UT Places All-Time Best 69 on 2019 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll

UT Places All-Time Best 69 on 2019 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll

Credit: UT Athletics

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The University of Tennessee placed an athletics department-record 69 student-athletes on the 2019 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll, which was announced Friday by league commissioner Greg Sankey.

The Vol football program led the way with 37 making the list. The soccer team followed with 10 members earning academic honors, while the volleyball team had nine, men’s cross country had eight and women’s cross country had five members garnering accolades.

A total of 1,066 student-athletes were named to the 2019 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll. It includes the sports of cross country, football, soccer and volleyball, and it is based on grades from the 2019 Spring, Summer and Fall terms.

Any student-athlete who participates in a Southeastern Conference championship sport or a student-athlete who participates in a sport listed on his/her institution’s NCAA Sports Sponsorship Form is eligible for nomination to the SEC Academic Honor Roll.

The  following  criteria  will  be  followed:  (1)  A  student‐athlete  must  have  a  grade point average of 3.00 or above for either the preceding academic year (two semesters or three quarters) or have a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or above  at  the  nominating  institution.  (2)  If  a  student‐athlete  attends  summer  school, his/her grade point average during the summer academic term must be included in the calculation used to determine eligibility for the Academic Honor Roll.  (3)  Student‐athletes  eligible  for  the  Honor  Roll  include  those  receiving  an  athletics scholarship, recipients of an athletics award (i.e., letter winner), and non‐scholarship student‐athletes who have been on a varsity team for two seasons. (4) Prior to being nominated, a student‐athlete must have successfully completed 24 semester  or  36  quarter  hours  of  non‐remedial  academic  credit  toward  a  baccalaureate degree at the nominating institution. (5) The student‐athlete must have been a member of a varsity team for the sport’s entire NCAA Championship segment.

University of Tennessee 2019 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll Members 

Men’s Cross Country (8)
Max Barbour – Supply Chain Management
Nick Boogades – Environmental & Soil Sciences
Nick Brey – Physics
Gashaw Duhamel – Accounting
Conner Hawkins – Neuroscience
Joe Hoots – Mechanical Engineering
Adam Johnston – Mechanical Engineering
Devin Sullivan – Business Administration Exploratory Track

Women’s Cross Country (5)
Sarah McCabe – Supply Chain Management
Megan Murray – Neuroscience
Sydney Seymour – Marketing
Abigail Smith – Kinesiology
Katie Thronson – Biological Sciences

Football (37)
Chris Akporoghene – University Undecided
Tanner Antonutti – Recreation & Sport Management
Paul Bain – Communication Studies
Devante Brooks – Communication Studies
Paxton Brooks – Kinesiology
Matthew Butler – Political Science
Ty Chandler – Recreation & Sport Management
Brent Cimaglia – Management
Andrew Craig – Supply Chain Management
Tanner Dobrucky – Supply Chain Management
Joe Doyle – Management
Princeton Fant – Sociology
Grant Frerking – Supply Chain Management
Nyles Gaddy – Finance
Eric Gray – Kinesiology
Ryan Johnson – Civil Engineering
Tim Jordan – Communication Studies
Brandon Kennedy – Sport Psychology and Motor Behavior
Landon Knoll – Agricultural Leadership
Gatkek Kueth – Neuroscience
Cheyenne Labruzza – Supply Chain Management
Ollie Lane – Kinesiology
Riley Lovingood – Sport Management
Jackson Lowe – Communication Studies
Cameron Miller – Interdisciplinary Programs
Chip Omer – Communication Studies
Josh Palmer – Finance
Jake Powers – Recreation & Sport Management
Jay Shoop – Business Analytics
J.T. Siekerman – Business Analytics
Trey Smith – Recreation & Sport Management
Marcus Tatum – Recreation & Sport Management
Alontae Taylor – Communication Studies
Cedric Tillman – Communication Studies
Jacob Warren – Kinesiology
Toby Wilson – Accounting
Jake Yelich – Finance

