Diggin'Dukes

About Our Campaign

The JMU Softball team is looking to enhance our program's success by implementing the use of new technology, and we need your help to get there.

There are three goals for our campaign that we wish to achieve with your help. 

The first goal is to attain and maintain a Hack Attack Pitching Machine. By adjusting the wheel speed, the three- wheel machine throws all pitches, at different speeds (including fastballs, rise balls, drop balls, left & right handed curve balls, left & right handed screwballs, and knuckleball change-ups) from 43 feet at 80+ mph. 

Secondly, our team is striving for Rapsodo software. Rapsodo provides real-time metrics with spin direction and video. It allows us to get instant and accurate data-driven feedback from the number one player development tool on the market. Rapsodo allows us to see how fast a pitch is traveling during flight in miles per hour (MPH), the spin rate of the ball, and how many times a softball rotates per minute (RPM). 

Our final goal is to have HitTrax in our facility. HitTrax provides real-time stats and key performance metrics while providing in-depth video analysis with trend reports. The HitTrax technology provides one-of-a-kind technology that allows player engagement and thorough instruction.

By adding these technological advancements to our facility, it will allow us to:

• Make our training as realistic as possible, as though we're actively in game play;
• Provide us with realistic feedback that allows us to break down our game to improve our skills; and
• Allow us to compete with other programs that have this technology in their facility.

How Your Support Will IMPACT the JMU Softball Student-Athlete Experience

Your gift, of any amount, will help support team expenses for JMU Softball to help benefit the student-athlete experiences.

• 20 gifts of $250 support each Hack Attack pitching machine
• 20 gifts of $300 support the Rapsodo machine
• 30 gifts of $500 support the HitTrax

About JMU Softball

JMU Softball celebrates 21 years of play in 2023. We are eight-time CAA regular-season conference champions, six-time CAA Conference champions, a nine-time NCAA tournament appearance team, a three-time NCAA Super Regional appearance team, and one-time contender in the Women’s College World Series (2021).

We have had many notable players earn national awards. During their time at JMU, Megan Good earned NFCA National Player of the Year (2017), and Odicci Alexander earned Softball America Pitcher of the Year (2021) and D1 Softball’s Woman of the Year (2021). We have had 13 All-American awards awarded to Jailyn Ford (three-time), Megan Good (four-time), Odicci Alexander (three-time), and Kate Gordon (two-time). 

Currently, we are led by Head Coach Loren LaPorte, Associate Head Coach Jennifer Herzig, Assistant Coach Libby Bowman, and Assistant Coach Wayne Pettry. In 2021, our coaching staff was awarded NFCA Division 1 National Coaching Staff of the Year and NFCA Northeast Coaching Staff of the Year. 

In 2023, we competed in our first year of the Sun Belt Conference. During our inaugural season, we had two players —  Hannah Shifflett and KK Mathis — named to the Sun Belt All-Conference First Team.

Learn more about our team and our 24 student-athletes at https://jmusports.com/sports/softball.

About Funds Raised During Diggin'Dukes

One hundred percent (100%) of funds raised in support of JMU Softball during the Diggin’Dukes campaign immediately go to the JMU Softball Sport Program Fund (restricted-use fund) and benefit the JMU Softball student-athlete experience.

Sport program funds are restricted-use funds that can only be utilized by the individual sport program. 100% of gifts made to sport program funds go to the selected sport program and are 100% tax deductible. 

If our goal is achieved, funds that exceed our goal will go to support any team operational needs during the 2024 season. 

If we do not achieve our goal, funds raised during the Diggin’Dukes campaign will go to support team operational needs during the 2024 season. 

Funds are allocated at the discretion of our coaches and administration.

Diggin'Dukes Leadership Team Members

Bella Henzler & KK Mathis (Loren LaPorte)