KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – SEC play is here for Tennessee who open its 24-game conference slate with a three-game series against Texas A&M this weekend in College Station, Texas.
UT (14-9) looks to jump back into the win column after closing its preseason nonconference schedule with a tightly-contested 3-2 loss to North Carolina on Tuesday night in Knoxville.
The Lady Vols open against the Aggies on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET. Saturday’s game is slated for 3 p.m., and Sunday’s getaway-day game is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Broadcast Info
The series will be streamed live on WatchESPN.com and the ESPN app.
Fans can also listen to the action on UTSports.com, the UT Gameday app and on WNML AM 990 in Knoxville with Brian Rice on the call.
Quick Hits Double Down
Tennessee has recorded 17 double plays so far this season, with a single-game season high three against USF on Feb. 22 that ties for a program record. The achievement has only occurred on three occasions, the last time coming at Virginia Tech in 2015. The only other time a UT team had three double plays was in 1998 versus Kansas. The Lady Vols’ 0.73 double plays per game leads the SEC and ranks third in the nation.
Seggern Takes ‘Em for the Team
Senior Chelsea Seggern quickly jumped into another top-10 category early in the season, albeit a painful one. Recording nine hit-by-pitches so far, Seggern ranks seventh all-time in UT history after being pegged at the plate 28 times since she joined the Lady Vols family in 2017. The Thrall, Texas, native ranks second in the SEC and sixth in the nation in HBP per game (0.47). Seggern is also ranked 20th in the nations with 0.576 on base percentage.
Pitching Coming Together
Despite UT’s expected ace Ashley Rogers temporarily sidelined, the young pitching staff has maintained its competitiveness behind freshman starter Callie Turner, who ranks third in the SEC and 30th in the nation with eight victories. Newcomer and redshirt sophomore transfer Samantha Bender has also been reliable for the Lady Vols in the circle recording two saves so far this season, which ranks fifth in the conference and 19th in the nation. Bender has a 5-1 win-loss record on 42.0 innings pitched.
Freshmen’s First Dingers Kiki Milloy and KK McCrary have stood out for their impressive play at the plate in the early 2020 season. Milloy who was the leadoff hitter in the 2020 lid-lifter, was the first freshman to go yard in their first collegiate at-bat for the Lady Vols since at least 2012, while McCrary was the first of the eight freshmen to go yard at Sherri Parker Lee. McCrary blasted a 2-run homer through centerfield against UT Martin on Feb. 25 to become the first freshman to record a dinger in a home opener since Meghan Gregg hit two against Northern Iowa on March 6, 2015.
Hail Tennessee
Nearly half of the Lady Vols squad is made up of in-state talent. There are nine Tennessee natives on the 2020 roster, believed to be a record for the program. Seniors Treasuary Poindexter (Covington, Tenn.) and Cailin Hannon (Franklin, Tenn.) and sophomores Kaili Phillips (Ooltewah, Tenn.) and Ashley Rogers (Athens, Tenn.) are joined by freshmen Anna Fox (Columbia, Tenn.), KK McCrary (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), Josie Willingham (Medon, Tenn.), Anna Hazlewood (Martin, Tenn.) and Madison Webber (Sevierville, Tenn.).
25th Anniversary
On Feb. 23, 1996, Tennessee fielded its first softball team at the 10th Annual Louisiana Classics in Lafayette, La. A 1-0 loss to Baylor, a program that had been around since 1979, marked the beginning of what would become one of the Vols and Lady Vols premier athletic programs. The Lady Vols bounced back the following day to pick up the program’s first win, a 5-4 victory over the Bears and eventually took the series in a rubber match on Feb. 25, a 9-8, eight-inning victory. Fast forward to 2020 and 1,124 wins later, the Orange and White opened the programs 25th year in extant with a 6-3 win against Northwestern in Tempe, Ariz.
All-American Homecoming
In late January, Tennessee announced that it would host the U.S. Women’s National Team as part of Team USA’s “Stand Beside Her” Tour – a nationwide tour where the Red, White and Blue will face top Division I collegiate teams in preparation for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. On April 8, the Lady Vols face off against the WNT at Sherri Parker Lee and will welcome back Tennessee great Monica Abbott, a four-time All-American (2004-07), three-time SEC Pitcher of the Year (2004, 05, 07), USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year trophy winner and NCAA/UT program record holder. Tickets for the event are currently sold out, but the game will be broadcast on ESPN2.
