MARTIN, Tenn. – After a tallying 30 wins in her interim season in charge of the Skyhawks, head coach Chelsea Farmer looks to take full control of the program and rebuild it her way with eight returners and 11 newcomers.
After a strong 30-win season and a fifth-place finish in the OVC regular standings, the Skyhawks will be looking to prove the doubters wrong after being picked seventh in the annual OVC Preseason poll
UT Martin returns 2024 OVC All-Newcomer Selection Alli Robinson in 2025, while Kennedy Brown was named to the 2025 Preseason OVC Players to Watch List. Robinson hit .293 last season with 10 extra base hits and 27 walks, while Kennedy Brown turned in a .224 average and was a perfect 10-for-10 on the base paths
UT Martin returns just three of its regular starters from a season ago with Robinson at second base, Kennedy Brown at third and Kyrsten Brown at short stop. Replacing three All-OVC players from a season ago, but Farmer hit the recruiting trail hard bringing in a mix of talented freshmen, junior college players and transfers.
Three Division I transfers join the Skyhawks for the 2025 campaign including pitcher Payton Harris from Austin Peay, outfielder Morea Hodge from Maryland Eastern Shore and Avary Makarewicz from 2025 OVC Regular-Season Champion Eastern Illinois. Farmer picked up two players from the junior college ranks in pitchers Elly Eckrich and NFCA All-American Rylee Tittle. The freshman in this year’s class includes Joleanna Fox, Natalie Kreuziger, Kaylin Reeves, Addie Roberts, Josie Sanders and Ava Scott, sister of current UT Martin player Dylan Scott.
Also returning for the Skyhawks this season are infielders Kyrsten Brown, Dylan Scott and Jordan Hustey, outfielders Kyla Harley and Carly Ward and pitcher Ashtyn Green.
Statistically, the Skyhawks hit .276 as a team in 2024, which the fifth best total in the OVC, while the pitching staff led the conference with an ERA of .256. UT Martin allowed the fewest earned runs in the OVC last season at 127 and allowed the fewest extra base hits with 44 doubles, a triple and 19 home runs allowed. On defense, the Skyhawks turned in the second-best fielding percentage in the OVC at .962, committing just 42 errors on 1,478 chances.
The Skyhawks will be challenged early and often throughout a loaded 49-game schedule. UT Martin will face off against four NCAA Tournament participants with Southeast Missouri, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Southern Illinois highlighting the schedule while competing in a grueling 27-game conference slate.
UT Martin will make appearances in Furman’s Paladin Invitational in Greenville, South Carolina Feb. 7-9, Evansville’s Aces Tournament I in Evansville Feb. 22-23, the Lady Vols’ Tennessee Invitational in Knoxville Feb. 28-Mar. 2, as well as hosting its own Skyhawk Classic Feb. 14-16. Mid-week matchups for 2025 include trips to Middle Tennessee on Mar. 19, Murray State on Mar. 26, Ole Miss on Apr. 9 and Southern Illinois on Apr. 23. The Skyhawks then open OVC play on the road Mar. 8-9 at Southeast Missouri, before returning home the next weekend to host Lindenwood Mar. 15-6. Other home OVC series for the Skyhawks include Eastern Illinois Mar. 22-23, Tennessee Tech Apr. 12-13 and senior weekend with Tennessee Tech Apr. 26-27. The conference road slate will see road matchups at Western Illinois March 29-30, Morehead State Apr. 5-6, Southern Indiana Apr. 18-19, before ending the season at SIUE May 3-4
The entire regular season schedule leads up to the 2025 OVC Softball Championship which is scheduled for May 7-10. The tournament returns to the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria, Illinois for the second consecutive year.
POSITION BREAKDOWN
Pitchers
The Skyhawks return just two pitchers from a season ago in Ashtyn Green and Jordyn Hustey. Green went 2-1 with two shutouts and two saves in 11 appearances last season with an ERA of 1.08, while Hustey was 1-0 in seven appearances with an ERA of 3.87. Two key additions to the pitching staff will be NFCA Junior College All-American Rylee Tittle and freshman Natalie Kreuziger, who was a Tennessee Class 2A All-State selection. Transfers Elly Eckrich and Payton Harris will also see time in the circle for UT Martin this season, as well as freshman Joleanna Fox who was Kentucky Softball Coaches Association All-State selection as a senior, while fanning 139 batters and hitting .604 at the plate.
Athletes: Elly Eckrich, Joleanna Fox, Ashtyn Green, Payton Harris, Jordyn Hustey, Natalie Kreuziger, Rylee Tittle
Catchers
UT Martin will have a fresh crop of catchers in 2025. Avary Majarewicz joins the Skyhawks from Eastern Illinois where she hit .220 on the season. Also, joining the Skyhawks behind the plate will be Josie Sanders, who was a TSSAA Class 2A All-Region selection last season and helped lead her team to a runner-up finish in the state tournament.
Athletes: Avary Makarewicz, Josie Sanders
Infielders
The area with most experience for the Skyhawks this season will be the infield. Leading the returners are 2024 OVC All-Newcomer selection second baseman Alli Robinson and 2025 OVC Player to Watch Kennedy Brown. Robinson hit .293 last season with 10 extra base hit and a team-high 27 walks, while third baseman Kennedy Brown hit .223 and a perfect 10-for-1 on stolen bases. Among the other returning infielders are Kyrsten Brown at shortstop and Jordyn Hustey at first base. Joining the Skyhawk infield will be freshmen Addie Roberts, Josie Sanders and Ava Scott, sister of Skyhawk outfielder Dylan Scott.
Athletes: Kennedy Brown, Kyrsten Brown, Jordyn Hustey, Addie Roberts, Alli Robinson, Josie Sanders, Ava Scott
Outfielders
The Skyhawk outfielders will look to fill big shoes left by Kaci Fuller with returners Kyla Harley and Carly Ward. Morea Hodge joins UT Martin from Maryland Eastern Shore, where she hit .297 for Hawks as a sophomore last season. The Skyhawks will also receive depth in the outfield from junior Dylan Scott and freshman Kaylin Reeves.
Athletes: Kyla Harley, Morea Hodge, Kaylin Reeves, Dylan Scott, Carly Ward
