Texas Tech Softball Position Preview: Pitchers and Catchers

LUBBOCK, Texas – With four days to go until the start of the 2019 season, the Texas Tech softball program will depend on a young, but talented, battery to run the show in head coach Adrian Gregory's fifth season at the helm.

Sophomore standout Erin Edmoundson is the only pitcher returning from the 2018 season as three new faces will enter the circle for the Red Raiders. Tech will see plenty of quality innings from junior transfer Missy Zoch, as well as freshmen Brooke Blackwell and Morgan Hornback.

"Erin had a really great freshman season and I think we did a really good job recruiting to give her more support in the circle," Gregory said. "Our staff is a lot more dynamic this year and we made some great additions to make us a better staff as a whole. Missy is a great asset and we'll see a lot of good innings out of our two freshmen as well."

Sophomore Kelcy Leach is the lone catcher returning from one season ago, but sophomore transfer Trenity Edwards and freshman Grace Schmidt will help to share the workload behind the plate.

"With the number of games you have each year, I think you have to have a staff of catchers just as you do pitchers," Gregory explained. "Bringing in those two will really help add depth behind the plate and keep us fresh throughout the season."

Another key addition to the pitching staff is assistant coach Letty Olivarez, who joined the staff as Tech's new pitching coach last August.

"Letty is the biggest thing that we could've gotten right and man, we got it right," Gregory exclaimed. "Her demeanor on how she approaches our pitchers is seasoned, patient, confident and intentional – which is something we've lacked in the past."

Olivarez most recently served two seasons as an assistant coach at San Jose State. She was the co-head coach at Arizona State in 2016 when the Sun Devils made an NCAA Regional appearance and previously held stints at CSUN (2015), Stanford (2012-14) and Wisconsin (2011).

"Our kids are throwing more confidently and they're being challenged more effectively on a daily basis. Letty knows what it takes to be successful in the circle and she presents that knowledge in a way that really clicks with the staff."

THE RETURNERS

Erin Edmoundson – Sophomore
Making 17 starts and 44 appearances in the circle, Edmoundson made quite the impact as a true freshman in 2018. She led the Red Raider pitching staff with a 2.97 ERA, racked up a team-high 135 strikeouts and posted a 17-12 overall record. Named to the All-Big 12 Freshman Team, she collected a pair of shutouts and limited opponents to a .244 batting average. Her efforts in the NISC Tournament earned her 2018 NISC All-Regional Team laurels.

Edmoundson doubled as a threat in the lineup, posting a .273 average at the plate with 30 hits on the season. She knocked in 17 RBI, scored 11 times and finished the season 3-for-4 in stolen bases.

"Erin is such a great competitor and showed that time and time again last season," Gregory said. "She wants to win so badly and she will find any way to win. Her confidence definitely rubs off on the defense and it brings the whole team up."

Kelcy Leach – Sophomore
An All-Big 12 Freshman-Team member, Leach made 37 starts behind the plate in 49 appearances. The newcomer tied for third on the team with five home runs and knocked in 19 RBI on the season. Leach tallied 26 hits and seven doubles to go along with her .250 average at the plate and .462 slugging percentage.

She served as a solid force behind the plate, posting a .984 fielding percentage and ranked second on the team with 162 putouts in her inaugural campaign. Leach produced four multi-hit games, as well as five multi-RBI games for the Red Raiders.

"Kelcy is defensively sound so she held a lot of the workload last season," Gregory said. "She does a great job with the pitching staff. She understands them, she is able to say hard things to them, she constantly wins pitches for them and that really became a vital role from her last year. She's commanding the field better and the growth we've seen from her has been amazing to see."

THE NEWCOMERS

Trenity Edwards – Sophomore
Bringing in a wealth of SEC playing experience, Edwards comes to Tech after playing her freshman season at Missouri. As a Tiger, she made 31 starts behind the plate in 41 appearances. She finished her freshman season hitting .245 at the plate, where she tied for third on the team with 27 RBI and fifth on the team with five home runs. A force to be reckoned with behind the plate, she posted a .991 fielding percentage while throwing out 5-of-14 attempted stolen bases.

