Breaking The Mold

Savannah Turner, the only woman on the baseball team.

OLIVET, Mich. — As the only woman on The University of Olivet baseball team, Savannah Turner brings discipline and competitiveness.  

She first started playing baseball in her sophomore year of high school. She decided to start training with a private coach a few months before her tryouts, after not making the team. She always had the passion to play baseball over softball. There is not one major thing that made her make the decision to play the game, it's just the passion she has.

  “I decided that I wanted to continue playing baseball. I started training at Driveline in Kent, Washington, and trained with them for two years,” Turner said. 

She did not always want to play at the collegiate level.  She didn’t think that it would be possible for her. Olivet was the one who felt right for her when she came down in April of her senior year. 

“She goes to every practice and lifts and puts her head down and gives it her all,” teammate Danny Black, sophomore, said. “That’s all we can ask for.”

Her effort sets the tone, but her grit is something that defines her game. Head coach Santiago “Santi” Mendez sees it every time she takes the field. 

"Savannah has helped enhance our team culture by bringing a positive attitude and a strong work ethic," Mendez said. "Just like everyone else around her, she wants to get better and leave a legacy in the program. She’s not afraid to dive all over the infield and plays the game with relentless intensity." 

Savannah’s place on the baseball team isn’t just about breaking barriers, it’s about reshaping them. In a sport built on tradition, she proves that hard work and talent aren’t defined by gender.

The team’s season kicks off Saturday, Feb. 21, at Earlham College in Indiana.