As we roar into 2025’s spring sports season, JMU baseball looks to build off its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011. The Dukes are working to replicate last season’s success with only four starting position players returning from their memorable year. Head coach Marlin Ikenberry’s message to his players following their season-ending 5-3 loss to NC State was “we will be back.” This will be Ikenberry’s 10th season coaching JMU, and he’s without Fenwick Trimble and Jason Schiavone’s bats, and the arms of Donovan Burke and Joe Vogatsky. The Dukes will begin their return journey to the NCAA Tournament
against No. 9 Florida State. JMU lacrosse, on the other hand, is entering an entirely new era. After the Dukes lost offensive coordinator Colleen Shearer, all-time points leader Isabella Peterson and her running mates at attack — Katelyn Morgan and Kacey Knobloch — head coach Shelley Klaes said she’s going “back to the drawing board.” Reinforcements are coming, though. Graduate defender Carolyn Thistlewaite is back after tearing her ACL and both menisci in her right knee before the 2024 season. Plus, the Dukes added highly-recruited freshman midfielder and defender Chloe
Bleckley. Former Harvard assistant coach Kiley Anderson is joining the staff to replace Shearer after helping the Crimson’s offense score 240 goals last season. Softball is still trying to find its footing in the Sun Belt after a combined conference record of 25-23 in its past two seasons. Before joining the Sun Belt ahead of 2023, the Dukes made the NCAA Tournament for the ninth time and fell to Oklahoma in the College World Series. Even without KK Mathis’ bat, head coach Loren LaPorte feels her squad is more prepared for conference play than years past, and even said her players have figured out other
Sun Belt teams’ “grittiness.” Like baseball, JMU softball will start the season against top-tier opponents such as NC State, UCF and No. 17 Georgia before conference play.
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Preview | JMU baseball eager to b U ild off strong 2024 season
By LUKE FAIRCLOTH The Breeze
JMU baseball assembled one of its best seasons in recent history in 2024, during which it notched a spot in the College World Series Regionals for the first time since 2011. The Dukes also finished fourth in the Sun Belt Conference, posting a 36-25 record (1713 Sun Belt).
However, JMU will only return three starting position players from last season.
“It was definitely a slow start,” junior pitcher Max Kuhle said. “Now that we’ve had the whole fall season and the winter … It’s a new team, a new culture. I think all the guys are starting to gel really well and you can see that out here on the field.”
Junior shortstop Wyatt Peifer echoed that JMU is bonding, adding that the Dukes are “getting more comfortable with each other.”
Peifer was a key piece of JMU’s success last season, slashing .305/.409/.495 along with one of the best gloves in the nation at third base to earn a Gold Glove Award. This season, Peifer will return to his high school position at shortstop.
“I’m really comfortable [at shortstop],” Peifer said. “I spent most of my days growing up playing there, so it’s a good feeling.”
2025 will be JMU’s 10th season with head coach Marlin Ikenberry, with its two best seasons under him being its most recent — the Dukes’ only baseball seasons in the Sun Belt Conference.
JMU will face five teams that appeared in last season’s NCAA Baseball Championship, including 2024 College World Series semifinalist No. 9 Florida State during the Dukes’ first series of the season Feb. 14. Stringing together solid performances against top schools like Florida State going into conference play will be vital for the Dukes’ continued success.
Florida State’s top starting pitcher, junior Jamie Arnold, is coming off a sophomore season during which he finished 11-3 with a 2.98 ERA and was named a First-Team All-American.
“Their top pitcher Jamie Arnold is one of the top arms in the country,” Ikenberry said. “It gives you a bit of a challenge in the preparation of seeing that type of stuff … when you face a team that has depth on the mound and at other positions like they do, it gives you an
advantage early in the year to know that we know how to prepare for this.”
JMU won’t begin its conference schedule until Mar. 14 against ULM. Though none of the 14 Sun Belt teams appeared in the preseason Top 25 rankings, the Sun Belt has garnered a reputation as a competitive baseball conference.
“It’ll be a dog fight every game,” said Ikenberry. “[The Sun Belt] is one of the best in the country … we need to go out there and play good, fundamentally sound baseball.”
JMU had three players get selected in the 2024 MLB draft — setting up key roles for the younger players to step into this season.
Kuhle is expected to step into the highleverage relief role previously occupied by Joe Vogatsky (2021-24) last season. Senior hurler Todd Mozoki, sophomore Jackson Logar, and junior Jaden Kinsler will be JMU’s weekend starters.
