It’s time to turn to a brand new page in the story of Clemson Softball.
After five years in existence, coach John Rittman has taken a young yet formidable Clemson program and made it into a softball powerhouse: a regular season ACC title, three NCAA tournament regional hosting chances, two Super Regional appearances, and more. This, all behind the incredibly talented (and now, decorated) inaugural softball class – which included the likes of 5-tool player Mckenzie Clark, team leader Alia Logoleo, fiery lefty Millie Thompson, reliable righty Regan Spencer, and one National Player-of-the-Year and record-shatterer by the name of Valerie Cagle.
While the end of this era with Clemson Softball didn’t quite finish the way they had hoped, and with all of the aforementioned players moving on, turning to a new chapter for this already storied program could be a breath of fresh air for a team looking to write its own story.
Rittman has players like all-American Maddie Moore, all-conference Alex Brown, seasoned catcher Aby Viera, pitching leader Brooke McCubbin, hard-hitting Julia Knowler, and speedy Kylee Johnson all returning – which creates a great foundation for the year to come. Let’s look at some of the changes that group will try to anchor going into the 2025 season.
Crash Joins the Staff
With other former Clemson assistant coaches moving on, the program decided to add a key replacement – and a familiar foe – to the team calling the shots. Katie Repole – affectionately nicknamed “Crash” – will join the Softball coaches as recruiting coordinator, where she previously did the same for Virginia and Texas A&M, not to mention more recently at her last stop with the South Carolina Gamecocks. With a plethora of recruiting and growth successes, including multiple top-ten recruiting classes and more than one all-American developed, she will bring a very welcomed presence to the Tiger locker room. Couple this addition with adding the likes of Ryan Wieligman (technology focus), the staff is well-rounded enough to continue to compete at a high level.
Transfers Galore
Like Lyndsey Garcia, Reedy Davenport, and Caroline Jacobson from before, the transfer portal was kind once again to the Clemson Softball program. Reese Basinger, a Graduate pitcher from Evans, Georgia, comes over from the Winthrop Eagles to provide much-needed depth to a depleted pitching rotation. She brings her 477 strikeouts and 2.33 ERA with her. Not to be outdone, fellow Georgia high school player and Irish native Jamison Brockenbrough joins the Tigers as a Junior transferring from the Tennessee Volunteers. She had a breakout postseason with the Vols last year, hitting .306 and recording a double, triple and home run with 10 RBIs and six runs scored. Clemson Softball also added Junior Brook Melynchuk, a Canadian RHP transferring from the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. Melynchuk led the Bulldog bullpen with an astounding 2.04 ERA her freshman year, racking up 19 wins and 94 strikeouts in her young career so far. The Tigers made great strides in filling some key holes left by the graduating class by bringing these great players (and great people) into the softball program fold.
Recruiting Success Continues
The Clemson Softball recruiting classes have always been elite, and this year’s batch is no different. Take a glimpse of the future by reviewing the star-studded list of players here.
- Marian Collins, Infielder from Marietta, Georgia
- Madi Lardizibal, Infielder from Murrieta, California
- Ava Wilson , Outfielder from Acworth, Georgia
- Macey Cintron, Pitcher and infielder from Cumming, Georgia
- Sam Minish, Outfielder from Hull, Georgia
- Riley Fennell, Outfielder from Oviedo, Florida
- Taylor Pipkins, Infielder from Cumming, Georgia
“It’s with great excitement we announce our 2024 class,” said Rittman. “This class is made up of competitive and dynamic student-athletes who will complement and improve the quality of our team both on and off the field. It’s a strong, well balanced group of young women who all share the vision and values of Clemson Softball. The following players will make an immediate impact and add a tremendous amount of versatility to our lineup offensively, defensively and in the pitching circle. This is a very talented class, and we cannot wait to help these young women develop.”
2025 Season Outlook
The Tigers will kick off the 2025 slate with the annual inter-team Orange and Purple scrimmage on February 2nd – fans welcome. The team will then hit the road for the FAU Tournament in Boca Raton, Florida, followed by the home opener against Furman on February 11th. A quick turnaround to the prestigious Clearwater Invitational will be followed by 18 straight games inside McWhorter Stadium, hosting games against teams like Georgia and opening ACC conference play against Duke.
With plenty to look forward to inside and out of the Clemson Softball program, sometimes it is nice to have a new perspective on what expectations come with a brand new era. Gone are the aspirations of a Women’s College World Series (albeit still on the minds and hearts of plenty of these players), but anything is possible with a somewhat blank page. Standing on the shoulders of the giants that have come before them, reaching for the sky – and whatever else that this upcoming season may bring – will be all the more exciting for this version of Clemson Softball, no matter what.
