Acheson adds Callie Schmidt, Stacy Dampf to softball team
Golden Eagle freshman class now features 11 signees
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - A catcher from Illinois and a pitcher from
Tennessee are the latest signees to join the Tennessee Tech
University softball program. Head coach Tory Acheson announced the
addition of catcher Callie Schmidt from LaSalle, Ill., and pitcher
Stacey Dampf from Dickson, Tenn., to the Golden Eagle roster.
"We are excited about adding two quality players late in the
recruiting calendar," Acheson said. "Callie is going to come in and
make an immediate impact for us behind the plate. She is an
all-around athlete who knows what it takes to be a winner. She is
very competitive and understands what it takes to win, and she is
willing to put in the work.
"Stacey has unlimited potential and has a chance to make herself
into a dominating pitcher in our program," Acheson added. "She has
all the tools and work ethic we are looking for. I'm really looking
forward to seeing her develop."
The daughter of Russ and Christie Schmidt, Callie Schmidt will
major in special education. She is a 2007 graduate of LaSalle-Peru
Township High School and spent her freshman season at Heartland
Junior College in Illinois.
After producing a stellar career at LaSalle-Peru High School,
Schmidt was the starting catcher last season at Heartland JC in the
program's inaugural season. She continued to receive post-season
honors while helping the Hawks place third in the NJCAA National
Championships.
She was named second-team all-conference and was selected MVP of
the Region 24 Tournament. She also earned a spot on the 12-player
all-tournament team at the NJCAA Nationals after batting .333 and
recording the highest fielding percentage in the tournament.
Over the final 42 games of the season, she hit .382 with seven home
runs, 17 doubles, and 49 RBI.
She was a three-sport standout in high school, earning four letters
in volleyball, basketball and softball. On the softball diamond for
coach Carrie Swanson, she helped LaSalle-Peru post a school-record
29-4 record and capture the conference championship for the first
time since 1979.
The starting catcher for three seasons, Schmidt posted a .487
batting average with 18 doubles and two home runs as a junior. In
her senior campaign, she hit .398 with 16 doubles, one home run and
21 RBI. Defensively, she threw out 25 runners attempting to steal
bases during the past two seasons.
Stacey Dampf is the daughter of Tom and Lisa Dampf of Dickson, and
plans to enroll in sports medicine. She lettered four years on the
softball diamond for coach Shane Buchanan and also earned three
letters as a post player on the Dickson County High School
basketball team.
A pitcher who was well-decorated during her prep career, Dampf was
an MTSCA All-Star, two-time All-Academic winner, and was voted both
all-district. After becoming a starter late in her freshman season,
Dampf was a fixture in the lineup for the remainder of her career.
She missed much of her junior campaign with a shoulder injury, but
returned late in the year to pitch in the team's biggest games. As
a junior, she posted a 4-2 record with a 1.47 ERA, working 43
innings and getting 49 strikeouts with only nine walks.
She returned to full-time action last season for her final year and
posted impressive numbers for the Lady Cougars, going 13-7 with a
0.97 ERA. She struck out 154 batters in 122 innings while walking
only 18.
Schmidt and Dampf join nine student-athletes who inked with the
Golden Eagles during the early fall signing period: Brooke Basten
of Oneida, Wis., Whitney Cummings of Tuttle, Okla., Erin Cutlip of
Acworth, Ga.; Samantha Everett of Chattanooga, Tenn., Jordan Leff
of Rowlett, Tex., Jacqueline Ristow of Seal Beach, Calif., Cassidy
Skeen of Powell, Tenn., Holly Thomas of Chattanooga, and Kimmie
White of Burbank, Calif.
