Bucs Set Program Record with 262 Student-Athletes on SoCon Honor Roll

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (June 25, 2020) – It was another record-setting day for ETSU Athletics, this time thanks to the Southern Conference Honor Roll. The Bucs placed 262 student-athletes on the 2019-20 SoCon Honor Roll, blowing by the program’s previous record of 229 set in 2017-18. The SoCon office released the Honor Roll on Thursday morning.


ETSU places record-setting 62 student-athletes on SoCon Spring All-Academic list

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (June 24, 2020) – A record-setting 62 ETSU student-athletes accounted for the Buccaneers’ 79 total selections on the Southern Conference Spring All-Academic list, as the league office announced it honors on Wednesday.


A Message From ETSU Athletic Director Scott Carter

On behalf of our head coaches and athletic department staff I want to speak from my heart.


A Call to Action From President Noland

The suffering that George Floyd experienced when he lost his life is something no individual should have to endure. Over the last week, I and others across the nation have wrestled with many emotions as we all search for answers, guidance and change. We must heed the call to action to create a vision from which future action can unfold.


ETSU unveils Stronger Together online store to support Bucs Help Bucs Initiative

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (May 28, 2020) — Fans, due to high demand for the “Stronger Together” t-shirt, the ETSU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and BSN Sports launched an online store featuring additional products with the Freedom E logo.


ETSU Athletics Hall of Fame Call for Nominations

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (May 27, 2020) -- The ETSU Athletics Department is currently accepting nominations for induction into the 2020 ETSU Athletics Hall of Fame.


Commissioner Jim Schaus delivers State of the Conference Address

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (May 22, 2020) -- Southern Conference Commissioner Jim Schaus unveiled his State of the Conference Address on Friday.


ETSU Athletics to hold virtual Game Time Tour series

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (May 18, 2020) -- The East Tennessee State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is putting a twist on its annual Game Time Tour series.


SoCon announces cost containment measures for 2020-21

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (May 14, 2020) -- The Southern Conference announced Thursday a number of cost containment measures at both the institutional and conference levels to address the financial challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, as approved by the Southern Conference Council of Presidents and directors of athletics.


Recapping the Historic 2020 Bucky’s

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (May 1, 2020) – The first-ever virtual Bucky’s have come to a conclusion on Friday afternoon following the final award announcement. Despite having to go virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, nothing could slow down the passion and the success of the annual Bucky’s, presented by Appalachian Orthopedics.


ETSU Stronger Together Shirts Available to Support Bucs Help Bucs Initiative

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (April 30, 2020) -- Earlier this month, East Tennessee State University launched the “Bucs Help Bucs” initiative to help serve the Appalachian Highlands and support the ETSU family during these challenging times.


Softball Signs Five for 2021

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (April 28, 2020) – ETSU Softball Head Coach Brad Irwin and his staff are pleased to announce the signing of five student-athletes on Tuesday afternoon as part of the 2021 signing class.


ETSU to Hold First-Ever Virtual Bucky’s

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (April 27, 2020) – For the first time in the history of the coveted ETSU Athletics award ceremony, the Bucky’s are going virtual. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Bucky’s Awards Celebration will be posted virtually on Twitter (@bucacademics) and Instagram (@etsu_bucacademics) and will be sponsored by Appalachian Orthopedics.


Top Moments of the Spring presented by Pizza Hut

Fans, below you will find the "Top Moments of Spring 2020" presented by Pizza Hut. Please note, these moments are not listed in any particular order. We are giving you the opportunity to vote for your top moment of the spring season by participating in our Twitter Poll Challenge, which will start on Tuesday, April 21 on our main ETSU Athletics Twitter account (@ETSUAthletics). Please note, this is a series as it concludes with the "Top Moment of 2019-20" vote on Twitter next week.


Grupp Receives SoCon Postgraduate Scholarship

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (April 16, 2020) – The Southern Conference announced its 10 postgraduate scholarship recipients for the 2019-20 academic year on Thursday afternoon. ETSU’s Nikki Grupp (Jacksonville, Fla.) was one of three student-athletes to receive the Southern Conference Presidential Scholarship.


A Letter to Our ETSU Family

To the ETSU Family and the best fans in the Southern Conference...