“Max, Todd and Jaden, they all had a lot of experience, and they’re going to be throwing different roles,” Ikenberry said. “Their experience has been very crucial to our success, for them to get us deep into games.”
Junior catcher Jack Cannizzaro will be the Dukes’ starting catcher this season, replacing Jason Schiavone (2022-24) who played in all 61 of JMU’s games last season.
“It’s hard to replace Jason; [he] was special behind the plate,” Ikenberry said. “Jack has done an unbelievable job of learning from him for two years. Jack’s done a great job acclimating.”
Sophomore outfielder Kyle Langley is coming off a strong freshman campaign and will likely play a key part in filling the hole in the order left by Fenwick Trimble (2022-24), one of the Dukes’ top hitters the last two seasons. Ikenberry said Langley is a “young guy who can step up” after playing in 47 games in 2023.
“I think with the legacy that Trimble, Schiavone and Vogatsky left for this program, it’s important for us to uphold what they’ve already set up and keep that standard up,” Peifer said. “It’s really special to see what’s going on.”
CONTACT Luke Faircloth at faircllr@ dukes.jmu.edu. For more baseball coverage, follow the sports desk on X and Instagram @TheBreezeSports.
Head coach Marlin Ikenberry said junior Max Kuhle, pictured above, will be a reliever, and possibly a closer, for the Dukes. Photos by Landon Shackleford / The Breeze
As the 2025 season creeps closer, junior shortstop Wyatt Peifer said the team is getting more comfortable with each other.
At the end of a successful 2024 season, JMU baseball played a game in the College World Series Regionals for the first time in over a decade.
Preview | ConfidenCe rolls into JMU softball’s 2025
By TYLER CHINN
The Breeze
In one week, JMU softball will open its season in Orlando against CSU Bakersfield during the Black & Gold Classic, where it will also face NC State, No. 17 Georgia and UCF.
During this first tournament on Feb. 7, the Dukes will also go against some high-profile opposing players.
Georgia’s senior outfielder Dallis Goodnight was selected to Second Team All-SEC last season while batting .350 and tallying 49 hits for the Bulldogs. The Wolfpack’s freshman infielder Kendall Simmers — who hails from Turner Ashby High School — will suit up for NC State after earning All State and Region 3C player of the year last season. For the Knights, returning sophomore infielder Samantha Ray is a key part of their team, especially since she was named to a unanimous spot on the All-Big 12 Freshman team.
The Dukes open the season with several games against nine Power-Five opponents throughout their schedule’s first month.
Last season, Georgia went 43-19 with major wins over teams including Florida State and Tennessee, while NC State and UCF had records of 30-23 and 31-25 respectively.
For the Dukes, head coach Loren LaPorte said playing a schedule with this many Power Five teams early into a season makes the most difficult beginning to a season JMU has had since 2019 — during which the Dukes managed to go 11-7.
“They know what they’re up against, all the teams we’re playing,” LaPorte said. “I think they’re ready for it.”
However, LaPorte was ecstatic about the culture the team has built throughout the offseason.
“I’ve always felt like our teams are close,” LaPorte said. “I think the difference is what they’re like on the field and when times get hard … that’s kind of been our
message. We’ve talked to the team about having this doggedness.”
Last year, the Dukes’ season ended in the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Championship to No. 1 seed Louisiana after JMU got the No. 8 seed following a 12-12 record in Sun Belt play.
The Dukes’ mound is spearheaded by a young dynamic duo of redshirt sophomore Payton List and sophomore Kirsten Fleet.
After redshirting her first season at Virginia Tech, List posted 72 strikeouts in 85.2 innings pitched, along with a .343 batting average and nine home runs last season. List was named Sun Belt Freshman of the Year and was selected to the All-Sun Belt First Team.
“I think there’s a lot more confidence coming in from [last season],” List said. “I’m going to feel a lot more comfortable than last year.”
List also praised Fleet and echoed List’s sentiment of the importance of having a teammate to lean on.
“Each day we’re all going to have our own day at practice, having someone else that’s
going through the same thing as you, having somebody to talk to, is big,” Fleet said.
For Fleet, one key element that has helped her prepare for this year has been taking advantage of the offseason.
“The routine has been very good,” Fleet said. “I’d say all the pitchers are very conditioned this season, more than we have been in the past.”
JMU has three pitchers alongside Fleet and List — senior Rebecca Muh is entering her third season with the Dukes, while freshmen Madalyn Johnson and Taylor Johnson round out the rotation.
