Motlow State Community College will open its 27th season of softball competition on Friday, Jan. 27, when it travels to Clearwater, Fla., where it will spend three days playing six games against some of the nation’s top junior/community college programs. The Lady Bucks will play two games Friday, three Saturday and one Sunday.
Motlow is coached by Janice Morey, set to begin her second season at the helm. Morey, who played for the Lady Bucks in the program’s early years, compiled a 28-24 record in 2016. She is assisted by her husband Randy, a full-time employee at Motlow.
This year the Lady Bucks have two additions from Warren County as both Neva Tackett and Skyler Youngblood have signed letters of intent to play for the school.
The Lady Bucks will play a pair of road doubleheaders in February before opening Tennessee Community College Athletic Association (TCCAA) play on Friday, March 3, when Chattanooga State comes to the remodeled Lady Bucks Field for a 1 p.m. doubleheader. The two teams will play another twin bill the following day at noon.
Softball conference series are each four games, with weekend doubleheaders played on back-to-back days. All Motlow series are on Friday and Saturday except the weekend of April 13-14, when the Lady Bucks will play host to Volunteer State.
Due to there being 10 teams in the TCCAA, the Lady Bucks play an uneven number of home and away conference series each year. For 2017, Motlow will play host to four conference series and travel for five.
Home series will be against Chattanooga State on March 3-4, Roane State on March 17-18, Jackson State on April 7-8, and Volunteer State on April 13-14.
The TCCAA began fast-pitch softball as an official sport in 1994, and Motlow has been a championship contender since its inception. The Lady Bucks won the conference title in 2009, advancing to the national tournament for the only time in school history.