Scouting Report Texas A&M 2020 record:16-9, 1-2 SEC Series:15-5 Last meeting:The 11th-ranked Lady Vols fell 6-4 to the Aggies on Cinco de Mayo (5/5/19) in Knoxville Key players/stats: The Aggies have given up 98 runs this season and average 5.64 runs per game. The lead off hitter Makinzy Herzog is hitting a .418 clip and has score 28 runs. She plays a dual role as a pitcher and has collected three wins in the circle. and has a 0.82 ERA.
“These are difficult circumstances to navigate, and we understand and support the conference’s decisions related to upcoming athletic events. From an institutional standpoint, we’ll continue to rely on the advice and expertise of public health authorities and the university’s Office of Emergency Management as we approach the coming days and weeks with the health of our student-athletes, staff and campus community at the forefront of our decision making.
SEC TO PLAY REMAINDER OF MEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT WITH ATTENDANCE RESTRICTIONS; ALL CAMPUS REGULAR SEASON EVENTS, SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS UNDER SAME CONDITIONS THROUGH AT LEAST MARCH 30
The Southeastern Conference has announced it will conduct the 2020 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament with only essential staff, limited family and credentialed media in attendance at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville for the remainder of the week beginning on Thursday following the recommendation of the NCAA COVID-19 Advisory Panel related to conducting sporting events closed to the public.
In addition, the SEC announced that all regular season contests in all sports on SEC campuses and SEC Championship events will be conducted with similar attendance restrictions effective Thursday, March 12 through at least March 30 at which time the conference and its member universities will re-evaluate conditions.
The SEC issued a statement from SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey:
“In light of recent developments beyond our control related to the spread of the coronavirus, including a recommendation from the NCAA COVID-19 Advisory Panel, and after consultation with our member universities, we have made the difficult decision to hold the 2020 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament in Nashville without spectators beginning with games of Thursday, March 12. Effective immediately, the policy will also apply to other SEC Championship events and on-campus regular season games scheduled through at least the end of March.
“After conferring with local and national health authorities, we remain confident in our ability to safeguard the health and well-being of our student-athletes, coaches and other staff who will be participating as well as the limited number of family members and media who will be in attendance at the tournament.
“We regret the inconvenience and disappointment this decision has caused our fans, especially those who have already travelled to Nashville for the tournament.”
As previously announced, the SEC has implemented the following enhanced health measures for the 2020 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament:
Use of hospital grade disinfectant to sanitize locker rooms before teams arrive and immediately upon departure;
Sanitization of game balls with hospital grade disinfectant after each practice and game;
Sanitization of team benches plus band and cheerleader seating areas following each game;
Hand sanitizers, disinfectant wipes and Lysol spray in team locker rooms;
Hand sanitizers at scorer’s table, in officials’ locker rooms, operations offices and media areas.
For the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament, automatic refunds of ticket purchases will be made to fans who are the original purchaser of the tickets from SEC Office or an SEC university, or a verified purchaser on the SEC Ticket Exchange powered by Ticketmaster. For regular season events, each campus will determine refund policies and procedures.
The SEC Network will televise the entire first and second round of the tournament and the quarterfinals evening session. ESPN will broadcast the afternoon session of the quarterfinals, both semifinal matchups and the championship game.
The SEC remains in continued communication with public health officials and reminds everyone to be attentive to everyday preventive actions identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov).
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is shutting down 11 days ahead of its March 22 finale amid growing concerns over the spread of the coronavirus.
The Rodeo released a statement via its official Instagram page on March 11: “In the interest of public health, the City of Houston and the Houston Health Department have ordered the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ to close. The Rodeo will respectfully and dutifully comply with the City’s order, and the grounds will close at 4 p.m. The Rodeo is deeply saddened; however, the safety and well-being of our guests and our community is our top priority. Out of precaution, the City has decided that this is the best course of action for our community. A ticket refund process is still in the works and will be communicated once it is finalized. For more information regarding this announcement, click the link in our bio
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner declared a health emergency for Houston, which impacts the Rodeo and a number of other events in the city.
Scheduled to run from March 3 to March 22—yes, 20 days—Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is one of the largest rodeo and livestock exhibitions in the world. Rodeo Houston features a carnival, a bar-b-que contest, 10K race and some of the best live entertainment in the country. The event pulled in more than 2.5 million attendees during last year’s festivities and more than 1.3 million showed up just for the concerts.