Soccer (10)
Abbey Burdette – Business Exploratory
Katie Cousins – Theatre
Claire Franks – Communication Studies
Wrenne French – Public Relations
Erin Gilroy – Supply Chain Management
Salera Jordan – Conservation
Maya Neal – Sport Management (Graduate Student)
Mackenzie Ostrom – Journalism & Electronic Media
Charli Pogany – Political Science
Amy Thompson – Anthropology

Volleyball (9)
Alyssa Andreno – Recreation & Sport Management
Ava Bell – Political Science
Lily Felts – Recreation & Sport Management
Tessa Grubbs – Therapeutic Recreation
Danielle Mahaffey – Mathematics
Giana Pellizzon – Journalism & Electronic Media
Raquel Perinar – Communication Studies
Asha Phillips – Kinesiology
Addisyn Rowe – Biochemistry

 

UT Athletics

#23 Lady Vols Can’t Overcome #8 MSU, Fall 72-55

#23 Lady Vols Can’t Overcome #8 MSU, Fall 72-55

Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The No. 23/25 Lady Vols took a lead into the second quarter but couldn’t hang on, falling to No. 8/8 Mississippi State on Thursday night in Thompson-Boling Arena, 72-55.

Sophomore Rae Burrell led Tennessee (17-6, 7-3 SEC), scoring 20 points and pulling down 10 boards to record a double-double in her first career start and her third overall. Freshman Jordan Horston and sophomore Jazmine Massengill were also in double digits with 12 and 11, respectively, as the Lady Vols played without leading scorer Rennia Davis (18.1 ppg.), who is recovering from a bout with the flu.

Rickea Jackson was Mississippi State’s (21-3, 9-1 SEC) high scorer, tallying 14 points and nine rebounds. Chloe Bibby was close behind with 13 points.

UT out-rebounded Mississippi State, 40-39, as both teams recorded 16 offensive boards. Tennessee shot at a 36.2 percent clip from the field while holding the Bulldogs to a 40-percent performance that was 7.5 percent below their 47.5 season mark. The Big Orange also held MSU 9.5 points below their typical scoring average of 81.5.

Tennessee jumped out to a 3-0 lead early in the game after Massengill scored a jumper and Horston made a free throw. The Bulldogs responded with a 4-0 run, but Burrell got the Lady Vols the lead back by draining a jumper and a free throw, making it 8-6.

The Big Orange went on a 7-0 run that included back-to-back fast break buckets from Burrell to give UT a 15-11 lead. Tennessee finished the quarter with two unanswered scores from Kasiyahna Kushkituah and Massengill, giving the Lady Vols a 21-19 advantage after ten minutes.

Burrell led the team with nine points and three rebounds in the first period. UT also out-rebounded MSU, 12-10, and shot at a 47.4 percent rate.

In the second quarter, Kushkituah scored the opening points for the Lady Vols and gave them a 23-21 lead. Mississippi State responded with a 10-0 run, which was ended by a lay-in from Horston. The freshman went on to score the last three points for Tennessee, cutting the Big Orange’s deficit to 38-30 at the half.

Coming out of the break, Massengill got points on the board for UT and the Lady Vols closed to within six after scores from Horston, freshman Tamari Key and Burrell, making it 43-37 with 4:48 left in the third stanza. The Bulldogs then went on an 8-0 run and held Tennessee to just one more bucket in the quarter to give themselves a 56-40 lead going into the final period.

UT opened up the fourth quarter with a lay-in from Key and a three-pointer from Massengill, cutting MSU’s lead to 11. Burrell continued her stellar performance by scoring the Big Orange’s next seven points, and Horston closed out the game by scoring a three-pointer with 29 seconds left.

Up Next: UT will return to action next Thursday, traveling to Baton Rouge, La., for a 7:30 p.m. ET (6:30 CT) rematch against #RV/RV LSU. The game will be available for streaming via SECN+ and broadcast on Lady Vol Network radio stations.

Have A Day, Rae: Sophomore Rae Burrell turned in a double-double in her first-ever start with a game-high 20 points and 10 rebounds. It’s her third double-double of the season and her 10th double-digit scoring performance of the season, four of which have come during SEC play.