SoCon cancels remainder of spring competition

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (March 17, 2020) -- By unanimous votes of the league’s Council of Presidents and directors of athletics, the Southern Conference is canceling all athletics-related activities for the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year, including competition, championships, organized practices and meetings, due to the ongoing threat of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, Commissioner Jim Schaus announced Tuesday.


Strong Pitching Grounds Rockets as Bucs Claim Tournament Finale

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (March 8, 2020) – Strong pitching, timely hitting and great defensive play was the recipe for the Bucs’ 3-1 win over Toledo in the final game of the Tennessee Invitational on Sunday morning in Knoxville, Tenn. With the win, ETSU improved to 9-13 on the season and 2-3 in the tournament.


Bucs Drop Twin Bill in Knoxville on Saturday

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (March 7, 2020) – The ETSU Softball team couldn’t keep its mojo as of late, dropping a pair of contests in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday in the Tennessee Invitational at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. The Bucs began the day with a narrow 5-3 loss to Stanford, nearly ending The Cardinal undefeated weekend. ETSU then had to wait nearly seven hours to begin their night cap against Tennessee in which they dropped a 10-2 decision to the Lady Vols. With the pair of losses, ETSU falls to 8-13 on the year.


Farr Delivers Win in Doubleheader Split

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (March 6, 2020) – ETSU Softball split the opening doubleheader of the 2020 Tennessee Invitational on Friday in Knoxville, Tenn., defeating Toledo in the first game by the score of 3-2 before falling to the Lady Vols in game two, 10-1. With the Friday split, the Bucs improved to 8-11 on the campaign, running their winning streak to four games before suffering the nine-run loss to Tennessee.


ETSU Travels to Knoxville for Tennessee Invitational

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (March 5, 2020) – Following an undefeated weekend in the 2020 Buccaneer Classic, the ETSU softball team will travel to Knoxville, Tenn. this weekend for the Tennessee Invitational. The Bucs will begin play on Friday at 10 a.m. against Toledo, followed by a 3 p.m. rematch against the Lady Vols. ETSU will then square off with Stanford on Saturday at 10 a.m. before beginning the bracket play of the Tennessee Invitational.


Toler Claims SoCon Player of the Week

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (March 2, 2020) – Following a dominating Sunday afternoon, Kylie Toler (Bradenton, Fla.) walked away with her first career Southern Conference Player of the Week honor on Monday afternoon. The award was announced by the league office on Monday.


Toler’s Home Run Lifts Bucs to Triumph over Falcons

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (March 2, 2020) – The 2020 Buccaneer Classic concluded with a shortened final day on Monday at Betty Basler Field due to inclement weather. However, the Bucs were able to complete one of two scheduled games, defeating Bowling Green by the final score of 4-3 to wrap up an undefeated weekend at the Buccaneer Classic that included a marquee win over No. 20 Tennessee on Sunday afternoon. With the win on Monday morning, the Bucs improved to 7-10 on the young campaign.


Historic Day Concludes with Doubleheader Sweep

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (March 1, 2020) – The opening day of the 2020 Buccaneer Classic will forever be etched into the history books for ETSU Softball as the Bucs defeated Tennessee Tech and then turned around to upset No. 20 Tennessee for the first time in program history. The Bucs began the tournament with a 10-1 victory over the Golden Eagles in six innings, picking up the first run-rule victory for the Bucs this season. ETSU then picked up a historic win over the Lady Vols, walking off in style with a 4-3 victory to cap off a perfect Sunday afternoon at Betty Basler Field. With the pair of wins, ETSU improves to 6-10 on the season.


Opening Day of Buccaneer Classic Cancelled

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Feb. 29, 2020) – The opening day of the 2020 Buccaneer Classic has officially been cancelled due to weather and field conditions at Betty Basler Field. The Bucs were originally scheduled to kick off the tournament with a 1 p.m. showdown against Bowling Green.


Bucs Ready to Host Altered Buccaneer Classic

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Feb. 27, 2020) – The 2020 Buccaneer Classic, scheduled to begin tomorrow, has been pushed back due to weather in the Johnson City area. The first of two ETSU home tournaments will now begin on Saturday, Feb. 29 and will conclude on Monday, March 2. The Bucs enter the tournament with a 4-10 overall mark, having most recently finished 1-4 at the Bailey Memorial Tournament hosted by Kennesaw State. The 2020 Buccaneer Classic will feature the host Buccaneers alongside Bowling Green, Tennessee and Tennessee Tech.


