MARTIN, Tenn. – Five teams will take part in the 2025 Skyhawk Classic as the University of Tennessee at Martin softball program hosts the two-day tournament at Bettye Giles Field.
The tournament was originally set to take place on Feb. 14-16 but has now been shifted to Thursday, Feb. 13 and Friday, Feb. 14 due to forecasts of heavy thunderstorms in the area over the weekend. Joining the Skyhawks in the field are DePaul, Murray State, Purdue Fort Wayne and Western Michigan. Admission is $5 per day.
UT Martin will take on Western Michigan on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. and Purdue Fort Wayne at 1:30 p.m. Purdue Fort Wayne will then turn around and face Western Michigan at 3:30 p.m. to round out Day 1.
Friday will start with an 8:30 a.m. matchup between DePaul and Purdue Fort Wayne. The Skyhawks then play back-to-back contests against DePaul (10:30 a.m.) and Murray State (1 p.m.) before two more games (Western Michigan vs. Purdue Fort Wayne at 3:30 p.m.; Western Michigan vs. Murray State at 5:30 p.m.) completes the tournament schedule.
UT Martin owns all-time series records of 18-20 against former Ohio Valley Conference rival Murray State, 8-1 against Purdue Fort Wayne and 2-2 against Western Michigan. This week will be the first time that the Skyhawks and DePaul have met on the softball diamond.
UT Martin went 2-3 in its season-opening weekend at the Paladin Invitational in Greenville, SC. Both Skyhawk victories were via run-rule while two of their three setbacks came by one run apiece. UT Martin outscored its opposition by a 24-13 margin and displayed blazing speed, swiping 17 stolen bases in 20 chances while only allowing one stolen base.
Kyla Harley (team-highs of .438 batting average and six runs scored) and Dylan Scott (.333 batting average, team-best .667 slugging percentage, three RBI’s and four stolen bases) guided the Skyhawks offensively last weekend. UT Martin also received significant contributions at the plate from Kennedy Brown and Ava Scott, who shared the team lead with a .444 on-base percentage.
In the circle for the Skyhawks, Ashtyn Green nabbed OVC Pitcher of the Week accolades after going 2-0 with a 1.70 ERA, whiffing 11 batters in a team-high 12.1 innings of work. Newcomer Rylee Tittle also stood out with a miniscule 0.95 ERA in 7.1 frames, allowing the opposition to post a paltry .154 batting average.
DePaul went 3-3 in its home tournament over the weekend, hitting .299 as a team thanks in large part to Kelly Beaupre (.429 batting average), Addison Talbot (.417) and Bibianna Rodriguez (.400). Members of the Big East Conference, the Blue Demon pitching staff was led by Kelly Greene (two wins, 1.61 ERA in 22.1 innings).
A member of the Missouri Valley Conference, Murray State enters with a 2-2 record after taking part in a tournament in Mobile, Ala. Ailey Schyck led the way offensively as she hit .429 with a 1.429 slugging percentage with a pair of home runs and seven RBI’s in only seven at-bats. Raylee Roby topped the Racers in the circle with a 2-0 record and a 2.47 ERA.
Purdue Fort Wayne collected a 1-4 record at its season-opening tournament in Conway, SC. The Mastodons – members of the Horizon League – saw Brooke Lickey (.333) and Addison Zimpleman (.313) each hit over .300 to set the tone offensively. Mackenzie Arroyo accounted for a team-best 3.82 ERA in three relief appearances over the weekend.
Coached by former UT Martin assistant Marlee Wilson (2019-20), Western Michigan won 27 games last season with a 16-8 Mid-American Conference record. The Broncos are 1-4 this spring after facing stiff competition (No. 17 Arizona, Michigan State, Washington, Alabama) in Tucson, Ariz. Riley Dittmar (.467 batting average, .733 slugging percentage) and Jensen Gremillion (one win with a shutout in three games started) led Western Michigan.
For more information on the Skyhawk Classic, including a full schedule and links for live stats, please visit the Tournament Central webpage here: https://utmsports.com/sports/2025/2/9/2025-skyhawk-classic.aspx.
