Softball Preview: #21 Tennessee vs. #8 Kentucky

Ashley Rogers - UT Softball P / Credit: UT Athletics

Softball Preview: #21 Tennessee vs. #8 Kentucky

Ashley Rogers – UT Softball P / Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 21 Tennessee softball team returns to action for a three-game weekend series with SEC foe, No. 8 Kentucky, at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. First pitches for the Lady Vols third SEC series are slated for 5 p.m. ET on Friday, 6 p.m. ET on Saturday and a 2 p.m. matinee start on Easter Sunday.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
All three of Tennessee’s games will be available on national television. Friday and Sunday’s contests can be viewed on ESPNU, while Saturday’s game will be broadcasted on ESPN2.

Each game can also be streamed on WatchESPN through the ESPN app or at espn.com/watch.

Fans can also listen to the series with the Cats on your local Vol Network affiliate or online at UTsports.com. VFL Brian Rice will have the call.

QUICK HITS
OFFENSE NOT SHY AGAINST THE WILDCATS
Dating to 2015m Tennessee is 9-1 against Kentucky, scoring five or more runs in all but one of those contests. In the 10 meetings between the programs, the Lady Vols have outscored UK, 67-27, with five wins by a margin of five or more runs, along with a pair of shutout victories.

OUCH OR CONGRATS?
Senior infielder Chelsea Seggern penned her name atop the UT record books on Tuesday afternoon, just not in the category you would initially think of.

The Thrall, Texas native was hit by a pitch for the 36th time in her career in Tennessee’s, 6-0, victory over Liberty. That mark places her at the top of Tennessee’s all-time HBP list, passing LVFL Cheyanne Tarango.

OOOOOOO SHE STEALIN’
Sophomore outfielder Kiki Milloy is leading the SEC in stolen bases by a wide margin, having swiped 23 bases through 31 games. The Woodinville, Washington native also leads the league in stolen base attempts with 24 for an insane stolen base percentage of .958.

She has also stolen at least one bag in each of the Lady Vols last five games, having stolen multiple bases in game one against both Furman (March 29) and Kennesaw State (March 24). Milloy has stolen more than one base on six different occasions this season.

MID-WEEK DOMINATION
So far this season, Tennessee has compiled a 6-0 record in mid-week contests, outscoring opponents 49-1, while tossing five shutouts as a pitching staff. In those six wins, Lady Vol pitchers have yielded just 10 hits, winning three of those contests while giving up one or no hits.

SCOUTING KENTUCKY
2021 Record: 26-4 Overall, 3-3 SEC
Series Record: Tennessee Leads – 46-15
Last Outing: A dominant, 6-0, victory for Tennessee in Knoxville on April 29, 2018
Key Player/Stat: Kentucky is off to a blistering start to the 2021 season. Through 30 games, the Wildcats lead the SEC in team batting average, hitting at a clip of .353. At the dish, they’re led by junior catcher Kayla Kowalik who’s running the lineup with a .471 batting average, 14 extra-base-hits, 23 RBIs and a sparkling .750 slugging percentage. Kowalik’s average also leads the SEC by nearly 20 points.

UP NEXT
Tennessee will remain at home before its second SEC road series of the season when it takes on in-state foe Tennessee Tech for a Tuesday twin bill at 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. ET.

-UT Athletics

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