Eagle Softball Season Preview
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - January 20, 2025 - The Tallahassee State College softball team is gearing up for the 2025 season, which will begin at the end of January. The Eagles will host 16 of their matchups this season at the TSC Softball Complex and will participate in two Classics.
Head Coach Brynn Baca enters her second year as head coach for Tallahassee with high hopes for 2025. In her first season, the Eagles finished 11-31 and saw four athletes receive All-Panhandle Conference awards.
"We're still trying to build that culture and define that foundation. I really think that this team is capable of sneaking into that Region 8 State tournament in Clearwater," said Baca. "I definitely think we have what it takes."
Baca is joined by assistant coach Katie Mullins. Mullins is in her second season with TSC after serving as a volunteer coach in 2024, where she primarily worked with pitchers.
The addition of Mia Blasingane fills out the coaching staff. Blasingane recently concluded her playing career at the neighboring Florida A&M University: in her five seasons with the Rattlers, she set a career .275 batting average and finished her graduate season with an impressive .374 batting average and .394 on-base percentage. She was named to the SWAC Commissioner's Honor Roll twice and received SWAC All-Tournament and Second Team honors in her graduate season.
Seven Eagles from last year's team will return for the 2025 season, including Asia Peart (SS/OF), Keira D'Errico (OF), Karmen Christie (2B/OF), Sophia Ryon (P/UT), Haley Webb (OF), and All-Panhandle players Victoria Richardson (C/UT) and Rosalie Dufresne (C/UT). Ryon, however, will not participate in the 2025 season due to surgery.
"They are the ones who are really buying into what I want in a program, what Coach Katie wants in a program, and what Coach Mia wants in a program," said Baca. "They're leaders in the locker room, leaders on the field, and they are going to be the backbone to our season this year. I have high expectations and they know it."
TSC also welcomed two transfer players in the postseason in Laci Prescott (Pitcher, Indian River State College) and Marianna Labelle (OF, Southeastern Community College - Iowa). Both sophomores bring prior junior college experience to the Eagles, that of which Coach Baca is excited about.
"[Laci] really wanted innings. She's a great teammate and one of those locker room kids that you need on your team because she's always having a good time."
"[Marianna LaBelle and Rosalie Dufresne] played baseball growing up together on Team Quebec. Rosalie [told me] 'I have a friend who really wants to play here: lefty and outfielder.' Rosalie got me some video, and I was like, alright we're on," said Baca. "[Marianna] has been lights out in the outfield. She's got a good head on her shoulders."
Tallahassee State will open the season at home against Walters State Community College, an NJCAA DI program from Morristown, TN, on Jan. 24. Last season, the Senators finished sixth at the NJCAA DI World Series for the second year in a row and return many starters for the 2025 season.
"I'm a firm believer that you have to play the best to be the best, especially being in a conference like we are," said Baca. "I want to see how we compare against those teams that do go to the World Series. They're going to come seven hours down the road and they're going to try and beat us in our house in the first game of the year. It's going to be tough, but I want to play the best."
The Eagles will travel down to Madeira Beach to participate in the JUCO Kickoff Classic (Jan. 25-26), where they will face the teams of USC Union, Eastern Florida State College, Polk State College, and Florida Southwestern State College. TSC fell to Polk State in last year's Classic 17-10. They will meet USC Union and Florida Southwestern for the first time since 2021, and Eastern Florida for the first time since 2019.
TSC returns home to play Florida Gateway College (Jan. 28) followed by Lurleen B. Wallace Community College (Jan. 31) to close out the month of January.
TSC will hit the road to play reigning NJCAA DII champion St. Johns River State College on Feb. 1. The Eagles will have a solid slate of home games versus Florida State College at Jacksonville (Feb. 4), the College of Central Florida (Feb. 6), and Santa Fe College (Feb. 8) before taking a tour of northern Florida from Feb. 11-15, where they'll meet with Florida Gateway, FSCJ, and Santa Fe again.
Tallahassee State will head north to Columbus, GA for the NFCA Leadoff Classic. There, the Eagles will represent the state of Florida in a five-game series: they play Pellissippi State and 2024 NJCAA DIII champion Patrick & Henry Community College on Feb. 21, Monroe University and Pearl River Community College on Feb. 22, and Roane State Community College on Feb. 23.
To cap off February, TSC will take on South Georgia State College. The Eagles last met them in 2022 and swept the Hawks 13-1 and 9-4 in the doubleheader.