Country music dominates the week’s lineup at NRG Stadium, and this year was no exception. Midland, Willie Nelson, Maren Morris and Chris Young have already performed. A number of country artists were scheduled to perform in the coming days, including Kane Brown, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Chris Stapleton, Luke Bryan and more.
Cancelled Dates: 2019 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Lineup
March 11 – Kane Brown
March 12 – Cody Johnson
March 13 – Lizzo
March 14 – Jon Pardi
March 15 – Dierks Bentley
March 16 – Keith Urban
March 17 – Gwen Stefani
March 18 – Khalid
March 19 – Chris Stapleton
March 20 – Marshmello
March 21 – Brad Paisley
March 22 – Luke Bryan
Despite the growing health concerns regarding the spread of coronavirus, the 55th ACM Awards will proceed as scheduled from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 5. That’s 24 days away.
In addition to announcing the award show’s first round of performers on March 11, the Academy released a statement: “The Academy of Country Music and Dick Clark Productions remain committed to serving fans and our Country Music community by producing THE 55th ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS™ live from Las Vegas on April 5 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. We are closely monitoring the situation along with the MGM team, who are in continuous contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Southern Nevada Health District, and other agencies and experts for guidance. We will take every precaution to ensure the safety of our artists, staff, crew, guests and attendees.”
Here are a few news-worthy notes regarding coronavirus and Las Vegas:
The Southern Nevada Heath District reported the first presumptive positive case of coronavirus on March 5, and a second person tested with a presumptive positive case on March 8.
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In addition to hosting the 55th ACM Awards on April 5 in Las Vegas, Keith Urban will also take the stage to perform. The Academy of Country Music made the announcement via Twitter on March 11.
The Academy also revealed that Miranda Lambert will perform twice. In addition to a solo effort, Miranda will perform “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” with Elle King, Ashley McBryde, Lindsay Ell, Tenille Townes and Caylee Hammack. The tune is nominated for Musical Event of the Year.
The ACM Awards will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 5 (live 8–11 p.m. ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network and be available to stream live and on-demand across digital platforms on the CBS All Access subscription service.
Zac Brown Band has cancelled more than a dozen dates on its The Owl Tour amid public health concerns relating to the coronavirus.
The band made the announcement via Facebook on March 10, stating: “Out of caution and due to increasing public health concerns, Zac Brown Band is postponing the spring 2020 leg of “The Owl Tour.” This was an extremely difficult decision, but the well-being of our fans is always our top priority. Rescheduled dates for all spring shows (through Nashville on April 25) will be announced soon. We ask that our fans retain their tickets as they will be honored on the new dates. At this time, our “Roar With The Lions” Summer 2020 tour dates (commencing in May) will be performed as planned. Thank you for your understanding.”
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Football is back in Tennessee as the Volunteers opened spring practice with the first of 15 workouts on a rainy Tuesday afternoon at Haslam Field. Head coach Jeremy Pruitt put the squad through a two-plus hour workout in helmets and shorts, focusing on all three phases in the wet conditions.
Pruitt stressed the importance of his team having depth and familiarity with the third year in his system.
“You can tell that it’s the third year in the system. You can tell that we’ve got a lot of guys returning. There weren’t a whole lot of mistakes, so that’s good to see and we can really coach fundamentals.
“We have more numbers at every position. This will be the first time in three seasons that we will be at 85 scholarships.”
The Vols will practice again Thursday before taking off for spring break. Spring practice culminates with the Chevrolet Orange & White Spring Game on Saturday, April 18 at 4 p.m. ET in Neyland Stadium. Admission and parking is free.
Season tickets for the 2020 Tennessee campaign are on sale now at AllVols.com and start as low as $300. Season tickets can also be purchased by calling (865) 946-7000. The Vol Pass also is returning for the 2020 football season. A great option for fans interested in experiencing Neyland Stadium from a different vantage point each game, those interested in learning more about the Vol Pass are encouraged to call (865) 946-7000.
