Marshall University Athletics
2019 Softball Roster
Roster
Burch, Blakely
RHP/UTL
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballRHP/UTL
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballC
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballC
/ SoftballP
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballC
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballRHP
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
Jersey Number 55
Blakely Burch
- Height:
- 5-6
- Class:
- Junior
- High School:
- Suwanee HS
- Hometown:
- Live Oak, Fla.
Bio
2021 (Redshirt Senior)
2021 Warrior Award
GP/GS: 23/18 … Returned from injury to play out final season playing the hot corner in abbreviated season due to COVID-19, all while finishing undergraduate degree and working toward starting an accelerated nursing program at Jacksonville University, causing her to miss the final two weeks of the season … Earned the 2021 Warrior Award named in honor of Emileigh Cooper … Finished final season with six hits, four RBI, two home runs, three walks and three hit-by-pitches … Fourth all-time in Herd history in career triples with nine and tied for sixth in hit-by-pitches with 27 … Had one walk and one hit-by-pitch in season-opener versus Akron (March 3) … Hit first home run of the season and scored two runs in win over Bowling Green (March 5) … Smashed solo homer against Valparaiso (March 7) … Drove in a run in win versus Bellarmine (March 27) and set career-high with six assists on defense … Was hit by a pitch, stole a base and scored a run in series finale at Middle Tennessee (April 11) … Hit by a pitch for the 27th time in career, and later scored lone run of the game, in 1-0 win over Florida Atlantic (April 16) … In Marshall career (2018-21) appeared in 147 games with 135 starts, bat .233, 88 hits, 70 runs, 17 doubles, nine triples, 12 home runs, 58 RBI, slugged .422, and stole 20 bases.
2020 (Senior)
2020 Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll: GPA 3.00 or better
GP/GS: 14/14 … Had senior campaign cut short (Feb. 28) due to a knee injury, even before the remainder of the season was canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic … Team leader, solid performer at third base who can make spectacular plays … Finished year batting .293, 12 hits, seven runs, three doubles, one triple, two home runs, eight RBI and slugging .561 … Reached base safely in every game except one, Lipscomb (Feb. 14) … Smacked first home run of the season against her old team, USC Upstate (Feb. 9), in the top of the seventh to extend Herd’s lead to three, MU won 5-3 … Hit first double of the year in the seventh at Chattanooga (Feb. 14) … Sent second homer of the year into the bleachers against Indiana State (Feb. 16) … Clutch performance versus East Tennessee State (Feb. 21) with a triple in the seventh, then scored game-tying run on an error after a single from Armani Brown that forced the game to extra innings, finished game with a walkoff single scoring Rachel Pennington for the 5-4 win … Hit three-run double the next day in 9-1 win over East Tennessee State (Feb. 22) … Was 2-for-3 with a double at Kennesaw State (Feb. 23) … Was injured on the fourth pitch of the top of the first against Delaware State (Feb. 28) at the Pirate Classic, and missed the remainder of the season … Ranks fourth all-time in career triples with nine … Is eighth all-time in career hit-by-pitches with 24 … Has started 117 out of 124 games for Marshall since transferring from USC Upstate.
