MACTAVISH WINS TCCAA PITCHER OF THE YEAR AS LADY RAIDERS CAP OFF RECORD-BREAKING SEASON

The 2025-26 Lady Raiders softball team rewrote the program record book this season, turning in the winningest campaign in school history while establishing itself as one of the top teams in the TCCAA and one of the most productive teams nationally.

Roane State finished 29-18 overall and 20-8 in conference play, setting new program records for overall wins and conference victories while posting the program's first winning season.

The Lady Raiders also recorded the highest finish in program history at the TCCAA Softball Tournament, placing third in the conference postseason event. The team also shattered several offensive and pitching marks, including a school-record .340 batting average and a program-best 2.70 ERA.

Head coach Marty McDaniel said the team's success came from a roster that combined talent, chemistry and a relentless work ethic.

"They all worked hard," McDaniel said. "If you work hard, you get results. This was a hard-working team, a very talented team, and they gelled all along and really played well this season."

The Lady Raiders were dominant in nearly every statistical category. Roane State scored a program-record 318 runs, blasted a school-record 58 home runs and produced a program-best .546 slugging percentage while recording 694 total bases.

The pitching staff anchored the historic season. Sophomore Emma MacTavish developed into the conference's premier pitcher, earning TCCAA Pitcher of the Year honors after finishing among the national leaders in strikeouts, and breaking the school's single season and all time strikeout records.

"She was a bulldog on the mound," McDaniel said. "She was more in command this year than last year of her pitches and gained some speed and movement on the ball."

MacTavish posted 18 wins and a 2.27 ERA, both program records also, while helping lead a pitching staff that recorded a school-record 286 strikeouts and held opponents to a .230 batting average.

Freshman Zoey Cranford added another reliable arm in the pitcher's circle, posting a 2.71 ERA while helping ease the workload on MacTavish.

"Zoe did well," McDaniel said. "There's still a lot of room for growth for Zoe too. I compare her to where Emma was last year, and I expect next season to be just as strong for her as it was for Emma this year."

Offensively, freshman Paisley Campbell emerged as one of the most dangerous hitters in the region. Campbell earned first-team all-conference honors after tying the program single-season home run record with 19 while setting a school record with a .921 slugging percentage. She also finished second in program history with 128 total bases.

McDaniel credited Campbell's discipline and the strength of the lineup surrounding her.

"Paisley is a power hitter," McDaniel said. "To lead the team in hitting is pretty impressive, and she only struck out seven times the entire season. When you've got that gauntlet of Hawkes, Zoe, Kaliyah, and Paisley, that's a pretty tough four to go through."

Sophomore Emilee Hawkes also delivered one of the best offensive seasons in program history, finishing with 18 doubles, second-most all-time at Roane State, while producing 106 total bases.

"She was on fire the first 16 to 20 games," McDaniel said. "I thought she was going to break about every record we have."

The roster featured production throughout the lineup all season. Cyla Swafford tied the program record with five triples, Marah Yeo finished among the single-season stolen base leaders with 16 steals, and Kaliyah Lucas tied for seventh in program history with 11 home runs.

Roane State's growth was evident throughout the spring. The Lady Raiders swept conference series against Jackson State, Columbia State, and Walters State while regularly winning by run rule. In one four-game stretch, Roane State outscored opponents 55-4.

McDaniel believes the season established a new standard for the program moving forward.

"Our motto is 'Raise the Standard,'" McDaniel said. "This team has given the next group a lot to live up to."