Below is a transcript from Pruitt’s Tuesday night media session:
Opening Statement:
“It was exciting to get back out there on the grass. I felt like we had a lot of enthusiasm, and we should. We’ve got a lot of returning guys with lots of experience. Everybody seems to know where they’re supposed to be. Obviously, we’ve had some turnover with coaches, and it was exciting for me to see these guys out here on the grass. I thought they did a fantastic job. We’ve talked about on both sides of the ball, the No. 1 priority this spring has got to be the ball, on both sides. Starting offensively, securing the football, from quarterback-center exchanges to hand-offs to making decisions, securing the football, whether it’s at wide receiver, quarterback, running back, tight end, or in the kicking game. Defensively, if you get a turnover, secure the football. We’ve got to get more turnovers on defense. That has to be a priority this spring, especially when you talk about fumbles. We did not get nearly enough last year, so that’s got to be a focus for us. I felt like the kids had a great attitude out there today. You can tell that it’s the third year in the system. You can tell that we’ve got a lot of guys returning. There weren’t a whole lot of mistakes, so that’s good to see and we can really coach fundamentals. We’re trying to slow it down this spring as far as installs. We’re making sure that we teach concepts and have a really good understanding of what we’re doing, and I thought our guys did a nice job with that. We have to do a really good job this spring in the kicking game. Losing our snapper last year was a big deal. You don’t worry about that until you don’t have one, so we’ve got lots of competition in that area. It was a great day to be out there. It was wet. We had a lot of rain during practice, so we had a chance to handle the ball in some adverse situations, so that’s good for us and it should help us down the road. When you look at our guys, you can see in this offseason, the growth, I think our strength staff has done a fantastic job getting these guys ready for spring ball. You can see it without guys with just how their bodies have changed over the course of the last year. We’ve got to continue to work hard in the weight room during spring. We’ve got 15 practice. One is down, but you really kind of have a window of about 30 to 35 days here, where we really have to improve and do a good job in our teaching progressions. We’ve got to do a great job correcting in the film room, and in the teaching progressions, setting the table for 11-on-11, and it’s something that, offensively, you need 11-on-11. Defensively, you can do a whole lot of drills and get to that point and build a little more slowly, but to me, offensively, you’ve got to be able to function as a unit, and that’s something that we’ve got to get lots of reps in. With the quarterback position, being able to go two-spot and having enough bodies to practice efficiently with four groups is going to help us there as far as getting reps. There’s good competition there, all of those guys got lots of reps today, so that’s good to see. One thing that I wanted to say before I even started here is that we had a tragedy last week in Nashville, in Middle Tennessee with the tornado and the victims involved. There’s nothing that I can say that can take it all back, but we had some kids on our team that knew people that were affected, and it affected people in our state. Unfortunately, there was some loss of life there, and it makes you appreciate just how important your family is and being thankful for the opportunities that we have every day. That’s something that our kids have really been focused on with trying to be involved in some way with helping the victims, and that’s something that we’ll continue to do.”
On if there’s a different feeling with it being his third season here …
“I believe it was obvious that we do have some experience. When you compare the last two (seasons), we’re further along now, which we should be with the experience that we have coming back. I think our kids are excited to be back out there, and we’ve had a great offseason. Guys have worked really hard, Coach Fitz (Craig Fitzgerald) and his guys have done a fantastic job with helping them grow, get stronger, and change their bodies, and getting them ready to practice. So, I felt like we were in really good condition today for the first day, and I felt like as the practice went, the stronger we got.”
On Jimmy Brumbaugh coming here and what he saw from him today …
“Jimmy is a guy that I’ve known for a long time. When he was playing at Auburn, we played against each other, and he’s a guy that has really grown in the profession with the work that he’s done at every stop along the way. He’s a great teacher and motivator. You kind of know what you’re getting in him every single day. You can see it out here when I’ve sat in meetings with him with how he teaches. I think he’s really hands-on and he brings a lot of knowledge at that position having played that position. He really is the style of defensive line coach that we’re looking for. When we had the job come open, we didn’t interview anybody else. We didn’t interview him. We just offered him the job and he came.”
On having consistency at the offensive coordinator position …
“Well the longer you do something, the better you should be at it. I felt like as the season went, we played a little cleaner. We didn’t turn the ball over as much and that is something that we need to build on this offseason. We have a lot of players coming back. We lost a lot of really good players also, so we have some holes to fill there. When it comes to terminology, understanding expectations, I feel like with Jim (Chaney) and this offensive staff being here this second time around, we are further ahead than we were this time last year. We have to continue to get better every single day. There needs to be a lot of growth on the offensive side. If they continue to give the effort in the meeting rooms and on the field, we will get there.”