2019 (Junior)
2019 Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll: GPA 3.00 or better
2019 NCAA Top 10 Triples (T6th – 7)
GP/GS: 62/60 … Made 60 starts and played 62 games, tied for second most in a season in Herd history, all at third base … Broke the team single-season record for triples with seven, breaking the old mark of six set by Morgan Zerkle in 2017 … Already fourth in program history with eight career triples … Led Conference USA in triples and ranked 20th in the NCAA in triples per game (.11) and was tied for sixth in the country in total triples … Recorded career-high 16 hit-by-pitches and joined teammates Huerta and Harrell all ranked in the top 10 in Conference USA … Also ranked 37th in the nation in hit-by-pitched per game (.26) … Led the team with 43 runs scored … Finished season batting .257, 44 hits, 35 RBI, nine doubles, eight home runs, 14 walks and six stolen bases … Finished fourth on the team with a .532 slugging percentage, one of five Herd players all slugging over .500, a program record … Drove in two or more runs nine times and scored two more runs 11 times … Reached base safely in season-high 15 games (March 3-30) … Scored a run in a season-high eight-straight games (March 17-30) … Recorded 111 assists and two double plays on defense … Opened the year with 2-of-4 game with one run scored in season-opener versus UC-Riverside (Feb. 8) … Hit first triple of the season in win at San Diego (Feb. 8) … Had two hit-by-pitches and scored twice in extra-inning win over Cal Poly (Feb. 9) … Hit first career home run late in a loss to Towson (Feb. 17) … Went 2-for-2 with three RBI and second career homer in home win over Ohio (Feb. 27) … 3-for-3 with three RBI, two runs and second triple of the year in game three win over Rider (March 3) … Over four-game homestand against Ohio and Rider, hit .556, five hits, six RBI, one triple, one home run, slugged 1.111 and had .600 on base percentage … Recorded a triple in back-to-back games with her third of the year at George Mason (March 10) and fourth in game one at Charlotte (March 16) … Hit two-run homer in game one win over UTSA (March 23) … Hit fifth triple of the year, drove in a run and scored twice in game one win at Southern Miss (March 30) … Went 2-of-4 at the plate, scored twice, drove in three runs and hit a go-ahead home run in the sixth in eventual extra-inning, game three win against WKU (April 7) … Recorded record-tying sixth triple of the year in game one against Louisiana Tech (April 19), driving in two runs … Hit walk-off two-RBI double in the bottom of the seventh in game three versus Louisiana Tech (April 20) … Tallied six hits, scored four times, drove in three runs and hit two homers in three-game sweep at Middle Tennessee (April 27-28) … Set the Marshall record for triples in a season in game two at Morehead State (April 30) … Hit eighth home run of the season and drove in four runs in win over UTSA (May 8) in the first round of the Conference USA Tournament … Hit game-tying RBI double in the sixth inning against George Washington (May 17) on the second day of the NISC Lynchburg Regional, then scored the go-ahead run from a two-run homer as the Herd went on to win.
2018 (Sophomore)
2018 Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll: GPA 3.00 or better
GP/GS: 48/43 … Great addition to the Herd after transferring from USC Upstate … 34 starts at third base and nine starts at first base … Provided steady infield play with great catches and made tough plays … Ended season with 26 hits, 12 runs scored, 11 RBI, five doubles, one triple, 10 walks and 11 stolen bases … Reached base safely in 19-straight games (March 21-April 21) … First Herd start at No. 13 Auburn (Feb. 8) and recorded first hit as a Herd player with a single … Recorded RBI double versus South Florida (Feb. 16) … Stole a team-high three bases out of the Herd’s 11 total against UMass-Lowell (Feb. 17), also recorded first two-hit game in a Marshall uniform going 2-of-4 with a run scored … Scored two runs in game two win at UAB (March 10) … Career-high 3-for-3 at Florida Atlantic (March 25) and drove in a run in the top of the eighth, added three putouts and five assists in error-free defensive work … Scored game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh in game one versus FIU (March 30) … Hit first career triple in game two versus FIU (March 30) … Hit RBI double in game two at UTSA (April 7) to tie the game at 1-1 in the fourth … 2-of-3 with an RBI double in game two against Charlotte (April 14) … Made cross-diamond throw from her knees for one of four assists in win over No. 28 James Madison … Drove in a run in three-straight games and five-of-six from April 14-22 … Season-high of five assists at Florida Atlantic (March 25) and versus FIU (March 31).