“I think the depth is going to be good,” Fleet said. “We have three experienced pitchers that have all been here, along with two freshmen [who] I think are going to make a big impact.”
Graduate outfielder Reed Butler returns to JMU for a sixth season and is coming off a historic year. Butler finished last season hitting .415 — fourth-highest in program history — and totaled 71 hits, tied for sixth-most in program history. Butler said she knows that
being a sixth-year player means she has to provide off the diamond.
“I’m in more of a leadership role, so [I’m] taking everything that I’ve learned from my five previous years to help my teammates through anything they need,” Butler said.
Another key bat returning for the Dukes is junior catcher Bella Henzler. Last season, Henzler was named First Team All-Sun Belt after hitting .347 with 11 home runs and 30 RBIs.
In Henzler’s eyes, JMU’s third year in the Sun Belt will be the Dukes’ year thanks to competitive attitudes building momentum.
“We can make a really deep run, going out here every single day, competing to win the Sun Belt, competing to make a region and competing to put this team back on the map in college softball,” Henzler said.
Henzler said she has learned to rely on herself to step up and become more of a leader entering her junior year — sharing how the position she plays, catcher, has a lot of input during games.
“I’ve grown a lot more confident in myself throughout my time here,” Henzler said. “I think the catcher position is a position where everyone’s kind of looking at you, so the way that you carry yourself and the way you can handle your composure, has been really important for me.”
Henzler said JMU will place an added emphasis on “trying to be a hard out” at the plate, which was also stressed last season.
“I think just every time that you step on the field is an opportunity to be able to compete,” Henzler said. “I love to compete with everything and being able to represent this school every single day, is something that I really take pride in.”
CONTACT Tyler Chinn at chinntc@ dukes.jmu.edu. For more softball coverage, follow the sports desk on X and Instagram @TheBreezeSports.
JMU softball will play its first game of the season on Feb. 7 against CSU Bakerfield in Orlando, Fl. Photos courtesy of JMU Athletics
Softball head coach Loren LaPorte, pictured above, said she’s ecstatic about the team culture the Dukes have built throughout the offseason.
Staunton
Preview | JMU lacrosse set to start new era with yo U thf U l roster
By MAEGHAN STOCKLI The Breeze
After falling to its conference rivals in the American Athletic Conference Championship and losing in the second round of the NCAA tournament, JMU lacrosse is itching to rejuvinate its future.
This season will be a new shift for the team as the Dukes lost a trio of talented attackers who graduated last year. Of those seniors were All-American Isabella Peterson, 2024 second-team All-AAC Kacey Knobloch and Katelyn Morgan, who graduated fifth alltime in assists at JMU. Now, the Dukes’ focus is finding a new identity and gaining more confidence over the season.
“We are trying to go back to the drawing board … you know figure out what systems are gonna work for this personnel,” head coach Shelley Klaes said.
The AAC also went through changes since the last time the Dukes played in the conference. Florida — which has beaten JMU in the AAC Championship twice in the past two seasons — and Cincinnati left the conference for the Big 12. In return, the AAC added USF and Charlotte.
“It is kind of bittersweet,” JMU senior attacker Savannah Derey said about Florida leaving the conference. “We wanted to beat them for a conference championship but at the same time it is nice that they’re moving.”
This will technically be the first full
year of play for the USF Bulls. The team announced in 2021 it would add women’s lacrosse to its campus. USF had a full roster last season, but won’t have started competing until this season.
The Dukes will face the Bulls for the first time at the end of the season on April 19 in JMU’s final home game.
The Charlotte 49ers, just like the Bulls, are a new team set to compete for the first time this season. The university announced its lacrosse addition in 2022 and had its first fall ball season this past year in 2024. The Dukes will face Charlotte March 29 at home.
Even with Florida in a different conference, JMU will still face the Gators in the Crown Lacrosse Classic on March 1. Regardless of the conference, the Dukes still have a very intense schedule against perennial out-of-conference rivals such as No. 4 UNC, No. 10 Maryland, No. 5 U.Va. and No. 6 Johns Hopkins.
JMU has faced UNC for the past 10 consecutive seasons, U.Va. since the Dukes’ program was founded in 1974 and Maryland in every season since ’74 — except in 2021.
With this sense of beginning for the Dukes, they have several talents joining the roster to help the team find what works. This includes nine freshmen, and in that group is one familiar
see LACROSSE, page 9
TOP: JMU lacrosse graduated four of its top-five goal scorers from last season, including AllAmerican attacker Isabella Peterson. BOTTOM: JMU head coach Shelley Klaes said the Dukes will be going back to the drawing board to rebuild their offense.