"Being able to add Trenity, a kid who saw a lot of playing time at Missouri, is a great addition to our team," Gregory said. "She has a great arm and understands what it takes to be successful at this level. She has a great bat and can gun down runners on the base paths. She is a huge gain for us both offensively and defensively."

Missy Zoch – Junior
A decorated transfer from DePaul, Zoch will step into the circle after two successful seasons with the Blue Demons. Zoch is a two-time All-BIG EAST First-Team selection who compiled a 30-15 overall record in her first two seasons. She will step into the circle with 299 career strikeouts after leading the Blue Demon pitching staff to back-to-back BIG EAST Championship titles. Zoch limited opponents to a staff-low .200 batting average in 2018 and ranked second in the league with 139 strikeouts.

"There's not a lot of people like Missy who just want to be great in their craft," Gregory explained. "She is very hard on herself but it's because she has very high expectations. She brings a lot of poise and confidence into the circle and I think that she brings a lot of great experience to our staff."

Brooke Blackwell – Freshman
A powerful right-hander from Grandview High School, Blackwell led the Zebras to the Texas Class 3A State Tournament after clinching district, bi-district, area and Region 3 titles. She was named to the TAPPS All-State Team and earned Johnson County Pitcher of the Year laurels after posting a 40-2 overall record as a senior. She earned District 17-3A Pitcher of the Year status as a junior after she led Grandview to the regional finals and picked up All-Johnson City Team and Pitcher of the Year honors following the end of her junior campaign. A four-year Academic All-District selection, she was tabbed the Johnson County Pitcher of the year as a sophomore in 2016 and the 2015 Johnson County Freshman of the Year at Joshua High School.

"I think that Brooke is very competitive and she'll throw the ball hard," Gregory said. "She wasn't afraid to really go in on batters in high school and we're working on getting her confidence up at the college level. I think her confidence will grow with the more innings and experience she gets."

Morgan Hornback – Freshman
One of the top-rated pitchers out of the state of Oregon, Hornback enters her freshman season after a phenomenal career at Oregon City High School. Recognized as a Class 6A All-State First-Team selection as a senior, she picked up Mt. Hood Conference Pitcher of the Year and First-Team All-League honors. A Gatorade Player of the Year nominee, she was named the team MVP after leading her team to the state semifinals in 2018. She earned Class 6A All-State First Team and First Team All-League honors as a sophomore and junior while earning All-League First-Team laurels as a freshman. Hornback earned Mount Hood Conference Player of the Year honors before leading the Pioneers to the Class 6A State Semifinals in 2017. Beginning her success early in the circle, she was named the Mount Hood Conference Pitcher of the Year as a sophomore in 2016 before her first trip to the Oregon Class 6A State tournament.

"Morgan had to get adjusted the heat and the sun because it's so different from the region of the country that she's from," Gregory said. "She's adjusted very well and we can tell that she wants to be the best. She has a lot of God-given talent and she has great look on the mound. She has a lot of tools in her toolbox and I think she'll get better and better with the more experience she gets."

Grace Schmidt – Freshman
A skilled catcher out of Surprise, Ariz., Schmidt will see playing time behind the plate after a successful career at Sunrise Mountain High School. A 2018 MVP and first-team catcher, Schmidt was named the 2017 Region Player of the Year. She helped her squad to the 2017 state finals and earned All-State Second Team and All-District First-Team distinction following the conclusion of her junior campaign.

"Grace is learning a whole lot of things and she gives you every ounce of effort you could ever ask for," Gregory explained. "She wants to do things the right way and is soaking up everything that she can. She brings a very positive outlook and has great energy on this team."

Texas Tech is set to open up the season on Friday, Feb. 8, at the Lone Star Collegiate Classic in Conroe, Texas. For all the latest news on the Texas Tech softball team, follow @TexasTechSB on Twitter and Instagram or visit TexasTech.com.

Texas Tech University Athletics

Texas Tech Softball Position Preview: Pitchers and Catchers

Related News

Players Mentioned

Brooke Blackwell

Erin Edmoundson

Trenity Edwards

Morgan Hornback

Kelcy Leach

Grace Schmidt

Missy Zoch

Related Videos