An agonizing skid in conference play and a 0-2 run in the conference tournament marked the end of the 2023 Florida A&M softball team’s season, where the Rattlers dropped three straight conference series against Alabama A&M, Bethune Cookman and Jackson State.
Head coach Camise Patterson attributed the drop in performance to the lack of arms on the roster. Patterson said the Rattlers had three pitchers on the staff heading into 2023. By the end of the season, only Nadia Zenteno and now-junior Lauryn Peppers were left to handle the bulk of the load on the mound.
“After the Valley [MVSU] series, we had dropped down from three pitchers to two,” Patterson said. “And that’s when we really saw how valuable pitching actually was for us.”
This year, Patterson hopes that adding two new arms, freshman Zoryana Hughes and junior Samantha Smith, a transfer from Florida Southwestern, can take some of the workload off of Peppers.
Patterson also mentioned sophomore Kayla Aldridge, who redshirted due to injury in 2023, as another pitcher for 2024.
“She’s [Aldridge] done some amazing things this fall,” Patterson said. “She’s grown and taken well to our new pitching coach.”
Patterson expressed confidence in her team’s ability to be more successful this upcoming season due to increased arms. She also mentioned the importance of having more than two arms on the roster, especially heading into postseason play.
“Going into the championship, going into the conference tournament, you can’t just ride two arms,” Patterson said. “You have to have at least three arms. Four is better, five is great.”
Peppers says she doesn’t feel pressure to perform this season despite being the only pitcher on the roster with experience competing in the SWAC.
“I feel that it is an opportunity for me to lead and push my teammates past the expectations set for us,” Peppers said. “I always want to be a good example, and so my goal this season is to be the solid teammate and player that my team needs me to be so that we can have a successful season.”
Peppers says that while this year is a big one for her, the pitching staff will be able to contribute more to the team’s success by adding new arms. She also says that the preparation in the offseason and experience from two seasons of SWAC competition gives her a stronger understanding of how to approach the game.
In addition to recruiting talent on the mound through the portal, Patterson says she used the portal to add additional power at the plate lost following the end of the 2023 season. Melkayla Irvis and Jane’a Mobley were the Rattlers’ biggest producers offensively. Each batted over .300 with 28 extra-base hits in 2023.
Patterson thinks the new offensive additions from the portal should bolster the Rattlers’ lineup and fill holes for 2024. Patterson mentioned Smith as a two-way threat on the mound and at the plate.
“She [Smith] was a national junior college champion, twice,” Patterson said. “She’s got a big stick, a lot of power there.”
Patterson also touted the offensive prowess of transfers Kayla Alexandre from Santa Fe Community College, Brianna Duggins from Pensacola State College, and freshmen Aniya Canty and Monroe Ogle.
Patterson noted that recruiting is an integral part of the success of their program, especially when it comes to recruiting in the transfer portal. Out of the 13 new players on the roster, six are from other four-year programs or junior colleges.
Patterson also notes that while having the ability to get players who already have experience at the college level is a benefit of the new transfer portal rules, it is still vital for her to find players who she believes can be a good fit for the program.
There are also new additions to the coaching staff. After two seasons as a player at FAMU, graduate assistant Jane’a Mobley is ready to continue imparting her experience and knowledge to the players.
“My two years that I did play here were two of my favorite years of softball,” Mobley said.
New pitching coach Veronica Burse, who played at FAMU from 2014 to 2018, says she wanted to bring back the knowledge she gained from coaching at other programs.
“Being able to bring my knowledge,” Burse said. “And show the SWAC what FAMU is all about.”
FAMU will kick off its season at home Friday against Texas Tech, Patterson wants to see energy and consistency from her players from the start.
“If we are consistent with the way that we do things, that energy that we bring,” Patterson said. “Staying up no matter what, we should come out of this weekend with a couple of surprises for some other teams.”
The Rattlers open their season at home with a doubleheader against Texas Tech on Friday beginning at 3 p.m.