Photos by Landon Shackelford / The Breeze
from LACROSSE, page 8
last name: Chloe Bleckley, sophomore defender Ava Bleckley's sister. Chloe's accolades include being a member of the USA Lacrosse Select U18 Team and a USA Lacrosse All-American.
“It is definitely different coming off as one of the only returning starting attackers … it’s definitely a big role,” Epke said.
Another change for the 2025 season is the new assistant coach, Kiley Anderson, who will focus on the offense and draw control unit. She joined the team after spending the past two years as an assistant at Harvard, helping the university to be ranked for the first time in 2024.
“[Anderson] brings a lot of knowledge from the different coaching staff that she’s worked with,” Klaes said. “She is really sound in draws and the special teams.”
A familiar face returning for the Dukes is graduate defender Carolyn Thistlewaite, who missed all last season after tearing her ACL and both menisci in her right knee in Octber 2023. Thistlewaite is the only starter left from JMU’s stifling 2023 defense, which only allowed 7.86 goals per game.
With the pieces falling into place before the season opener for the Dukes, the last thing needed is a starting goalie. Klaes emphasized that she has four talented goalies competing for the starting spot.
JMU currently has four goalies on its roster. Freshman Abigail Beattie comes in with experience from training with the Philippines World Cup team; sophomore Emily Evans helped the Dukes win in the first round of the NCAA tournament with the game-winning save against Penn State; junior Caitlin Boden led the team for most of the 2024 season — Boden played in all 20 games, started in 19, made 157 total saves and was recognized as American Athletic
Conference Second Team All-Conference — and senior goalie Adanya Moyer appeared in five games tallying five saves for the season.
“They all have their different things whether it's being able to jump out of the crease and be more aggressive or with communication or making big saves,” Thistlewaite said. “I love playing with all of them because I know that they will have our backs in all situations.”
Despite not playing in all of last season, Thistlewaite was named 2025 Preseason American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Epke was named Offensive Player of the Year while the Dukes were voted unanimous favorites in the preseason poll.
This year’s team is transitioning itself to achieve the same goal it has had on the top of its collective mind for the past three years: to win a conference championship and prove itself with the trophy.
“I think last year was a big breakout game for us and I’m looking for us to do the exact same thing and build on it all season,” Epke said after the team’s 15-14 OT win against UNC during last year’s season-opener.
The added talent plus hungry veterans’ grit will catalyze JMU’s momentum this season. The Dukes have much to prove to themselves and the conference — and are aiming to make it known that this is their season for the taking.
The Dukes are set to start the season facing UNC on Feb. 7 at 5 p.m.
CONTACT Maeghan Stockli at @stocklmadukes. jmu.edu. For more lacrosse coverage, follow the sports desk on X and Instagram @TheBreezeSports.
Junior attacker Maddie Epke was named a USA Lacrosse Preseason First-Team All-American ahead of the 2025 season. Photos by Hayden Hundley / The Breeze
LEFT: Head coach Shelley Klaes said she has four talented goalies competing for the starting spot. TOP RIGHT: Sophomore goalie Emily Evans made the game-winning save against Penn State during the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season. BOTTOM RIGHT: Junior midfielder Lauren Savage scored 13 goals for the Dukes in 2024.
Spring Sport S
5 20 1 27
• First Team All-Sun Belt last season.
• Finished last season hitting .415 — the fourth-highest single-season mark in JMU history.
• Totalled 71 hits last season — tied for the sixth-highest single-season mark in program history.
• Finished last season with 178 draw controls — highest single-season mark in JMU history.
• Named an ILWomen All-American Honorable Mention last season.
• Named to U.S. Women’s National Team as a sophomore.
• Made 21 appearances with eight starts as a sophomore.
• Finished last season 5-4 with a 4.13 ERA.
• Averaged 1.09 strikeouts per inning pitched.
• Pitched 107.2 innings last season with a teamleading 17 starts.
• Finished freshman season with a 3.32 ERA and 9-5 record.
• Pitched two complete games last season.
• Named an ILWomen All-American Honorable Mention last season.
• American Athletic Conference Freshman of the year.
• Led the Dukes with 31 turnovers caused.
• Won the Gold Glove Award at third base last season, but will move back to shortstop this season.
• Slashed .305/.409/.495 as a sophomore.
• Had 18 games with at least two hits and 11 games with at least two RBIs.
Reed ButleR | GR. | CF
Maddie epke | JR. | attaCkeR
Names to K N ow
• Named Sun Belt Freshman of the Year and made First Team All-Sun Belt last season.