Schmidt Captures SoCon Pitcher of the Week

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Feb. 24, 2020) – For the second time in her collegiate career, Kelly Schmidt (Norcross, Ga.) was tabbed as the Southern Conference Pitcher of the Week, as announced by the league office on Monday afternoon.


Owls Down Bucs in Bailey Memorial Tournament Finale

KENNESAW, Ga. (Feb. 23, 2020) – ETSU dropped the Bailey Memorial Tournament finale to the Kennesaw State Owls, 11-3, in six innings at Bailey Park on Sunday afternoon. With the loss, the Buccaneer softball squad falls to 4-10 on the season after a 1-4 weekend in Kennesaw, Ga.


Schmidt Pitches Gem in Game One; Bucs split Saturday Doubleheader

KENNESAW, Ga. (Feb. 22, 2020) – The ETSU Softball team split a Saturday doubleheader at the Bailey Memorial Tournament in Kennesaw, Ga., defeating Rhode Island in the first game by the final score of 4-0. The Bucs then turned around in the afternoon, dropping a 9-1 decision to Marshall. With the split, ETSU improves to 4-9 overall on the campaign.


Late Runs Bite Bucs in Opening Day of Bailey Memorial

KENNESAW, Ga. (Feb. 21, 2020) – The ETSU Softball team saw itself on the wrong side of a doubleheader on Friday at the Bailey Memorial Tournament in Kennesaw, Ga. The Bucs began the day dropping a 2-0 decision to Rhode Island as the Rams scored a pair of late runs to down ETSU. The Blue & Gold then dropped the doubleheader after Marshall scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth to come from behind and upset the Bucs. With the pair of losses, ETSU drops to 3-8 on the young season.


ETSU Travels to Kennesaw for Bailey Memorial

KENNESAW, Ga. (Feb. 20, 2020) – The ETSU Buccaneer Softball team will compete in its third tournament of the young season this weekend, traveling to Kennesaw, Ga. for the Bailey Memorial Tournament. While at Kennesaw, the Bucs will take on Rhode Island, Marshall and Kennesaw State. The tournament will begin with a 10 a.m. showdown against the Rams on Friday and will conclude the weekend with a 12:30 contest against Kennesaw State.


Grupp Named Senior CLASS Award Candidate

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Feb. 18, 2020) – On Tuesday afternoon, ETSU senior infielder Nikki Grupp (Jacksonville, Fla.) was tabbed as one of just 30 NCAA softball student-athletes who were selected to be a Senior CLASS Candidate.


Buccaneer Classic Tickets on Sale

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Feb. 17, 2020) – As the softball season is hitting its stride, fans are reminded that the upcoming Buccaneer Classic will be a ticketed event from Feb. 28 – March 1. Alongside the likes of ETSU, the tournament will feature Bowling Green, Tennessee Tech and Tennessee.


Bucs Drop Tournament Finale to Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Feb. 16, 2020) – Defensive blunders and lack of early offense proved too much to overcome for the Bucs as ETSU dropped the tournament finale to the Jacksonville Dolphins, 7-1. With the loss, the Bucs fall to 3-6 on the season after a 3-2 record in the Sunshine State.


Dyson Pitches a Gem as Bucs Split Saturday Doubleheader

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Feb. 15, 2020) – Day two of the Osprey Dolphin Invite saw the Bucs split a twin bill, shutting out Alabama A&M in the first game (5-0) before dropping a 6-2 decision to Jacksonville. With the split, the Bucs improve to 3-5 on the season and 3-1 in Jacksonville, Fla.


Softball Joins the Win Column with Doubleheader Sweep

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Feb. 14, 2020) – The ETSU Softball team picked up its first and second win of the season on Friday with a doubleheader sweep in the first day of the Osprey Dolphin Invite. The Bucs defeated Alabama A&M by the score of 9-1 before besting North Florida, 10-6. ETSU scored 19 runs on the day, including 13 combined runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings of the two games. With the victories, ETSU improves to 2-4 on the season.