Offense Picking Up: Tennessee’s 55 points against Mississippi State were the most points the Lady Vols have scored against a top-10 opponent this season.

 

UT Athletics

Midland to Drop New Live Album on Feb. 28

Midland to Drop New Live Album on Feb. 28

Midland—the trio comprised of Mark Wystrach, Cameron Duddy and Jess Carson—re-opend iconic West-coast venue The Palomino for a special concert on Oct. 15, 2019.

Now the trio is commemorating the performance with a new album, Midland Live From the Palomino, which will drop on Feb. 28. The 10-song offering features Midland’s current single, “Cheatin’ Songs,” as well as Top 5 hits, “Drinkin’ Problem” and “Burn Out,” and more.

“Places like this are disappearing, so you want to remember, to grab the moments while you still can,” says Mark Wystrach. “You think about who’s been on that stage and you can’t help but feel connected to so much greatness. We live for hardcore honky-tonks, and to be able to hold onto that night and bring a little slice of it through this album to our fans is special for us.”

Midland Live From the Palomino

1. “Playboys” – Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
2. “Let It Roll” – Jess Carson
3. “Burn Out” – Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
4. “21st Century Honky Tonk American Band” – Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Rhett Akins, Bob DiPiero
5. “Cheatin’ Songs” – Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
6. “Mr. Lonely” – Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Shane McAnally, JoshOsborne
7. “I Love You, Goodbye” – Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
8. “Fast Hearts And Slow Towns” – Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Marv Green, Jon Nite
9. “Cheatin’ By The Rules” – Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Rhett Akins, Bob DiPiero
10. “Drinkin’ Problem” – Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne

main photo by O\’Connor, AFF-USA.com

Carly Pearce Talks Self-Titled Album, Busbee Friendship, Opry Importance, Gaining Confidence, Finding Love & More

Carly Pearce Talks Self-Titled Album, Busbee Friendship, Opry Importance, Gaining Confidence, Finding Love & More

Jim Casey talks with Carly Pearce about:

  • releasing her self-titled sophomore album on Feb. 14
  • finding confidence over the last few years
  • the evolution of her music since releasing her 2017 debut project, Every Little Thing
  • her friendship with writer/producer busbee, who passed away in September 2019
  • the responsibility of keeping busbee’s music alive
  • the success of Top 20 single, “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” which features Lee Brice
  • songwriters featured on the new album, including Little Big Town, Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Combs, Thomas Rhett, Shane McAnally and more
  • making her vocals the focal point of the new album
  • finding and recording “Finish Your Sentences,” which is a duet with husband Michael Ray
  • co-writing “Halfway Home,” which highlights Carly’s vocal talent
  • learning from past tours with Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton and more
  • upcoming tour with Old Dominion
  • the importance of the younger generation performing on the Grand Ole Opry

Podcast Participants:

  • Carly Pearce
  • Jim Casey, editor in chief of Nash Country Daily

photo by NCD

Hoops Preview: Tennessee vs. #15 Kentucky

Hoops Preview: Tennessee vs. #15 Kentucky

Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee men’s basketball team returns home to Thompson-Boling Arena to take on the 15th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday afternoon. Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m. ET on CBS.

Saturday’s game can be seen on CBS, online through CBS Sports Live and on any mobile device through the CBS Sports App. Fans can access CBS Sports Live here. Ian Eagle and Bill Raftery will have the call.

Fans can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear Bob Kesling and Bert Bertlekamp describing the action.

Although Saturday’s game is sold out, fans can still purchase tickets through Vivid Seats. Access to the Vivid Seats website can be found here.

Last time out, the Vols rallied back from a 15-point deficit to knock off SEC foe Alabama, 69-68. The victory was the first time UT came back to win a game when trailing by at least 15 points, since March of 2017 when they took down Alabama.

Tennessee was led by 20-point scoring outputs from senior Jordan Bowden and Junior John Fulkerson. Bowden finished the night with 20 points (16 of which came in the second half), knocking down 10-of-11 attempts from the free throw line, while adding a career-high six steals. Fulkerson closed out the contest with a career-high 22 points, converting on 8-of-9 field goal attempts. His eight makes from the field also tied a career-high.

