or something else. If you don't succeed, you've got to turn around and still get up and do more and keep going."
Seigneur had a similar realization after she'd graduated. When she thinks back to her time in green and white, it's not always the wins that come to mind. It's everything before that.
It wasn't easy to wake up for early-morning weights or to go to practice after a long day of classes, but the Bobcats still got it done. Seigneur didn't realize that time management was ingrained in her routine until after she'd started medical school because it had just come naturally. Her days are still jam-packed now but not in the same way they were then.
"Most of the moments that I think of when I think of college athletics, and what it meant to do that is morning weights. Waking up at 5:30am to walk across campus in the freezing cold to show up at the weight room with 16 other girls and getting after it. I think that's the special thing about athletics is. You don't have that anymore (once you stop playing.) You don't have a community of people that all want the same thing and like all are going for the same goal," Seigneur said.
The alumnae and current student-athletes have found that there's nothing quite like the support system they foster while at Ohio. The personal growth each student-athlete experienced and continues to experience through softball is unmatched.
Ohio prepares for one of its first games of the 2024 season in Boca Raton, Florida.
The fall of her senior year, Kelly received a job offer in Texas. It would be a huge change for her and her parents weren't sure if she'd be comfortable that far from home. Saxton shocked her parents when she took the offer because it was different for her. Turns out, Saxton would enjoy the experience over 1,000 miles from home.
"I was a very timid, shy girl coming out of high school going into college. I just kind of wanted to blend in per se. I didn't want to ruffle any feathers and I didn't want to stand out too much," she said. "I think over the years, I definitely evolved as a person and as a leader. My team voted me as the captain my junior year or redshirt sophomore year, and I was the captain from then on out. It was a lot of pressure, good pressure fell onto my shoulders and I really had to kind of come out of my shell and rise to that occasion."
The alumnae and current student-athletes took a leap of faith to agree to play a sport with a bunch of strangers, but it was worth it. Those who have worn "Ohio" on their chest have built a legacy that continues to serve them and future generations.
It's not uncommon to find an alumna perched in the bleachers at Ohio Softball Field either. Twice a year, Fetrow and Burris' teams, along with others, get together in Athens. They reminisce on their experiences with each other and visit with the current team. It's a tradition that keeps Ohio's camaraderie alive.
Any day the alumnae can get together, like they did in September, is cherished. But so are the messages, phone calls, trips across the U.S. and more that keep the alumnae together.
"(When I think of Ohio softball) a big smile comes to my face. I think of all the hours we spent on the field. It didn't even need to be a game. It was fun. It was family. Ohio softball is family," Rico said.
#OUOhYeah