On the consistency at the strength coach position …
“I can’t say enough about Craig and his guys and what they have done over the last three years. Our guys continue to get bigger, stronger, develop discipline and a lot of mental toughness. In the offseason, Craig is a guy that is in high demand. That is no secret. There have been several jobs that have been open across our league and Craig was the first guy that they called. He decided to stay here. He is in demand because he is good at what he does.”
On the development of the players in his third year …
“We have more numbers at every position. This will be the first time in three seasons that we will be at 85 scholarships. Obviously, that helps. My first spring, we might have had five scholarship offensive linemen. We moved guys over there, but we have some depth there. On both sides in the interior, we are obviously a lot bigger than we were the first year. These guys have to develop and learn to play together and create the right habits. We have competition here, so that should be good moving forward.”
“Unfortunately, Cooper broke his foot last fall. He probably played the entire high school season with a stress fracture that got worse as the season went. He had to have a procedure done when he first got here. He is not going to be able to participate this spring. It is unfortunate for him, because he is a guy that we are expecting to compete. He is a tough guy that we targeted early in the recruiting process and we feel like he plays the right way. He is learning. He understands the situation and he has to take mental reps.”
On the quarterback competition this spring …
“From the quarterback standpoint, the first thing to me is when you play the position and your team has the ball, how does the drive end. We might throw it 15 times or we might run it 15 times. What is the end result? Part of being a quarterback is getting the other 10 guys to be at their best. Lots of times we get hung up on their stats. A lot of that affects some of that. Does every possession end in a kick? That is what we need to do. If we do that we have a chance to have success.”
On players having limitations during practice this spring …
“We have several guys that their practices will be modified a little bit during spring. Baylen (Buchanan) and Emmit’s (Gooden) practices will be modified. Emmit is probably ready to go, but six months for an ACL seems too soon for me. He will do a lot of things in a controlled environment. We have several guys like that. The fact that they can practice in certain scenarios gives them the chance to grow and develop as a player.”
On the quarterback reps …
“I think that Jarrett (Guarantano) has played a lot of ball. If you look over the last half of the year, Jarrett did a lot of really good things to help us win football games. J.T. did some things in the South Carolina game and in the UAB game that helped us win. Brian showed some promise at times. All of these guys are going to continue to improve. We have good competition there. Jarrett is a guy that has played a lot of ball. When you look at all three of those guys, there are a lot of positives that they do. We have to eliminate a few mistakes that we made last year. With another year in the system, that is something that we are working on. We have a couple other quarterbacks in that room. Harrison Bailey, Jimmy Holiday, Kasim Hill, they are taking the same amount of reps too. We have to figure out who our first, second and third quarterback is. They will have a chance to do that throughout the spring. That’s for every position. In this business, you’re only as good as your last game, whether you are a coach or a player. There always needs to be competition so everyone will be at their best.”
On the quarterback competition as it progresses …
“Well the plan right now is to rep six guys. If there is a point in time where we feel like someone eliminates themselves, we would go down. We are going to continue to work in four groups. There are going to be a lot of opportunities to throw and create some chemistry on the offensive side of the ball. We practice like that in our scrimmages so these guys will have plenty of opportunities.”
“That’s one of the positions that we don’t have a lot of depth at this spring. Brian is a guy that has worked with me at a couple of spots. Really, when we came here, he is probably a defensive guy. He can coach any position, but I think he’s very bright, he understands what we are doing on that side of the ball, he understands the importance of the inside backers being signal-callers. Whether you’re counting inside backer or outside backers, there’s four or five guys that aren’t here yet that will fall into that mix and create some depth and competition as fall camp gets here.”
“Jordan is a guy who has a unique story, really. He was a high school wide receiver/tight end and signed in that position. He ended up going to a junior college and converted to an outside linebacker/defensive end. He only played the position one year. When he got here, if you talked to him, he’d probably played a lot more offense in his life than he has defense. We worked him at outside linebacker and felt like he had some promise there. With his injury that he had last year, just talking to us, he wanted to move to the offensive side of the ball and we know he has a skill set there. We need some depth there so it just made sense.”
“Well this is a big spring for J.J. He missed summer and fall camp of his freshman year. He really missed last spring and summer so this is the first time he’s really getting the ABC’s of it. It’s a big spring for him and you can see the growth. He’s learning and has more confidence. He just needs to get out there and compete and play ball and give himself an opportunity to have success.”
