KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The No. 10 national seed Tennessee Lady Vols begin their quest to return to the Women’s College World Series this week by hosting Monmouth, Ohio and No. 23/25 James Madison at the NCAA Knoxville Regional from Friday, May 18 through Sunday, May 20.
For more information on the this week’s regional, please visit the Tennessee NCAA Softball Gameday Information page HERE.
2018 NCAA KNOXVILLE REGIONAL
- Dates: Friday, May 18 – Sunday, May 20
- Venue: Sherri Parker Lee Stadium (Knoxville, Tenn.)
- Tournament Bracket: Click Here
- Watch: ESPN 3
- Listen: WNML | UTSports.com
- Live Stats: UTSports.com
- Tickets: AllVols.com
Media & Broadcast Info
Every game of the NCAA Knoxville Regional will be streamed on WatchESPN or broadcast on ESPN 3.
Radio coverage for all Tennessee games will be carried on Sports Radio WNML (FM 99.1 or AM 990) and UTSports.com. Live stats will be available for every game on the Tennessee softball schedule page at UTSports.com.
Game Schedule
View the full NCAA Knoxville Regional schedule below:
Friday, May 18th:
Game 1 3:00 p.m. – Ohio vs. James Madison
Game 2 5:30 p.m. – Monmouth vs. Tennessee
Saturday, May 19th:
Game 3 12:00 p.m. – Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
Game 4 2:30 p.m. – Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2
Game 5 5:00 p.m. – Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3
Sunday, May 20th:
Game 6 1:00 p.m. – Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5
Game 7 3:30 p.m. – Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6 (if necessary)
Scouting Report
Tennessee Lady Volunteers
No. 10 National Seed | No. 1 Seed in Knoxville Regional
The Vols are making their 15th consecutive NCAA Regional appearance and the 16th overall in program history. UT is also hosting a regional for the 14th straight season. The Big Orange are looking to advance to their 10th NCAA Super Regional.
Tennessee enters the NCAA Tournament with a 45-12 overall record and finished in fourth place in the SEC regular season standings, posting a 14-10 mark in conference play. The Lady Vols had five players earn SEC postseason honors last week, led by senior shortstop Meghan Gregg, who, along with junior second baseman Aubrey Leach and senior outfielder Scarlet McSwain, earned All-SEC first team honors. Freshman Ashley Morgan and Amanda Ayala were both named to the SEC All-Freshman Team.
Gregg and Chelsea Seggern rank third and 10th in the nation in RBIs, with 67 and 62, respectively. Caylan Arnold leads the Lady Vols in the circle with a 2.10 ERA and a 24-4 record.
James Madison Dukes
No. 2 Seed in Knoxville Regional
The Dukes earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the sixth consecutive year. They also notched 40 wins for the sixth straight year, amassing a 42-12 record in 2018.
As a team, James Madison ranks first in the nation in home runs per game (1.52, 82 total home runs in 54 games), sixth in scoring per game (6.34 runs) and eighth in on base percentage (.409). Entering postseason play, James Madison is No. 23 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll and No. 25 in the //ESPN.com/USASoftball Poll.
Freshman Payton Buresch leads the Dukes with a 1.69 ERA and a 18-5 record. Offensively, senior Morgan Teller set the single-season program record with 18 home runs, while left fielder Kate Gordon added 13 homers and had a .412 batting average. Sophomore Odicci Alexander has been effective both as a pitcher and a hitter. Alexander has a team-leading 56 RBIs while striking out 206 batters.
Ohio Bobcats
No. 3 Seed in Knoxville Regional
The Bobcats return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014. After winning the Mid-American Conference Tournament, Ohio earned its third postseason bid in program history.
Ohio (38-15) is led offensively by Alex Day and Mikayla Cooper. Day leads the team in batting average (.344), hits (63), RBIs (44) and home runs (12). Cooper leads in runs scored (45), slugging percentage (.634) and on base percentage (.443).
Danielle Steine was named MAC Pitcher of the Year at the end of the regular season. Steine compiled a 27-6 record, with her 27 victories ranking sixth in the nation. She recorded a 1.51 ERA and tallied 257 strikeouts. Day and Cooper joined Steine on the All-MAC First Team.
Monmouth Hawks
No. 4 Seed in Knoxville Regional
The Hawks earned their first-ever berth to the NCAA Tournament by winning the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament. The conference title was also the first in program history. Monmouth ran through the MAAC regular season schedule, amassing a 19-1 record in league play.
Monmouth (32-14) comes into the Knoxville Regional riding a 13-game win streak. During conference play, the Hawks outscored opponents 109-38. As a team, Monmouth led the MAAC in ERA (2.89), home runs per game (0.85), and slugging percentage (.431).
Senior Amanda Riley was named MAAC Pitcher of the Year after going 11-0 in conference games. Riley’s 21 wins were the second most in program history, with her top performance being a 17-strikeout effort to lead the Hawks to a semifinal win in the MAAC Tournament. Riley ranks 28th in the nation with 216 strikeouts in 2018. Since March 31, she is 15-0 with a 1.05 ERA. Katie Baron leads the team offensively with 56 hits and a .389 batting average.
Fan Information/Stadium Policies
Please be advised that the university’s clear bag policy for all of its athletic venues will be in effect for the NCAA Knoxville Regional and all other events at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. In order to enhance safety and expedite fan entry at Tennessee athletic events, the university is implementing new safety policies for fans bringing bags into all athletic venues.
Only one clear plastic bag no larger than 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches or a one-gallon, clear, resealable plastic storage bag per person will be permitted. Fans will also be allowed a small clutch purse not to exceed 4.5 inches by 6.5 inches. Fans interested in purchasing an approved clear bag may visit the Official Team Store at Neyland Stadium, VolShop locations in the Student Union, 17th & Cumberland Avenue and University Commons; as well as other area retailers.
For more information on the new bag policy and all other stadium policies please visit the NCAA Knoxville Regional Gameday Information page HERE.
What’s Next?
The winner of the NCAA Knoxville Regional will advance to the NCAA Super Regionals from May 25-27.
UT Athletics