Junior Yves Pons was huge for the Vols on the glass, finishing with a career-high 14 rebounds, with eight being offensive rebounds.Pons also added 14 points and three blocks, increasing his blocks streak to 22 games. His best moment of the night came in the game’s waning moments with the Vols up two. Alabama guard Jaylen Forbes drove into the lane trying to tie the game, before Pons rejected his shot attempt to seal the UT victory.

Tennessee is currently riding a four-game home win streak against the Wildcats and a win would keep head coach Rick Barnes undefeated against Kentucky at home during his coaching tenure on Rocky Top.

A win would also even the series to 52-52 between the programs when the games are played in Knoxville.

Up next, Tennessee stays at home for a Tuesday night matchup with Arkansas. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network.

THE SERIES
• Tennessee trails the all-time series with Kentucky, 155-73, dating to 1910.
• The Wildcats have a 52-51 edge when the series is played in Knoxville.
• Tennessee has beaten Kentucky in Knoxville in each of the last four seasons and has never lost at home to the Wildcats under Rick Barnes.
• Overall, the Vols have won four of their last six games vs. Kentucky.

A WIN WOULD…
• Even the all-time series at 52-52 when it is contested in Knoxville.
• Give the Vols five consecutive home wins over Kentucky.

STORYLINES
• This week one year ago, Tennessee was ranked No. 1 in both major polls.
• An unranked Tennessee team has defeated a Kentucky team ranked in the AP top 15 16 times previously, most recently in 2017.
• Tennessee ranks fourth nationally in average home attendance, drawing 18,742 fans per game this season. Saturday’s game is a sellout.
• Junior forward John Fulkerson scored a career-high 22 points on 8-of-9 shooting during Tuesday’s win at Alabama. He is shooting a career-best .652 this season.
• Vols freshman Josiah-Jordan James has missed Tennessee’s last two games with a groin injury. He had started every game prior to last Saturday, and his current status is day-to-day.
• Tennessee logged neutral-site victories over Seton Hall teams coached by the legendary Bill Raftery in 1976 and 1978.

LAYUP LINES
• Tennessee leads the SEC in scoring defense (61.5 ppg, 20th nationally) and ranks third in field-goal percentage defense (.389, 27th nationally).
• Junior forward Yves Pons has blocked at least one shot in every game this season. He leads the SEC and ranks 20th nationally with 2.6 bpg. His 2.9 bpg during SEC play also leads the league.
• Freshmen Josiah-Jordan James (13-28) and Santiago Vescovi (19-50) combine to shoot .410 from 3-point range during SEC play.
• Tennessee has finished each of its last two home games with only four offensive rebounds. That ties for the fewest amount of offensive boards by the Vols during the Barnes era (four-plus seasons).
• For the first time in program history, Tennessee on Feb. 1 started a lineup that included four different nationalities (American, French, Serbian, Uruguayan).

ABOUT KENTUCKY
• Kentucky sits near the top of the SEC as we hit the midpoint of the league play. The Wildcats (17-5, 7-2 SEC) bounced back from a tough road loss at Auburn Saturday by knocking off Mississippi State, 80-72, on Tuesday night.
• Head man John Calipari, in his 11th year leading the Wildcats brought in another top recruiting class, headlined by guard Tyrese Maxey. Calipari was faced with replacing last year’s production from departed NBA Draft picks Tyler Herro and PJ Washington.
• The Wildcats have received solid production from junior center Nick Richards. Richards is currently UK’s leading scorer (14.6 ppg), rebounder (8.3 rpg) and shot-blocker (2.2 bpg). He has been especially big on the glass during league play, where he ranks third in the conference, pulling in 9.2 boards per game.
• Sophomore guard Ashton Hagans has also been big in leading the Wildcat offense. His 7.0 assists per game lead the SEC and rank eighth in the country. He’s also been big on the defensive end, recording a team-high 2.1 steals per game.
• Another scoring threat for the Wildcats has been sophomore Immanuel Quickley. He, like Richards is averaging 14.6 points per game this season. However he has upped that average to 17.4 ppg in league play, which ranks fifth in the SEC.
• Notable Kentucky alumni include Thomas Hunt Morgan. Morgan was a famous evolutionary biologist who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1933 for his groundbreaking research that discovered the role of the chromosome in human heredity.

