Gabby Leach knew her home run was gone before the umpires made the call.
The Tennessee softball outfielder sent a line drive over the right-field wall during Friday night’s 19-1 exhibition win over Northeast Alabama. While there was some confusion about whether the ball cleared the fence, Leach had all the confirmation she needed.
“I knew it went out because I heard it,” Leach said with a laugh.
The home run reflected some of the progress Leach has made this offseason, both in strength and at the plate.
“I will say I’ve gotten stronger,” Leach said, crediting new strength coach Rhett Brooks.
Tennessee has emphasized increasing exit velocities throughout fall practice. Leach said her home run registered approximately 79 mph, just shy of her 80 mph goal.
“We’re trying to get hard-hit balls every time, so swinging as hard as we can has just really been the goal,” she said.
But Tennessee’s offensive development goes beyond generating more power.
Earleywine’s influence taking shape
Leach is adjusting to a new hitting philosophy under associate head coach Ehren Earleywine, who joined Tennessee’s staff in June after helping Texas win the Women’s College World Series.
Earleywine has introduced a different approach without asking players to completely rebuild their swings.
“He’s been really, really good at letting us keep our own swing, but he’s tweaking those little things,” Leach said.
One emphasis has been preparing Tennessee’s hitters to handle rise balls, an area Leach acknowledged was a weakness last season.
“We’re learning how to hit that rise ball,” Leach said. “Last year, we had very much drop-ball swings.”
Earleywine has also brought more competition into Tennessee’s hitting sessions.
“He is really big on having competitive games,” Leach said. “It’s a competition every time we go in there.”
For Leach, the individualized instruction has brought renewed excitement to practice.
“The terminology he’s using is just different, and it’s working different for each person,” she said.
Learning to make adjustments sooner
While Tennessee eventually pulled away against Northeast Alabama, Leach acknowledged the Lady Vols were slow to adjust against the opposing starting pitcher.
Tennessee scored just two runs through five innings before breaking through for eight in the sixth.
But for Leach, the offensive explosion also highlighted an area Tennessee still needs to improve: making adjustments sooner.
“If we see two pop-ups in a row, we’re hitting this next one on the ground,” Leach said.
That communication has become an important part of Tennessee’s development throughout fall competition.
“Learning from each other is just our biggest thing going into these games against good pitching,” she said.
Leach also highlighted Emma Clark as one player who has embraced Earleywine’s instruction.
“Emma’s been doing an amazing job,” Leach said. “She’s really diving into what he is teaching us.”
She’s noticed similar progress from Tennessee’s freshmen, who are beginning to see the results of their work with Earleywine.
And while the Lady Vols still have adjustments to make, Leach is finding excitement in an approach that’s helping her understand her swing differently.
“Getting to learn and know myself in a different way that I never knew, but it’s working,” Leach said.