Prior to Marshall
2017 (Freshman USC Upstate)
Appeared in 23 games with 11 starts … Played third, short, designated played and right field … Finished season with nine hits including four doubles … Went 3-for-3 with two doubles, two runs and one RBI against Howard (Feb. 24) … 2-for-2 with a double, one run and one RBI against Colgate (Feb. 18) … Went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI and one run against Delaware State (Feb. 24) … Scored six runs during the season.
High School: Attended Suwannee High School … Played for Tommy Chambers and Jeff Smith … All-around athlete lettered four years in softball, soccer, weightlifting and golf, and lettered two years in swimming … Was part of two teams that have made an appearance in the Final Four (2012) and Elite Eight (2014), while also earning the Coach A Award for spirit, dedication and commitment … Named the Team MVP in soccer twice and once for golf … Played travel ball for numerous teams including USSSA Pride Softball, Gainesville Golf Strickland and Inferno Hill ... Two former teammates playing collegiately; Alexis Brown (Palm Beach Atlantic University) and Jordan Roberts (Florida).
Personal: Born Aug. 27, 1997 … Daughter of David and Suzy Burch … Has one younger sister Baylor who plays soccer (defender) at Methodist University in Fayetteville, N.C., and has started 16 matches over last two years (2019-21) … Father played college baseball at South Alabama and was a member of the 1983 squad that won the Sun Belt and played in the NCAA South Regional … Father also played professional Slow Pitch softball for 10 years … Grandfather Gerald Burch played college football at Georgia Tech and in 1961 with the Oakland Raiders … Was a team captain for GT in 1960 and was named All-SEC three times … Drafted in the 13th round (100th overall) of the 1961 AFL draft by the Raiders and was also selected in the 6th round (71st overall) by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1961 NFL draft … Played wide receiver and punter … Caught 18 passes for 235 yards and one touchdown in lone pro season, touchdown was a 54-yard strike against the Patriots from future two-time Super Bowl winning, and now Pro Football Hall of Fame, head coach Tom Flores … Blakely chose to come to Marshall because, “of the atmosphere and support from the community and I like playing for a program that has a tradition of winning.” … majoring in exercise science with a minor in nutrition.
2021 Warrior Award
GP/GS: 23/18 … Returned from injury to play out final season playing the hot corner in abbreviated season due to COVID-19, all while finishing undergraduate degree and working toward starting an accelerated nursing program at Jacksonville University, causing her to miss the final two weeks of the season … Earned the 2021 Warrior Award named in honor of Emileigh Cooper … Finished final season with six hits, four RBI, two home runs, three walks and three hit-by-pitches … Fourth all-time in Herd history in career triples with nine and tied for sixth in hit-by-pitches with 27 … Had one walk and one hit-by-pitch in season-opener versus Akron (March 3) … Hit first home run of the season and scored two runs in win over Bowling Green (March 5) … Smashed solo homer against Valparaiso (March 7) … Drove in a run in win versus Bellarmine (March 27) and set career-high with six assists on defense … Was hit by a pitch, stole a base and scored a run in series finale at Middle Tennessee (April 11) … Hit by a pitch for the 27th time in career, and later scored lone run of the game, in 1-0 win over Florida Atlantic (April 16) … In Marshall career (2018-21) appeared in 147 games with 135 starts, bat .233, 88 hits, 70 runs, 17 doubles, nine triples, 12 home runs, 58 RBI, slugged .422, and stole 20 bases.