• Pitches 89 innings with a 5.51 ERA as a redshirt freshman.
• Finished last season with a slash line of .333/.375/.649 and nine home runs.
• Missed all of the 2024 season with an injury.
• 2025 Preseason AAC Defensive Player of the Year.
• Finished junior season with 25 ground balls and 17 caused turnovers.
• Made 20 appearances with 10 starts last season.
• Finished with a 6.62 ERA and 5-2 record as a
• Struck out 45 batters in 53
• First Team All-Sun Belt last season.
• Hit .347 with 11 home runs in 51 games as a sophomore.
• Finished with two or more hits in 19 games.
• Scored 17 goals in 19 games last season.
• Tallied five multi-goal games as a junior.
• Appeared in 19 games with 17 goals as a sophomore.
• Started all 61 games in the infield with a slash line of .251/.338/.424.
• Scored 40 runs and finished with 40 RBIs.
• Finished junior season with 12 multi-hit games and 12 multi-RBI games.
Todd Mozoki | SR. | SP
Pay Ton LiST | R-So. | P
‘Excited to be a Duke’:
New lacrosse assistant coach Kiley Anderson takes control, draw by draw
By K. MAUSER The Breeze
When the former Harvard assistant coach got a call on a Friday morning in June offering her a coaching position in Harrisonburg, now-JMU assistant coach Kiley Anderson “immediately” accepted.
“That moment was pretty surreal,” Anderson said. “I wanted to cut off my left arm to be a part of this coaching staff and a part of this program.”
After helping Harvard’s scoring offense to be ranked second in the NCAA in points per game last season (24.7), Anderson said she’s ready to take the knowledge she gained during her two years in Cambridge — as well as her prior coaching experience at both Yale and UConn — and bring it to the Dukes.
Using her time playing as an attacker and taking the draw for UMass (2016-19) as a basis for her coaching, Anderson said she not only plans to work with the attack line on skills such as their ability to handle “high-level matchups,” but she’s opened up her draw control coaching to all positions on the team — a specialty skill with predominantly midfielders, according to Inside Lacrosse.
To do this, Anderson said she took a page out of football’s playbook to craft her “special teams” draw control unit. Anderson highlighted how all three players on the circle play a part in winning a draw, not just the draw-taker — who was primarily junior attacker Maddie Epke last season.
She selects players from any position to put on the field for the draw and in the center circle.
“She is really, really sound in the draw on the special teams,” JMU head coach Shelley Klaes said. “I think that’s something that she owns — something that she takes ownership of — and she’s going to bring an identity to that area beyond just the draw-taker.”
Through Klaes and Anderson’s work in rebuilding the offense by incorporating Anderson’s “fresh ideas,” Klaes said the Dukes will be able to keep their offense “kicking on all cylinders.”
“I wanted to cut off my left arm to be a part of this coaching staff and a part of this program.”
Kiley Anderson JMU lacrosse assistant coach
The Dukes hired Anderson after losing former offensive coordinator and draw-control coach Colleen Shearer (2023-24), who helped Epke set a single-season record with 174 draw-control wins last season. JMU also lost all-time points leader Isabella Peterson (2020-24) and two other starting attackers from last year — Kacey Knobloch (2019-24) and Katelyn Morgan (2021-24).
One of the objectives Anderson said she’s emphasized since she first arrived at JMU is connecting with players on and off the field. This became a top priority after COVID shortened her season as a volunteer assistant coach at Yale, and she had to learn how to coach athletes during and after a pandemic. The Ivy League didn’t restore eligibility to spring student-athletes who graduated in spring 2020 like every other conference in the NCAA, after canceling the 2020 spring season.
JMU lacrosse assistant coach Kiley Anderson, pictured above, said she took a page out of football’s playbook to craft her “special teams” draw control unit in which she selects players from any position to put on the field for the draw and in the center circle. Landon Shackelford / The Breeze
TOP: Anderson said one of her top priorities for the season is to connect with each player on and off the field. Landon Shackelford / The Breeze
BOTTOM: Junior attacker Maddie Epke was the primary drawtaker last season. Under Anderson’s coaching, the team will now focus on using players from all positions in the center circle to both support Epke when taking the draw as well as take it themselves. Breeze file photo
Anderson said she’s focused on getting to know each player and how to motivate them — an initiative she said she’s taken a lot of pride in. Part of her ability to connect with her players, especially on offense, is she “knows how it feels” to be under pressure to perform, score and keep possession of the ball.
