How MTSU baseball legend Bryce Brentz has transformed into Lady Raiders softball hitting coach

After his professional baseball career ended, Bryce Brentz knew he had the desire to be a hitting coach. Doing it at his alma mater would be a bonus.

But even Brentz wasn't prepared for a call he got last summer. That call, which came from Middle Tennessee State softball coach Jeff Breeden, was about a position as hitting coach for the Lady Raiders.

"I remember getting done with (baseball), I told my wife (former MTSU basketball star Anne Marie Brentz) I would love to be a hitting coach," said Brentz, a 2020 MTSU Athletics Hall of Fame inductee. "I just didn't want to go back to the bus leagues (minors) and all the grind of that.

"I was doing other things when Coach called me. He asked me a few things, and I said, 'I love this. I'm interested.' It felt great, timing wise. I enjoyed what I was doing, but I didn't love it. I felt like the lord had a hand in on it and made it happen. I'm blessed to be here."

Brentz's name came up immediately when Breeden needed to replace Tony Foti after the Blue Raiders finished 42-20 and earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

"Some of the big Power Five schools have gone that route, incorporating baseball players as their hitting coaches, so I wanted to explore that," Breeden said. "So, when this job came open, I sat down with (athletic director Chris Massaro) and said I was looking for a baseball guy. I asked him who the best player who ever played at MTSU and he said Bryce was the best hitter. He was the real deal. That's how we got in contact. It's worked out."

Bryce Brentz brings Major League experience to MTSU softball

The former South-Doyle High star from Knoxville was a freshman All-American, a consensus All-American as a sophomore and was an all-South Region player as a junior before being selected 36th overall by the Boston Red Sox in the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft.

He spent several years with the Red Sox organization and played well in a relatively short stint at the Major League level, hitting .287 with a one home run and nine RBIs over 35 career games (2014 and 2016). Injuries hampered much of his professional playing days.

How would his success in baseball translate to softball?

"It's not much of a difference," the 35-year-old Brentz said. "I've been giving lessons and working with softball hitters for years. To me, a swing is a swing. The only adjustment, truly, is bat angle. They can manage their swings from a flatter standpoint. They have a little freedom because they don't deal with so much of a vertical break."

Heading into this week's Conference USA Tournament in Las Cruces, New Mexico, MTSU (21-31) is hitting .263 but has broken the program home run record (41), hitting 44 including 14 by Ansley Blevins.

Brentz graduated as MTSU's all-time home run leader with 61 despite playing just three seasons. But he said he hasn't focused on launch angles or anything to specifically boost the long ball.

"It's just about ball striking," he said. "If that gets better and the accuracy increases, the power numbers will increase. Just find the barrel. Swing at good pitches, be successful early in the count. I can't preach that enough."

Brentz has helped sophomore and former Siegel standout Lexi Madlock change her entire approach to hitting.

"I was a slapper since I was 10 and he has helped me switch into a hitter," said Medlock, who is second on the team with six homers to go with 18 RBIs. "Coach Brentz has helped us all really think about our swings and made us all see the potential we have. He understands how stressful hitting can be and the mental part of the game."

Bryce Brentz is happy being a softball coach

Brentz has learned as much about coaching the Lady Raiders as they've learned from him. He pointed out work ethic and effort among the things he has really enjoyed.

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"Every program doesn't have somebody who played Major League Baseball that's teaching their hitters every day," Breeden said. "That should help in the recruiting trail and pay dividends down the road."

Brentz has no immediate plans of doing anything else.

When asked if he desired switching back to baseball at some point, Brentz joked, "I think if (MTSU) asked me (to coach) baseball, I would say, 'Y'all can keep the last two innings. I like playing seven.'"

Cecil Joyce covers high school sports and MTSU athletics for The Daily News Journal. Contact him at cjoyce@dnj.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @Cecil_Joyce.

This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: How Bryce Brentz has transformed into MTSU softball hitting coach