2020 (Senior)
2020 Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll: GPA 3.00 or better
GP/GS: 14/14 … Had senior campaign cut short (Feb. 28) due to a knee injury, even before the remainder of the season was canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic … Team leader, solid performer at third base who can make spectacular plays … Finished year batting .293, 12 hits, seven runs, three doubles, one triple, two home runs, eight RBI and slugging .561 … Reached base safely in every game except one, Lipscomb (Feb. 14) … Smacked first home run of the season against her old team, USC Upstate (Feb. 9), in the top of the seventh to extend Herd’s lead to three, MU won 5-3 … Hit first double of the year in the seventh at Chattanooga (Feb. 14) … Sent second homer of the year into the bleachers against Indiana State (Feb. 16) … Clutch performance versus East Tennessee State (Feb. 21) with a triple in the seventh, then scored game-tying run on an error after a single from Armani Brown that forced the game to extra innings, finished game with a walkoff single scoring Rachel Pennington for the 5-4 win … Hit three-run double the next day in 9-1 win over East Tennessee State (Feb. 22) … Was 2-for-3 with a double at Kennesaw State (Feb. 23) … Was injured on the fourth pitch of the top of the first against Delaware State (Feb. 28) at the Pirate Classic, and missed the remainder of the season … Ranks fourth all-time in career triples with nine … Is eighth all-time in career hit-by-pitches with 24 … Has started 117 out of 124 games for Marshall since transferring from USC Upstate.
2019 (Junior)
2019 Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll: GPA 3.00 or better
2019 NCAA Top 10 Triples (T6th – 7)
GP/GS: 62/60 … Made 60 starts and played 62 games, tied for second most in a season in Herd history, all at third base … Broke the team single-season record for triples with seven, breaking the old mark of six set by Morgan Zerkle in 2017 … Already fourth in program history with eight career triples … Led Conference USA in triples and ranked 20th in the NCAA in triples per game (.11) and was tied for sixth in the country in total triples … Recorded career-high 16 hit-by-pitches and joined teammates Huerta and Harrell all ranked in the top 10 in Conference USA … Also ranked 37th in the nation in hit-by-pitched per game (.26) … Led the team with 43 runs scored … Finished season batting .257, 44 hits, 35 RBI, nine doubles, eight home runs, 14 walks and six stolen bases … Finished fourth on the team with a .532 slugging percentage, one of five Herd players all slugging over .500, a program record … Drove in two or more runs nine times and scored two more runs 11 times … Reached base safely in season-high 15 games (March 3-30) … Scored a run in a season-high eight-straight games (March 17-30) … Recorded 111 assists and two double plays on defense … Opened the year with 2-of-4 game with one run scored in season-opener versus UC-Riverside (Feb. 8) … Hit first triple of the season in win at San Diego (Feb. 8) … Had two hit-by-pitches and scored twice in extra-inning win over Cal Poly (Feb. 9) … Hit first career home run late in a loss to Towson (Feb. 17) … Went 2-for-2 with three RBI and second career homer in home win over Ohio (Feb. 27) … 3-for-3 with three RBI, two runs and second triple of the year in game three win over Rider (March 3) … Over four-game homestand against Ohio and Rider, hit .556, five hits, six RBI, one triple, one home run, slugged 1.111 and had .600 on base percentage … Recorded a triple in back-to-back games with her third of the year at George Mason (March 10) and fourth in game one at Charlotte (March 16) … Hit two-run homer in game one win over UTSA (March 23) … Hit fifth triple of the year, drove in a run and scored twice in game one win at Southern Miss (March 30) … Went 2-of-4 at the plate, scored twice, drove in three runs and hit a go-ahead home run in the sixth in eventual extra-inning, game three win against WKU (April 7) … Recorded record-tying sixth triple of the year in game one against Louisiana Tech (April 19), driving in two runs … Hit walk-off two-RBI double in the bottom of the seventh in game three versus Louisiana Tech (April 20) … Tallied six hits, scored four times, drove in three runs and hit two homers in three-game sweep at Middle Tennessee (April 27-28) … Set the Marshall record for triples in a season in game two at Morehead State (April 30) … Hit eighth home run of the season and drove in four runs in win over UTSA (May 8) in the first round of the Conference USA Tournament … Hit game-tying RBI double in the sixth inning against George Washington (May 17) on the second day of the NISC Lynchburg Regional, then scored the go-ahead run from a two-run homer as the Herd went on to win.