“She has made a relationship with every single person — including me — on the team,” junior attacker Maddie Epke said. “She’s just someone that we all really look to for advice … Everyone’s gone to her already at some point, [and] it’s only been one semester here.”
Anderson said she and Epke both grew up on the shoreline of Connecticut and coached Epke in middle school when Anderson was still playing at UMass. Anderson added that she gave middle school Epke private draw control lessons and said being able to coach her at JMU is a “full circle” moment.
“She is very elite at the draw — I think that’s well known,” Anderson said. “She’s really put herself out there … but I think we can do more. And I’m really excited to show the country, and show the American Athletic Conference (AAC) what we have.”
Aside from draw controls, Anderson said she and Klaes hope to work on being a “seven threat offense,” which she describes as every player on the offensive line contributing to the game in their unique, substantial way — a goal that Epke said she’s excited to meet.
With an “intense” schedule this season that Klaes said has no easy games, the team is hungry for some competition, she said.
“I have to pinch myself sometimes because I feel so incredibly grateful that I get to be a part of this,” Anderson said, “and that I get to work for Shelly and Kateri [Linville], either two of the best, most well-known coaches in the game. I feel like I’ve already learned so much from them — not only about lacrosse and coaching but just being a person — and I’m really so grateful to be a Duke, every day.”
CONTACT K. Mauser at breezenews@gmail.com For lacrosse coverage, follow the sports desk on X and Instagram @TheBreezeSports.
JMU lacrosse assistant coach Kiley Anderson helped Harvard to its first-ever top-20 ranking last season. Landon Shackelford / The Breeze
Savannah Derey name D a captain for S enior S ea S on with jmu lacrosse
By ZACH MENDENHALL The Breeze
JMU lacrosse senior attacker Savannah Derey grew up with an athletic family, with her parents being former student athletes at U.Va. — her dad, Walt, played football and her mom ran track and field.
Growing up, she experimented with lots of sports, including soccer, volleyball and one of her “two loves,” basketball — the other being lacrosse.
The sport that would eventually become her expertise first grabbed her attention around third grade after she watched her younger brother play it.
“I kind of grew up wanting to play sports in college, I just didn’t know which one, so when I was about probably in middle school, I started realizing I had, like, some athletic ability that was a little raw,” Savannah said. “So I kind of tried everything I could, and I ended up staying with lacrosse and traveling.”
‘Swimming upStream’
With the goal of putting her name on the recruitment map, Savannah traveled to Richmond while she attended Patrick Henry High School. During her sophomore year of high school, she participated in several camps and tournaments to improve, including a travel program called Yellow Jackets South Lacrosse during her junior and senior years, where she was coached by former JMU assistant coach Colleen Shearer (2023-24).
Savannah traveled three hours north to Richmond twice a week just to attend her team’s practice — a big commitment to the game, her father said. By the time Savannah graduated, she was ranked higher in basketball than lacrosse, but Savannah forged her own path by sticking to the latter, he said.
In playing for a nationally ranked program like JMU, Savannah was always “swimming upstream,” her father said, as lacrosse is not nearly as popular in Roanoke as it is in other parts of the state, such as Northern Virginia.
“I think she’s always had a little chip on her shoulder, and I think, quite honestly, it’s what kind of attracted her to JMU and [head] coach Shelley [Klaes],” Walt said. “They have always kind of had a grittier program of being one of the top teams but every year they’ve got to earn the respect.”
Savannah’s parents worked to instill the mental toughness, tenacity and physicality needed to exceed expectations in sports — such as encouraging her to play hard and not give up — which translated to success and motivation across all sports.
“I think from the get-go, she’s always been a very aggressive player in whatever sport … so even from a young age, I could just tell that she had some natural ability, obviously, but then she was aggressive and played hard,” Walt said. “She had a lot of her mom’s genes, she was gifted athletically, specifically running and hand-eye coordination.”
Fin D ing her niche
When Savannah first arrived at JMU lacrosse, Klaes told her not to expect much playing time, but that only motivated her to do her best every day. During her sophomore year, she said she fully realized her ability to contribute to the team. She made a name for herself after scoring a hat trick against her parents’ alma mater in a 10-8 victory in March 2023.
“That was a sweet one for me,” Savannah said with a grin.
see DEREY, page 17
Breeze file photo Graphic by Ella Austin / The Breeze
from DEREY, page 16
She saw little action during her first season after playing in just six of the Dukes’ 19 games while failing to earn a point. Savannah played 19 games and scored 17 goals in each of the following seasons, carrying an on-target shooting percentage of 66%.