SERIES HISTORY & NOTES
• The Kentucky series is UT’s oldest and most-played among SEC opponents. The Vols and Wildcats first met on Feb. 5, 1910, and have clashed 228 times over the years.
• On 13 different occasions—first in 1950 and most recently in 2019 (twice)—Tennessee has defeated a Kentucky team ranked in the AP top five.
• No program in college basketball has logged more wins over Kentucky than Tennessee (73).
• Kentucky is one of only two SEC schools (along with Alabama) to lead its all-time series against the Volunteers.
• Four Tennessee All-Americans were Kentucky natives: Allan Houston, Chris Lofton, Danny Schultz and Paul “Lefty” Walther.
• Tennessee has 15 all-time wins over the Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena, including four straight.

LAST TIME VS. KENTUCKY
•  Facing an eight-point deficit with three minutes left, No. 8 Tennessee rallied in the final moments to down No. 4 Kentucky, 82-78, in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament on March 16, 2019, at Bridgestone Arena.
•  For the second straight year, the Vols advanced to the tournament championship game.
•  UT struggled to get any offense going for the majority of the second half, missing 15 out of 20 shots during a 13-minute stretch. However, Tennessee rallied in the face of adversity.
•  After UK’s Keldon Johnson drove to the basket and converted an “and-1” play, the Wildcats had all the momentum, and Big Blue Nation was roaring with 2:58 left to play. SEC Player of the Year Grant Williams responded 13 seconds later by drawing a foul and knocking down both free throws.
•  Lamonté Turner stepped up with 30 seconds left and drained a 3-pointer to give the Vols an insurmountable lead.
•  Jordan Bone iced the game in the final seconds, knocking down all four of his free throws to keep the Big Orange up by two possessions the remainder of the way.
•  Tennessee’s All-SEC trio paved the way for the come-from-behind victory, standing as the top three scorers in the game. Admiral Schofield finished with a game-high 21 points, while Williams recorded 20 points, 17 of which came in the second half, seven rebounds and was 9-of-11 from the charity stripe. Bone added 18 points and five assists.

MEMORABLE VOL PERFORMANCES AGAINST KENTUCKY
• Kevin Punter Jr.’s 27 points were the most scored by a Vol against the Kentucky in 10 years as Tennessee defeated the Wildcats, 84-77, Feb. 2, 2016, in Knoxville. The senior point guard made three 3-pointers and was 11-of-12 at the free-throw line.
• Chris Lofton reeled off 31 points, Major Wingate scored 12 and longtime NBA point guard C.J. Watson added 10 as No. 11 Tennessee beat Kentucky 75-67 at Rupp Arena on Feb. 7, 2006.
• Beating the Wildcats was three times as nice during the 1978-79 season. UT notched program win No. 900 in Lexington on Jan. 20, 66-55, before topping UK 101-84 in Knoxville on Feb. 17. Then the Vols won the 1979 SEC Tournament with a 75-69 win over UK in Birmingham, Alabama, on March 3. Current Vol Network radio analyst Bert Bertelkamp was a junior on that Tennessee team.
• As Bernard King walked off the court at Memorial Gym after a deflating 88-82 loss on Jan. 13, 1975, a Kentucky fan flipped a lit cigarette into the Tennessee legend’s hair. Outraged, King vowed he would never lose to Kentucky again. He vigorously carried out that promise, finishing his career 5-1 against the Wildcats.

BARNES + CALIPARI = 1,400+ WINS
• Saturday’s game features the two winningest coaches (total career Division I wins) in the SEC.
• John Calipari is the league’s active leader in career wins, with 725. Rick Barnes is a close second with 705 victories to his credit.
• Among all active Division I head coaches, Calipari and Barnes rank sixth and seventh, respectively, in total head coaching wins.
• Barnes and Calipari became friends while working a Pitt basketball camp in the late 1970s. The star player at that camp? Current Arizona head coach Sean Miller.

