Tech inks two-sport standout Stacey Butts
A multi-sport standout in high school, Stacey Butts of Greenfield, Wis., hopes to continue that legacy at Tennessee Tech. The 6-foot-1 Honors student has signed a national letter of intent to play softball for coach Tory Acheson, and will also play on the volleyball team for coach John Blair.
Golden Eagles sign Wisconsin’s Stacey Butts
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A multi-sport standout in high school,
Stacey Butts of Greenfield, Wis., hopes to continue that legacy at
Tennessee Tech. The 6-foot-1 Honors student has signed a national
letter of intent to play softball for coach Tory Acheson, and will
also play on the volleyball team for coach John Blair.
“Stacey is a very strong hitter and she has a high softball
IQ,”Acheson said. “She has lots of experience, and
she’s also a strong high school volleyball player, which led
to John Blair and I recruiting her together. She’ll have the
opportunity to play both sports.
“Not everybody can achieve that, but she’s that kind
of student,” Acheson said. “She’s academically
talented, and she can manage both.”
The daughter of Greg and Cathy Butts, Stacey is a recent graduate
of Greenfield High School near Milwaukee where she played softball,
volleyball and basketball. She plans to major in elementary
education.
She helped the Hawks reach the Wisconsin state tournament last
week, and was selected to play in the Wisconsin Fastpitch Coaches
Association Senior All-Star Games.
At Tech, she will play for two Golden Eagle coaches who have won
OVC Coach of the Year honors.
“It will be an honor to play for two coaches who have
brought their programs so far,” Butts said. “I’m
looking forward to doing whatever Ican to help both
teams.”
Butts was an all-conference, all-district, all-area and all-state
selection on the softball diamond, earning Player of the Year
honors for the conference and the region. She helped win two
conference championships and three regional titles.
As a senior, she batted .561 with nine doubles, eight triples,
three home runs and 27 RBI. Her on base percentage was .623 and her
slugging percentage was 1.076.
Her batting average over the past three seasons is a lofty .531,
with a .601 on base mark and an .840 slugging percentage.
“With my history and Wisconsin connections, I have a long
list of‘spies’ and Jack Miller is one of the best high
school coaches in the state,” Acheson said. “He called
and said he had a player for us, and he was right.
“Stacy is an athletic player with unlimited
potential,” Acheson said. “She played shortstop on her
high school team, but she is really a first baseman. She’s
the kind of athlete who can move over and play shortstop, even
though she’s left handed, and her team still made the state
finals.”
Butts played high school volleyball for coach Britany Pfeifer,
although she missed her senior season due to an injury. Seeing
tapes of her performances as a junior led Blair to recruiting
her.
“We’re excited about Stacey joining our
program,” Blair said. “She’s going to add depth
to our right side position, which will give us even greater
flexibility than we have right now.
“As a 6-1 left hander, she should be a natural fit at right
side hitter. How much she’ll be able to contribute early
remains to be seen, but we’re excited about her potential as
anathlete.
“She will also be a great addition as a student,”
Blair added. “She’ll be an asset not only to our
volleyball and softball programs, but to the University as a
whole.”
Tech has featured a handful of student-athletes who have competed
in more than one sport, but has rarely recruited and signed any
with the intent of playing two sports. The most recent two-sport
athletes include Allison Price and Meagan Lyons, members of the
women’s basketball team who participated on the track &
field team this spring.
Acheson and Blair coached one previous dual-sport athlete, but Tia
Brenning played only one sport each year. Brenning was signed out
of high school to play volleyball. She was on the volleyball team
for one year, then switched to softball and became a starting
pitcher for Acheson for three years. She returned to the volleyball
court for her senior season under Blair.