“Being able to own a leadership role was something I kind of dreamed of, but never thought was possible,” Savannah said. “Come this year, it’s been a really big honor for me to be able to do that.”
Choosing to have Savannah serve as one of the team’s captains for 2025 is “one of the easiest decisions the team has made all year,” Klaes said, adding that it was a unanimous vote.
“She’s just so well respected, she leads by example, her character, her servant nature, she does all the grunt work, she’s organizing the team behind the scenes,” Klaes said. “She’s motivating them when they’re down, she’s trying to lead through frustration, and I think that consistent daily presence has earned her that title.”
Klaes gave Savannah the news via phone call. Savannah, who was in her apartment, immediately informed her parents and began preparing for the approaching responsibility.
“I came in, like I said, with limited expectations of myself. I was prepared to work hard and do my best every single day, and it’s just been amazing to see how far. I mean, truly, the Lord has put me in this position to grow this much since I’ve been here,” Savannah said. “I never would have imagined it.”
Despite having yet to start, Savannah has played in every game over the past two years, and earmed “valuable experience” as a team member, Klaes said. She expects Savannah to step outside her comfort zone and become more of a finisher rather than a bystander.
Being captain can be stressful, Savannah said, as she is responsible for considering everything and feels like the “mother bear” of the team, she said. When she forgets something or makes a mistake, she reminds herself she’s still learning.
With the hope of contributing a “healthy mix” of goals and assists, Savannah said she knows it’s important to be whatever the team needs her to be. With a proper balance of points, she hopes to encourage others to score when opportunities present themselves and to take them without hesitation.
“I really want us to win a conference championship,” Savannah said. “I think that’s something that I haven’t truly accomplished since I’ve been here, because my freshman year we just won the regular season [championship], and so I’m really looking forward to that, and I really think we’ll make it deep into the tournament.”
Having ‘someone to play for’
Savannah’s parents are proud to see their daughter named team captain and credit her effort as the reason for success.
“She has worked really hard, she’s always been a natural leader and she puts a lot of work in, not just on the field, but off the field with a lot of other girls and I think it’s just nice to see it recognized,” Walt said.
In Walt’s eyes, Savannah’s caring personality and competitive spirit will serve her well as a captain particularly because he feels rallying behind others and doing the hard work behind the scenes allowed her to gain respect and honor.
Savannah has always had “someone to play for,” she said, with abundant support from family and friends throughout her journey.
“My parents have literally driven thousands and thousands of miles and paid so much money to get to where I am today, so I’m so grateful to have their support,” Savannah said. “I have so many family and friends who come to watch my games, even from back home too, which is so nice. It’s been a great thing for me that has always kept me encouraged.”
When it comes to playing against U.Va., Savannah said it’s fun beating her parents’ old school while they wear purple in the stands.
“My middle brother goes to U.Va.,” she said. “So it’s even funnier because I make him wear purple when he comes too.”
Despite being a Hoos family, Walt loves the Dukes, he said, and their house has more JMU merch than U.Va.
“Blood is thicker than water, and so we have a lot of people that played with us in college, and people we know that come to the games, and they’re all in JMU gear,” Walt said.
Savannah’s parents have “enjoyed every minute” of traveling and watching her play and develop at JMU. Also having been a student athlete, her father knows what it’s like to remember the big games and moments, but most importantly, the time you spend with your teammates.
“It’s a really great family atmosphere with the program and just to see her kind of progress and get better, and like all athletes, have to fight through some adversity and different things, but also seeing a lot of success they’ve had … it’s been something amazing,” Walt said. “You never want a good thing to end, but we’re excited to enjoy every moment of it.”
Despite not being a “really great lacrosse player” at the start of her journey, Savannah said she’s thankful for her coaches’ support and is excited to try and be the best team captain.
“I’ve met some of the best people here [with] this team, and I think that really shows on the field, and it helps us become closer and have better connections, and so that has been just great,” Savannah said. “I’m dreading the day that I have to leave, it’s terrifying.”
Over the past couple of years, Savannah has ensured a future in lacrosse through coaching during the summers at Valley Select Girls Lacrosse, a travel lacrosse team in Roanoke co-founded by her parents. She has also entertained coming back and working at Pittman Construction, owned by her father — who would love to see his daughter every day at work beside him.
“We’re just super proud of Savannah, she’s always done it the right way,” Walt said. “She’s kind of always had to make her way from a person that’s not the prototypical lacrosse player and it’s been fun to watch.”
