With one swing of her bat on Friday, Feb. 7, freshman shortstop Hannah Goodwin officially solidified the reality that the softball era of Clemson athletics is officially underway. The Clemson softball program is currently in its inaugural season, with Head Coach John Rittman and his team embarking on a journey that was nearly three years in the making. In March of 2017, Clemson athletics announced that, beginning in 2020, the Tigers would field a softball team for the first time, marking a major milestone in Clemson athletics history. Upstate South Carolina is known as a softball hotbed, so incorporating a softball program into the Clemson athletics family only made too much sense, and Goodwin’s three-run home run in the season opener represented a new beginning.
Since the decision to implement a softball program was made, the long road to preparing for the first pitch in 2020 was navigated well by Clemson athletics. Clemson Softball Stadium was constructed in Jervey Meadows as the home of Clemson softball, and an entire roster was recruited, with many of the players garnering several semesters worth of credits at Clemson University before partaking in an actual college softball game. Rittman oversaw the building of the program from the ground up, and he proved to be the perfect person for the job. A legend in the softball coaching ranks, Rittman formerly experienced substantial success while coaching the powerhouse Stanford program as well as the United States women’s national softball team.
Rittman has recruited well at Clemson, positioning his new program for relatively early success. That early success was substantiated when the aforementioned home run hit by Goodwin put the Tigers ahead 4-1 over St. John’s in a season opener that Clemson went on to win 6-2. Taking part in the UCF Black & Gold tournament in Orlando, Fla., the Tigers won their first-ever outing behind Goodwin’s heroics. Goodwin is one of several star youngsters for the Clemson softball squad, which is led by pitcher Logan Caymol, the first recruit landed by Rittman at the helm of the Clemson program. She is one of three Clemson players from Buford, Ga., as freshman catcher JoJo Hyatt and freshman infielder/outfielder Arielle Oda are also Buford natives. Like Caymol, Hyatt and Oda are expected to play key roles for the Tigers this season.
Other notable Clemson freshmen include pitcher/utility player Valerie Cagle, outfielder Alia Logoleo and infielder/outfielder Madison May. Additionally, several veterans are poised to lead the Tigers. On top of recruiting high schoolers while building his program, Rittman looked to the transfer market in order to round out his roster, and he was able to add multiple talented transfers to the mix during the buildup to the debut season. Associate Head Coach Kyle Jamieson left his position as Furman’s head coach in order to coach on Rittman’s staff, and that assuredly helped Clemson land transfers Marissa Guimbarda and Cammy Pereira, former Furman players who were both recruited by Jamieson. Guimbarda is a jack-of-all-trades, as she can hit, pitch and play the field, and Pereira is a skilled infielder/outfielder.
A Dabo Swinney connection is present within the Clemson softball program, too, which bodes well for a winning culture. Infielder MK Bonamy, who transferred from Notre Dame to Clemson for her senior season, is Swinney’s goddaughter and one of Clemson’s most important players. Utility player Ansley Gilstrap is another transfer who is slated to experience plenty of success in a Clemson uniform. Gilstrap came to Clemson from USC Upstate and is a senior leader for the Tigers. All in all, Clemson boasts a roster of 18 talented players who are all poised to make their historic 2020 season a memorable one.
Following the Tigers’ triumph versus St. John’s, Clemson was defeated in Orlando by ACC opponent Duke in an 11-0 shutout that was ended due to run differential after five innings. That loss signified the level of hard work and dedication that it will take the burgeoning Clemson program to compete with the best of the best, but it did not overshadow the momentous occasion that Clemson softball’s opening day represented. Postseason aspirations are definitely surrounding the Tigers, despite the team being in its infancy, and the enormous turnout at Clemson softball’s Fan Day in January indicates that plenty of fan support will be provided from the Clemson faithful to help the Tigers’ cause in reaching the postseason. Rittman and his team have been preparing for this special season for quite some time, and the 2020 college softball campaign should offer nothing short of amazing highlights, noteworthy feats and a thrilling experience for everyone associated with Clemson Tigers softball.
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Clemson softball’s debut season
Cole Little, Senior Sports Reporter
February 10, 2020
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