CALIPARI AMONG TENNESSEE’S MOST-FACED ACTIVE COACHES
• On Saturday, John Calipari will coach his 28th career game against the Vols. Among active college coaches, he has the most career meetings against Tennessee.

VOLS HAVE NINE WINS AGAINST CALIPARI 2.0
• Since UK coach John Calipari returned to the college game in 2000-01, Tennessee has dealt him 11 losses. No team has more wins over Calipari-coached teams during that span.

BOWDEN A FINISHER
• In Tennessee’s last four games, senior guard Jordan Bowden has scored 89 percent of his points in the second half. He has averaged 16.0 points during that span, while his second-half scoring average stands at 14.3 points.

 

UT Athletics

Softball Preview: No. 12/11 Lady Vols at the Kajikawa Classic

Softball Preview: No. 12/11 Lady Vols at the Kajikawa Classic

Credit: UT Athletics

The Lady Vols will kickstart the season with a 10-day road trip, journeying west to Tempe, Ariz., for the first leg of the trip before continuing on to Mexico. Set to participate in the competitive Kajikawa Classic for the fourth time in program history on Feb. 8-10, No. 12/11 Tennessee will face three top-25 opponents in its opening weekend of play.

In its 2020 lid-lifter, UT is pitted against No. 14/15 Northwestern on Feb. 8 at 3:30 p.m. (ET), before finishing double-header Saturday against Kansas at 8:30 p.m. Both outings will be played at Tempe Sports Complex (TSC) on Field 1.

Tennessee will open against Western Michigan on Sunday morning at 11:30 a.m. again on TSC Field 1 before facing off against powerhouse No. 5/5 Arizona at 6:30 p.m. at Farrington Stadium. The Lady Vols-Wildcats matchup will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks.

UT concludes opening weekend with a Monday night game against host-team No. 22/22 Arizona State at 9 p.m., which will also be televised on the Pac-12 Networks.

Broadcast Info

Fans can listen to the action online at utsports.com by clicking the listen link on the schedule page or by downloading the Tennessee Gameday App, with Brian Rice calling all of the action.

Tennessee’s games against Arizona and Arizona State will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Networks. Check your local listings for channel information.

The Lady Vols matchups with Northwestern, Kansas and Western Michigan will be live streamed on FloSoftball.com and require a subscription.

Quick Hits

Lady Vols Key Returnees

UT looks to have a strong showing offensively returning nearly 70 percent of its runs and hits this season. The Lady Vols look for leadership on the infield from senior and Preseason All-SEC selection Chelsea Seggern, who will be moving to shortstop from the hot corner. Seggern finished 2019 with a .366 hitting clip and started 54 games for the Orange and White. She led the team with 16 doubles, accounted for 35 runs and is the team’s top RBI returner after recording 46 RBIs last season.

Tennessee also expects a jolt from the return of Ally Shipman who was sidelined after 22 games last season due to injury. Shipman, a sophomore, is the Lady Vols top catcher and showed much promise during her freshman campaign tabbing a .328 batting average, 21 hits, and 20 RBI in her limited time.

In the circle, sophomore and Preseason All-SEC honoree Ashley Rogers will look to have another impressive year. Rogers was a standout freshman and quickly became the team’s ace as she spun her way to 21 wins, third most in the SEC and 209 strikeouts, second in the SEC and 36th in the nation. The Athens, Tenn., native finished with a 1.94 ERA in 173.1 innings of work. She steps into a new role as the team’s veteran pitcher, despite only being in year two of her collegiate career after the departure of Matty Moss and Caylan Arnold.