CONTACT Zach Mendenhall at mendenzl@dukes.jmu.edu. For more lacrosse coverage, follow the sports desk on X and Instagram @TheBreezeSports.
TOP: JMU senior attacker Savannah Derey, pictured above, before her first lacrosse practice. Photo courtesy of Walt Derey BOTTOM: Senior attacker Savannah Derey was named one of JMU lacrosse’ captains for the 2025 season. Breeze file photo
Reed ‘Granny’ Butle R R etu R ns
fo R sixth season with JM u
By KATIE RUNKLE
The Breeze
Graduate outfielder Reed Butler said being recruited by JMU softball “came out of left field,” though it was more of a home run for the Dukes as she now returns for her sixth season as a key bat and captain.
“Reed has just been one of those players that does everything we ask her to do. She’s such a leader,” head coach Lauren LaPorte said.
Butler’s softball career has been well decorated with accolades, starting with her First Team All-Southern MD Athletic Conference in high school. Her high school in Maryland was smaller and less competitive, and she joined a Virginia travel team which expanded her opportunities for more serious collegiate play.
“We would play in showcase tournaments, and we would travel to Texas, Florida, all over the country,” Butler said. “That opened a lot of doors that allowed me to find JMU and be able to be successful. I believe I was seen at a showcase, and then came to camp, and I really hadn’t [thought about JMU] when I was recruited … to have JMU find me, I was very lucky. Once I came here, I just fell in love with the campus.”
Last season, Butler started all 53 games for JMU on her way to a monumental season for the Dukes. She has made history by batting a .415 (the fourth-highest single-season percentage ever), getting 71 hits (the sixthhighest single-season amount ever), an onbase percentage of .490 (the fourth-highest in JMU history and third highest in the Sun Belt) and a slugging percentage of .678 (the seventh-highest in the Sun Belt). She was also named First Team All-Sun Belt due to this high-performing season.
“The most significant [accolade] was First Team All-Sun Belt last season,” Butler said. “I think all the pieces finally fell together
at the plate for me, and that was really important. That’s what I’ve worked for my entire career. So being able to take that last year and hopefully do it again is what I’m really looking forward to doing.”
Surprisingly, the seasons preceding Butler’s 2024 breakout were riddled with several difficult injuries, resulting in fewer playing opportunities during her freshman and sophomore years. On the heels of those issues, she had the chance to play 42 games during her redshirt junior season, which sparked her breakout.
“I’ve had a few crazy injuries, but they’ve really just taught me more resilience working outside of practice and in the training room, it showed just how important keeping your body healthy is to be able to play,” Butler said. “I’ve been able to help some of my other teammates who battle through injuries, even just having long seasons. It’s been able to teach me a lot of determination to get back to playing and then staying healthy.”
Butler is lovingly referred to as “Granny” by her teammates — she’s the longesttenured Duke and adds to the team interpersonally off the field just as much as she does on it.
“She always keeps good spirits, me and her are always laughing, we have so many jokes,” senior infielder Jasmine Hall said. “She’s been there for me since my freshman year … I didn’t have a car, she used to drive me anywhere that I asked. We’ve gotten really close over the past few years, so I’m just happy to be along with her on the journey, and I’m so glad that she’s got a couple extra years to live out because she’s done so well.”
To have as long of a career as Butler doesn’t just require talent but also a true love of the game — which she certainly has plenty of.
Photos courtesy of JMU Athletics Graphic by Ella Austin / The Breeze
“I started when I was 8, I was just a little kid, always playing in the dirt, always doing something,” Butler said. “Being active and crazy with [my brothers], I fell into softball, and I loved it. I fell in love with softball and I want to keep playing as long as I can.”
This season, Butler wants to focus on leading intentionally by fostering close relationships through one-on-one conversations with her teammates and sharing what she knows from her experiences, living up to her nickname. She said this encourages the Dukes in between innings.
“I really wanted to take on this year having meaningful leadership, having conversations and talking through things with people, it’s been very important to me,” Butler said. “I
understand a lot of their struggles that they have, whether it’s at the plate or anything of that sort. So it’s been good to be able to sit down and talk to people and just provide the knowledge that I’ve gained.”
In the way she leads her own life and leads her teammates, LaPorte said it best:
“She has so many God-given talents, but on top of that, she does things the right way,” LaPorte said.
CONTACT Katie Runkle at runklekr@dukes. jmu.edu. For more softball coverage, follow the sports desk on X @TheBreezeSports.
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