Thomas University's JV team serves as the Eagles' first opponents in March, and kicks off another long series of home games. Wallace Community College - Dothan will visit Tallahassee on Mar. 7, followed by Rock Valley College on Mar. 11. TSC last met Rock Valley in 2018 and fell to the Golden Eagles 4-6; Rock Valley went on to win the NJCAA DIII Championship that year. They hold eight national championships, all of which they won in a row.
"They reached out to me wanting to play," said Baca. "Knowing that we have to open with Northwest Florida in conference, competing with [Rock Valley] will give us some momentum going into Northwest Florida because that's really where it counts."
The Eagles then dive into Panhandle conference play starting with Northwest Florida State College at home on Mar. 12. The Raiders placed fourth at the NJCAA DI World Series last season and ranked second across the NJCAA at the conclusion of the regular season.
Tallahassee State will visit Panama City to play Gulf Coast State College on Mar. 19. The Commodores finished the 2024 season as NJCAA Region 8 Champions and were ranked No. 11 in the NJCAA at the conclusion of the regular season.
Returning home, the Eagles will play Pensacola State College on Mar. 22. The Pirates went 23-21 in the regular season and made it to the postseason, falling to Seminole State College of Florida in the Region 8 Wild Card game. Tallahassee State will take a short break from conference play when they face St. Johns River State College again on Mar. 24. They remain at home to take on Chipola College on Mar. 26. The 26-24 Indians were TSC's sole conference victory last season. TSC will then head to Niceville for another set of games versus NWFSC to end March.
April brings plenty more Panhandle matchups. The Commodores visit Tallahassee on Apr. 5 before the Eagles travel to Pensacola to rematch the Pirates on Apr. 9. TSC will remain on the road to face Chipola on Apr. 12 as their final doubleheader of the season.
Single games with each Panhandle opponent will then take place, starting with the Raiders at home on Apr. 16; Gulf Coast away on Apr. 23; PSC at home on Apr. 26, and lastly Chipola away on Apr. 29.
"To win the Panhandle Conference and to compete in the Panhandle Conference, you have to be offensive. If you want to beat anybody in our conference, you ought to out-hit them," said Baca. "I want to grow this new TSC name to be bigger than what it's been. I want to make us known, not only in Region 8, but all over - that's my goal."
The 2025 FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Championships take place on May 7 in Clearwater, FL. The 2025 NJCAA DI Softball World Series will begin on May 19 in Yuma, AZ.
Keep up with TSC Softball on Instagram (@tsceaglessb), Twitter/X (@TSC_EaglesSB), and Facebook (@TSC Eagles).
Written By: Maddy Branning
Photos By: Hannah Sander
Full Schedule
Jan. 24 - vs. Walters State Community College
Jan. 25 - USC Union (JUCO Kickoff Classic)
Jan. 25 - Eastern Florida State College (JUCO Kickoff Classic)
Jan. 26 - Polk State College (JUCO Kickoff Classic)
Jan. 26 - Florida Southwestern State College (JUCO Kickoff Classic)
Jan. 28 - vs. Florida Gateway College
Jan. 31 - vs. Lurleen B. Wallace Community College
Feb. 1 - at St. Johns River State College
Feb. 4 - vs. Florida State College at Jacksonville
Feb. 6 - vs. College of Central Florida
Feb. 8 - vs. Santa Fe College
Feb. 11 - at Florida Gateway College
Feb. 14 - at Florida State College at Jacksonville
Feb. 15 - at Santa Fe College
Feb. 21 - Pellissippi State (NFCA Leadoff Classic)
Feb. 21 - Patrick & Henry Community College (NFCA Leadoff Classic)
Feb. 22 - Pearl River Community College (NFCA Leadoff Classic)
Feb. 23 - Roane State Community College (NFCA Leadoff Classic)
Feb. 26 - at South Georgia State College
Mar. 2 - vs. Thomas University JV
Mar. 7 - vs. Wallace Community College - Dothan
Mar. 11 - vs. Rock Valley College
Mar. 12 - vs. Northwest Florida State College*
Mar. 19 - at Gulf Coast State College*
Mar. 22 - vs. Pensacola State College*
Mar. 24 - vs. St. Johns River State College
Mar. 26 - vs. Chipola College*
Mar. 29 - at Northwest Florida State College*
Apr. 5 - vs. Gulf Coast State College*
Apr. 9 - at Pensacola State College*
Apr. 12 - at Chipola College*
Apr. 16 - vs. Northwest Florida State College*
Apr. 23 - at Gulf Coast State College*
Apr. 26 - vs. Pensacola State College*
Apr. 29. - at Chipola College*
*- Conference game