Eastern Kentucky transfer Maddi Rutan is gelling into the Tennessee softball circle — and lineup.
The junior utility player continued a strong fall against Lee on Friday, using her two-way abilities to dominate the Flames, 22-1, in nine innings. Rutan earned the start, and delivered five no-hit innings. She also delivered a 3-for-6 day at the plate with a pair of doubles alongside four RBIs.
“She’s a linebacker on a softball field and I just love the way she goes about things,” head coach Karen Weekly told The Daily Beacon.
Rutan’s start marked another appearance in the books, joining a prior start against Roane State to begin the fall ball slate. The five innings, however, was the longest so far.
She opened the evening with a quick 1-2-3 inning, logging a pair of strikeouts in the frame. Rutan followed at the plate as the No. 4 hitter in the lineup, and gave herself insurance with her first at-bat. After Saviya Morgan drove in the first run of the game on an RBI double, Rutan brought her home with an RBI single to expand the early lead.
“It’s fun to be able to do multiple things, and it’s just, it’s a cool skill and it takes a lot, but I really enjoy it and be able to do both,” Rutan said. “I really, I really love it.”
Rutan’s second inning of work was not as simple. Though she got two quick outs with a popup and a groundout, the next batter followed with a walk — dirtying up the base paths for the first time.
She followed with a groundout to get out of the minimal jam.
“I’ve said many times, we didn’t recruit her for her pitching, her defense or her hitting,” Rutan said. “We recruited her because she’s a competitor. Now, she does all those three things well, so we’re really pleased with that, and we can see that. But what really stood out to us was what a competitor she is.”
When Rutan returned to the plate in the home half of the second inning, she doubled her efforts. Rutan smoked an RBI double through the field, aiding in an effort of three consecutive RBI base hits during the half inning.
In the circle, it remained the same business against the Flames. She added two more strikeouts and a groundout to keep the no-hit bid intact. That continued until the fifth inning.
Her last inning of work resulted in the best frame of the day, striking out the side. She then took to the plate and followed a previous at-bat groundout with a two-RBI double to push the lead to 15-0.
When the sixth inning began, it was Kailey Plumlee taking the reins in the circle. Rutan finished with eight strikeouts, allowing a lone baserunner across the five innings of work.
“You just saw her stretch the strike zone more,” Weekly said. She lived too much around the middle last week. She learned from it, and this week, she was working the upper part, the lower part, and both sides of the plate. And then when you have that and you mix the changeup, she’s got a lot of weapons.”
But her day still wasn’t over. She switched out the pitching gear for fielding, and took a spot at third base — remaining in the lineup for the remaining innings.
Her night ended on a fielder’s choice that brought in a run. Still, Rutan wasn’t satisfied.
“She hits a super hard ground ball to the shortstop, brings in a run and she’s asking us, what I do wrong? She’s squaring the ball up,” Weekly said.
Though the game was never close, and Rutan was a leading cause for that — she still uses the moments as learning lessons.
“How to stay calm, like you could get jittery and that kind of stuff when you’re up 20 runs or whatever it is,” Rutan said. “So, just trying to stay calm and stay within yourself and also practice what we’ve done.”
Much of that is what Rutan contributes to coaching — peer and professionals. Rutan was a two-way phenomenon with the Colonels for the last two years, mounting 2024 Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors alongside NFCA All-Region recognition in both 2024 and 2025.
But now she has the chance to pull knowledge from All-American pitcher Karlyn Pickens.
“I can’t say enough good things,” Rutan said. “I’ve learned to be calm and crazy situations. She’s been in many, of course, and just seeing her presence — she’s never jittery, antsy or anything, and just being so calm and her presence on the mound, you know when Karlyn’s pitching. Like, you know her presence and her just energy is something to learn for we can all learn for, but it’s really inspiring, for sure.”
And that comes alongside more knowledge from hitting coach Craig Snider, who has been in the business since the turn of the century. It’s a dynamic she has not experienced before.
“I’ve learned a two strike approach,” Rutan said. “I’ve learned just not trying to do too much, just sticking within your plan, having a plan going up there and sticking within it. And if you’re not looking for something and you let a strike go, then that’s okay. You’re going to stick within your plan and get a pitch that you can nail. And that’s just something that I’ve never been trained before, and it’s really helped me a lot, grow here and appreciate it.”
Rutan’s comfort level continues to grow as she settles into the SEC. As the fall progresses, and regular season play rolls around in the spring, it will be a further test to whether she remains a two-way prowess.
Both Weekly and Rutan believe it can remain an option.
“I think so,” Weekly said. “I mean, we’re working her at everything because we want to have those options. You look at us right now, we’ve got two pitchers hurt. They’ll be back in the spring, but you never know what’s going to happen, so we need her to be ready.”
“I’m really blessed for the opportunity and being able to play both ways, or all ways, and I just think it’s something if I keep working hard at it, that it’s a real, real big possibility,” Rutan said. ”I just go keep working hard.”
The next test comes on the road against a power opponent. The Lady Vols will head south for a doubleheader with Georgia Tech on Oct. 18.