Newcomers, New Energy

The Tennessee roster looks to be energized by a talented young freshman class. Comprised of eight newcomers: Anna Fox (Columbia, Tenn.), Kiki Milloy (Woodinville, Wash.), KK McCrary (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), Josie Willingham (Medon, Tenn.), Callie Turner (Land O’Lakes, Fla.), Amanda Curran (The Woodlands, Texas), Anna Hazlewood (Martin, Tenn.) and Madison Webber (Sevierville, Tenn.) – the first-year Lady Vols were ranked the No. 6 recruiting class by Softball America. The UT staff expects to start several of the freshmen out the gate and give significant playing time to the entire group.

The group is highlighted by the No. 5 recruit in the nation Milloy, daughter of former NFL player Lawyer Milloy. Kiki Milloy won a Washington state championship in 2017 and was also named as the Defensive Player of the Year in basketball in 2018 and proved to be equally versatile and athletic during the Lady Vols’ fall season. Milloy’s sister, Amirah, plays softball for the top-ranked Washington Huskies. Kiki Milloy could potentially lead off the offense for UT this season.

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 opens the programs 25th year in extant as the season commences on Feb. 8 in Tempe, Ariz., against Northwestern.

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

No. 14/15 Northwestern

2019 record: 47-13, 21-2 (Big Ten)

Series record: 6-6

Last outing: A No. 11 UT won 6-1 in Cathedral City, Calif., on Feb. 24, 2018

Key player/stat: Sophomore pitcher Danielle Williams, who became the first player in Big Ten history to win NFCA National Freshman of the Year Award after leading the Big Ten with 31 wins and 13 shutouts to go along with a 1.55 ERA (51 ER/230.0 IP) and 317 strikeouts in 2019. Williams was recently named to the Collegiate Player of the Year Watchlist by USA Softball.

 

Kansas

2019 record: 15-36, 3-15 Big 12

Series record: 4-2

Last outing: UT run-ruled Kansas 9-0 in five innings in Knoxville on Feb. 22, 2019

Key player/stat: The Jayhawks return sophomore infielder Morgyn Wynne who led the team with a .298 batting average and eight home runs. KU also has a six-member pitching staff that includes three upperclassmen.

 

Western Michigan

2019 record: 18-28, 9-11 MAC

Series record: 2-0

Last outing: Exactly two years ago, in Tempe, Ariz., the Lady Vols downed the Broncos 6-2 on Feb. 9.

Key player/stat: Sydney Stefanick returns for her junior season after a campaign that earned her NFCA DI All-Region First Team and All-MAC First Team accolades. The pitcher led the Broncos with a 3.05 ERA and a 10-10 record with 97 strikeouts.  The Broncos outhit opponents 353-325 in 2019 and limited batters to a .261 average, while totaling a team hitting average of .276.

 

No. 5/5 Arizona

2019 record: 48-14, 19-5 Pac-12

Series record: 5-14

Last outing: On May 22, 2016 the Wildcats downed the Lady Vols 4-3 in Knoxville

Key player/stat: Arizona boasts 14 returners of which three are All-Americans, making UA one of just three teams in the NCAA to have three-plus All-Americans returning: seniors Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza, shortstop Jessie Harper (the 2019 NCAA home run leader (29), and Reyna Carranco (2019 Pac-12 Batting Champion (.433 reg. season avg.).

 

No. 22/22 Arizona State

2019 record: 35-20, 13-11 Pac-12

Series record: 3-2

Last outing: On Feb. 8, 2018, the Lady Vols beat the Sun Devils 7-4 in Tempe.

Key player/stat: Picked to finish fourth in the Pac-12, ASU returns its offensive leader in senior Kindra Hackbarth who finished 2019 with a .412 hitting clip, 67 runs, 70 hits, 18 doubles and 17 homers. She added 57 RBI to the ledger and earned a .841 slugging percentage. Hackbarth also proved stealthy around the bags, swiping 15 bases on 16 attempts.

On Deck

The Lady Vols continue on to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico from Tempe for the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge Feb. 13-15. Tennessee will face the Mexican National Team to open the five-game outing, before rivaling Colorado State, Utah, No. 6/6 Texas and California Baptist. The games will be held at the Campo de Softball Nancy Almaraz. FloSoftball will live stream all of the action with a subscription fee.