Familiar Foes Await Bucs in Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Feb. 13, 2020) – The ETSU Buccaneers Softball team is set for the second tournament of the season, the Osprey Dolphin Invite in Jacksonville, Fla. ETSU will take on Alabama A&M twice, Jacksonville twice and North Florida once. The Bucs will open their portion of the tournament on Friday at 2:30 p.m. against Alabama A&M on the campus of UNF. ETSU will play the first two games at UNF Softball Complex and the final three games at the Debbie & Fred Pruitt Softball Complex.


Warren Tabbed SoCon Student-Athlete of the Week

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (Feb. 12, 2020) – Fresh off a dominating opening weekend, Kelly Warren (Mechanicsville, Va.) was tabbed as the General Shale Southern Conference Student-Athlete of the Week for all games played from Feb. 5-11. The league office announced the award on Wednesday afternoon.


ETSU Falls in Extra-Inning Battle

STATESBORO, Ga. (Feb. 9, 2020) – The Bucs’ final game of the Bash in the Boro needed nine innings to decide a victor as ETSU dropped a nail-biting 3-2 decision in nine innings to Rutgers. With the loss, ETSU falls to 0-4 on the season, while Rutgers improves to 3-2.


Bucs Drop First Doubleheader of 2020

STATESBORO, Ga. (Feb. 8, 2020) – The ETSU Softball team remains in search of its first win in the early season after dropping Saturday’s doubleheader in Statesboro, Ga. The Bucs fall to 0-3 on the campaign after suffering losses to both Army and Georgia Southern on Saturday afternoon.


Fifth Inning Propels Rutgers over Bucs in Season Opener

STATESBORO, Ga. (Feb. 7, 2020) – The ETSU Softball team saw its season opener slip from its grasp after yielding five runs in the fifth inning, dropping the 6-3 decision to Rutgers on Friday evening. With the loss, the Bucs fall to 0-1, while the Scarlet Knights improve to 1-1.


ETSU set for Season Opener at Bash in the Boro

STATESBORO, Ga. (Feb. 6, 2020) – The ETSU Softball Team will finally take to the diamond on Friday, Feb. 7 when the Bucs kickoff the 2020 campaign with a showdown against Rutgers at 2 p.m. in the Bash in the Boro Tournament. The event is hosted by Georgia Southern in Statesboro, Ga. The Bucs will square off with Rutgers twice, Georgia Southern and Army once. The tournament will conclude for the Bucs with a 9 a.m. showdown against Rutgers on Sunday, Feb. 9.


Bucs Land Four on SoCon Preseason Team

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (Jan. 30, 2020) – The 2020 Preseason All-Southern Conference teams were announced on Thursday afternoon by the league office, in addition to the preseason SoCon standings. The Bucs landed four players on the First and Second Team combined, while earning a tie for third in the preseason league standings, as voted on by the coaches.


Softball Concludes First Practice of 2020

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Jan. 18, 2020) – The ETSU Buccaneers Softball team kicked off their 2020 season with the team’s first practice today at Betty Basler Field. The Bucs are led by head coach Brad Irwin who is entering his 10th season at the helm of the program.


Bucs Announce 2020 Season Slate

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Dec. 17, 2019) – ETSU Head Softball Coach Brad Irwin has announced the 2020 Buccaneer Softball schedule on Tuesday morning.


Softball Adds USC Upstate Transfer

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Aug. 27, 2019) – ETSU Head Softball Coach Brad Irwin has announced the signing of Makenna Helton (Knoxville, Tenn.), a transfer outfielder from USC Upstate.


ETSU Athletics announces partnership with bioPURE

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Aug. 6, 2019) -- bioPURE Services announced on Tuesday that East Tennessee State University Athletics recently became a bioPURE Certified TMathletic facility. This certification means that ETSU athletes will experience a higher level of clean and disinfection in high-use locations like the weight room and the various locker rooms throughout the athletic complex.


Best of Buc Photos: 2018-19

As the 2018-19 season came to an end last week, please take a look back at all the special moments in our special segment called “Best of Buc Photos” courtesy of ETSU Sport Photo Journalist Dakota Hamilton.