It was another busy week on the diamonds for the local athletes representing on Division I baseball and softball teams.
Here’s a look at their latest exploits heading into the third weekend of March.
BASEBALL
Nate Conner, ETSU: The Johnson City native Conner only had three hits during the Bucs’ four-game sweep of Bradley, but he crossed the plate seven times and drew twice as many walks as hits for the series. Conner’s updated line for the season is a .315 average with a .446 on base percentage while slugging .685. The former Science Hill and Walters State standout no longer leads the Bucs in RBIs, but is second in home runs (6) and total bases (50). Up Next: ETSU opens Southern Conference play at UNC Greensboro with a three-game series that starts Friday.
Gage Peterson, Appalachian State: Peterson took a hard-luck no-decision last Saturday at home against Coastal Carolina in the Mountaineers’ opening Sun Belt Conference series of the season. Peterson threw seven scoreless innings, his deepest outing of 2026, allowing two hits and a pair of walks while fanning nine. Peterson lowered his ERA from 1.64 to 1.24, his batting average allowed from .215 to .186, and now has 41 strikeouts to bolster his team lead in that category. Up Next: App State continues Sun Belt play with a three-game set at Old Dominion, starting Friday.
Brogan Jones, Longwood: In his five games in the past eight days – at home against George Mason, then three games at Gardner-Webb in Big South Conference play, followed by Tuesday’s home date with William & Mary – Jones went a combined 6-for-19 with three RBIs. He homered against George Mason, and stole two bases apiece against GMU and W&M. The Daniel Boone High alum upped his average to .291 and slightly increased his on base percentage to .447. Up Next: Longwood continues Big South play, hosting USC Upstate for a three-game series that starts Friday.
Landon Smelser, Tennessee Tech: It was a rough week at the plate for the Johnson City native Smelser. After batting 3-for-5 with a triple last Wednesday in a loss to Belmont, Smelser went just 2-for-17 in the ensuing four-game series with Mercer. For the season, he’s now hitting .259 with a .304 on base percentage and slugging .365. Up Next: Tennessee Tech hosts Little Rock for a three-game series starting Friday to open its Ohio Valley Conference slate.
Kam Durnin, Missouri: The reigning Appalachian League Player of the Year for the Kingsport Axmen had a rough go in Mizzou’s first Southeastern Conference series of the season, batting 1-for-11 with four strikeouts as the Tigers got swept by Auburn. Up Next: Missouri plays longtime rival Kansas tonight, then travels to Knoxville this weekend for a three-game set against Tennessee.
Tyler Myatt, Tennessee: The Tazewell, TN, native and Claiborne County High product had a pretty quiet weekend at the place as the Vols opened SEC play against Georgia. He had two singles: one in a pinch hit appearance, and did not play in one of the three games as the Vols swept. Myatt’s average has dipped to .213 with a .339 on base percentage and .426 slugging, still holding two home runs and eight RBIs.
SOFTBALL
ETSU: Since our last report, it’s been a lean stretch for the Bucs. They lost three of four in the past week, dropping the team’s overall record to 12-8 with SoCon play set to start this weekend as UNC Greensboro comes to Johnson City. NOTE: I-81 Sports plans to provide coverage from both days of this home series.
Freshman Riley Croley, a product of Daniel Boone, went hitless in the four games, dropping her average to ..288 from .340 and her OPS from .879 to .796.
As for the two Dobyns-Bennett products on the roster, freshman Hailey Porter had one hit apiece in each of the three games this past weekend: two with Radford and one against Lafayette. Porter is now hitting .213 with a .615 OPS. Sophomore Payton Moore went 0-for-3 against Tennessee Tech and did not play during the Bucs’ three games at Radford.
Senior outfielder Abigail Taylor, a product of Science Hill, had two hits and three stolen bases in the past four games. Her season stats now stand at a .356 average and .424 on base percentage with 17 runs scored and 16 stolen bases.
Sophomore pitcher Eden Muncy, one of ETSU’s most effective options in the circle all season, had a rough week. Against Tennessee Tech, she yielded three runs on four walks and three walks in just two innings. Tech won that game in a 12-0 rout. a Rye Cove alum, has been coming in primarily in relief – six of her seven appearances thus far this season. Friday against Lafayette in Radford, Muncy gave up a run on a hit and two walks and did not retire a batter. Muncy, a Rye Cove alum who set three Virginia High School state records, still leads ETSU hurlers who have thrown at least one inning pitched per game in WHIP (1.15), and strikeouts (22).
Julianne Tipton, Louisiana: Tipton made one appearance out of the bullpen last week, throwing one scoreless inning with two hits allowed and a strikeout to close out Saturday’s 9-1, five-inning win at Southern Miss. The Ragin’ Cajuns dropped two of three in Hattiesburg as they opened their Sun Belt schedule. Up Next: Louisiana hosts Texas State for a three-game Sun Belt set that opens on Friday.
Addyson Fisher, Virginia Tech: The standout at Volunteer High started the March 11 game at Elon, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts in three innings. The Hokies won comfortably, 14-2. Up Next: Tech plays a doubleheader at Longwood tonight, then hosts NC State starting Friday in its second ACC series of the season.
Maci Masters, Western Kentucky: The record-setting home run slugger at Daniel Boone had a rough weekend at the plate against Jacksonville State as WKU opened its Conference USA slate. Masters went 1-for-8 with four strikeouts as JSU swept the series. She’s now hitting .301 with a 1.021 OPS, nine home runs, and 22 RBIs. Up Next: Western Kentucky hosts Louisville tonight, then hosts Middle Tennessee in a three-game CUSA set that starts on Friday.
Maddie Diamond, Delaware: Diamond went 0-for-8 as Delaware got swept by Louisiana Tech in CUSA action, making two starts and one pinch hit appearance. For the season, Diamond still leads the Blue Hens in RBIs (22), hitting .221 with five homers and an .857 OPS. Up Next: Delaware hosts Delaware State tonight, then hosts Missouri State for a three-game conference set that starts Friday.
Hannah Frye, Gardner Webb: The Dobyns-Bennett alum had a couple of rough outings in the past week. In 3 2-3 combined innings against Bucknell and Charleston Southern, Frye allowed four runs on 11 hits with a walk. For the season, Frye now has a 6-4 record in 14 appearances, including nine starts, with a 6.00 ERA. Opponents are hitting .355 off of Frye.