2018 (Sophomore)
2018 Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll: GPA 3.00 or better
GP/GS: 48/43 … Great addition to the Herd after transferring from USC Upstate … 34 starts at third base and nine starts at first base … Provided steady infield play with great catches and made tough plays … Ended season with 26 hits, 12 runs scored, 11 RBI, five doubles, one triple, 10 walks and 11 stolen bases … Reached base safely in 19-straight games (March 21-April 21) … First Herd start at No. 13 Auburn (Feb. 8) and recorded first hit as a Herd player with a single … Recorded RBI double versus South Florida (Feb. 16) … Stole a team-high three bases out of the Herd’s 11 total against UMass-Lowell (Feb. 17), also recorded first two-hit game in a Marshall uniform going 2-of-4 with a run scored … Scored two runs in game two win at UAB (March 10) … Career-high 3-for-3 at Florida Atlantic (March 25) and drove in a run in the top of the eighth, added three putouts and five assists in error-free defensive work … Scored game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh in game one versus FIU (March 30) … Hit first career triple in game two versus FIU (March 30) … Hit RBI double in game two at UTSA (April 7) to tie the game at 1-1 in the fourth … 2-of-3 with an RBI double in game two against Charlotte (April 14) … Made cross-diamond throw from her knees for one of four assists in win over No. 28 James Madison … Drove in a run in three-straight games and five-of-six from April 14-22 … Season-high of five assists at Florida Atlantic (March 25) and versus FIU (March 31).
Prior to Marshall
2017 (Freshman USC Upstate)
Appeared in 23 games with 11 starts … Played third, short, designated played and right field … Finished season with nine hits including four doubles … Went 3-for-3 with two doubles, two runs and one RBI against Howard (Feb. 24) … 2-for-2 with a double, one run and one RBI against Colgate (Feb. 18) … Went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI and one run against Delaware State (Feb. 24) … Scored six runs during the season.
High School: Attended Suwannee High School … Played for Tommy Chambers and Jeff Smith … All-around athlete lettered four years in softball, soccer, weightlifting and golf, and lettered two years in swimming … Was part of two teams that have made an appearance in the Final Four (2012) and Elite Eight (2014), while also earning the Coach A Award for spirit, dedication and commitment … Named the Team MVP in soccer twice and once for golf … Played travel ball for numerous teams including USSSA Pride Softball, Gainesville Golf Strickland and Inferno Hill ... Two former teammates playing collegiately; Alexis Brown (Palm Beach Atlantic University) and Jordan Roberts (Florida).
Personal: Born Aug. 27, 1997 … Daughter of David and Suzy Burch … Has one younger sister Baylor who plays soccer (defender) at Methodist University in Fayetteville, N.C., and has started 16 matches over last two years (2019-21) … Father played college baseball at South Alabama and was a member of the 1983 squad that won the Sun Belt and played in the NCAA South Regional … Father also played professional Slow Pitch softball for 10 years … Grandfather Gerald Burch played college football at Georgia Tech and in 1961 with the Oakland Raiders … Was a team captain for GT in 1960 and was named All-SEC three times … Drafted in the 13th round (100th overall) of the 1961 AFL draft by the Raiders and was also selected in the 6th round (71st overall) by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1961 NFL draft … Played wide receiver and punter … Caught 18 passes for 235 yards and one touchdown in lone pro season, touchdown was a 54-yard strike against the Patriots from future two-time Super Bowl winning, and now Pro Football Hall of Fame, head coach Tom Flores … Blakely chose to come to Marshall because, “of the atmosphere and support from the community and I like playing for a program that has a tradition of winning.” … majoring in exercise science with a minor in nutrition.
Marshall Softball Class of 2025 Graduates
Friday, May 02
Marshall Softball: Kaleea Washington & Brooklyn Ulrich (Post-Radford)
Tuesday, April 22
Marshall Softball: HC Morgan Zerkle, Haleigh Adkins, Paige Maynard (Post-Coastal)
Friday, April 18
Hype and Harmony: the Team Personality Fuels Success #softball
Thursday, April 17
