Tech Softball adds Sammi Miller to coaching staff
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Sammi Miller is familiar with the Tennessee Tech softball program. After all, she faced the Golden Eagles for two seasons in the Ohio Valley Conference as a member of a championship team at Eastern Kentucky. Now Miller is joining Danielle Penner’s staff at Tech, arriving in Cookeville as a new assistant coach for the Golden Eagles.
By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Sammi Miller is familiar with the Tennessee Tech softball program. After all, she faced the Golden Eagles for two seasons in the Ohio Valley Conference as a member of a championship team at Eastern Kentucky.
Now Miller is joining Danielle Penner's staff at Tech, arriving in Cookeville as a new assistant coach for the Golden Eagles.
Miller spent the last season as an assistant coach at Manchester University in the Division III Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference. Under the guidance of head coach Sara Emerich and assistant Josh Dzurick, the Spartans went 23-20 and 10-6 in the HCAC. As a team, MU batted .291 with 216 runs scored and 183 RBI.
As a member of the Colonels, Miller put together a tremendous season in EKU's final season in the OVC as she hit .400 with 62 hits, 13 doubles, three triples, five home runs and 24 RBI while drawing 28 walks and stealing 16 bases. She led the Colonels in average, doubles, triples, walks and stolen bases.
She was a first-team All-Ohio Valley Conference selection and was on the all-tournament team as EKU defeated top-seeded Southeast Missouri. The Colonels drew the Knoxville Regional for their third NCAA Regional appearance and fourth NCAA postseason, where they faced Tennessee and Liberty.
In her EKU career, she finished with a .388 average, collecting 214 hits – including 38 doubles, 10 triples, and eight home runs – while tallying 76 RBI and coming home to score 156 times. She drew 85 walks, was hit 31 times and struck out only 27 times. Miller also stole 61 bases. She was also an excellent outfielder, posting a .967 fielding percentage.
As the team transitioned to the Atlantic Sun Conference, Miller was named the league's Preseason Player of the Year.
Miller was also an All-OVC second-teamer and All-Newcomer selection in 2019.
Before heading over to Richmond, Ky., Miller spent a season with Virginia Tech, batting .211 with 13 runs scored, 23 hits, two doubles, one home run and seven RBI as she went 5-for-5 on stolen bases in her freshman campaign.
In high school, she was named an ILHS Softball All-American in 2016.
Outside of competition, Miller has been a fixture at camps and clinics and has also worked the Scenic City Tournament in Chattanooga.
Community service has also been important for her as she has worked with food drives in her hometown for the less fortunate during the holidays and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photo | Manchester University Athletics