 

UT Athletics

Soularie Named to Preseason All-SEC First Team

Soularie Named to Preseason All-SEC First Team

Credit: UT Athletics

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Tennessee junior outfielder Alerick Soularie was named to the Preseason All-SEC first team as announced by the league office on Thursday.

This is the latest preseason accolade for the Houston native, who has already been named to Preseason All-America teams by D1Baseball, Baseball American and Perfect Game after a breakout sophomore season. Soularie led the Vols in batting average (.357), slugging percentage (.602), on-base percentage (.466) and runs scored (52) while ranking second on the team in hits (70), home runs (11), runs batted in (46) and total bases (118) in 2019.

Soularie earned numerous postseason honors in 2019, including first-team All-SEC recognition after finishing the year ranked in the top five in the conference in batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage. He was also named a third-team All-American by D1Basaeball.com and an All-America Honorable Mention by Perfect Game.

Vols Pick to Finish Fourth in Eastern Division
The league office also released the preseason coaches’ poll on Thursday.

Tennessee was picked fourth in the eastern division after finishing third in the eastern division standings last season.

Defending SEC and National Champion Vanderbilt was picked to win the division and the league with eight first-place votes, while Arkansas was chosen to win the western division and was one of six teams to receive at least one vote to win the conference.

 

UT Athletics

CMA Announces International Tour With Abby Anderson, Niko Moon, Cassadee Pope & Mitchell Tenpenny

CMA Announces International Tour With Abby Anderson, Niko Moon, Cassadee Pope & Mitchell Tenpenny

The Country Music Association will visit the Pacific Rim in March with an international showcase featuring Abby Anderson, Niko Moon, Cassadee Pope and Mitchell Tenpenny.

The five-date tour, dubbed Introducing Nashville, will visit Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

As part of CMA’s mission to support the expansion of country music around the globe, Introducing Nashville will provide a platform to introduce exciting current artists to international audiences for the first time. Each tour stop will replicate a Nashville writer’s round, with artists appearing onstage together in an acoustic lineup to introduce their songs and talks about their careers and personal stories.

Since its launch in 2019, Introducing Nashville has featured a lineup that includes Danielle Bradbery, Brandy Clark, Devin Dawson, Travis Denning, Lindsay Ell, Walker Hayes, Lauren Jenkins, Logan Mize, Tenille Townes and Rachel Wammack.

Tickets are on sale now.

Introducing Nashville 2020

March 23 | Brisbane, Australia | The Old Museum
March 24 | Melbourne, Australia | The Thornbury Theatre
March 25 | Sydney, Australia | The Factory Theatre
March 28 | Auckland, New Zealand | The Tuning Fork
March 30 | Tokyo, Japan | Blue Note Tokyo

photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

Kane Brown to Play in NBA All-Star Celebrity Game

Kane Brown to Play in NBA All-Star Celebrity Game

Kane Brown will showcase his hoop skills at the 2020 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on Feb. 14.

Kane will join a star-studded lineup from across music, film, TV and sports in the nationally televised game on ESPN. Additional participants include Common, Chance the Rapper, Alex Moffat, Jon Batiste, Taylor Bennett and more.

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith and Michael Wilbon will serve as the celebrity coaches.

The game tips off at 7 p.m. ET on Feb. 14 on ESPN.

Team Michael Wilbon
Common
Bad Bunny
Hannibal Buress
Kane Brown
Jon Batiste
Alex Moffat
Jose Andres
Famous Los
Jidenna
Chelsea Gray
Quentin Richardson

Team Stephen A. Smith
Chance The Rapper
Quavo
Taylor Bennett
LaRoyce Hawkins
Anthony “Spice” Adams
Marc Lasry
Ronnie 2K
Katelyn Ohashi
Lil Rel Howery
A’ja Wilson
Darius Miles

Shania Twain Adds 14 New Shows to Vegas Residency

Shania Twain Adds 14 New Shows to Vegas Residency

Shania Twain has added 14 new dates to her Let’s Go! Las Vegas residency at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.

Aug: 21, 22, 26, 28, 29
Sept: 2, 5, 6
Dec: 2, 4, 5, 9, 11, 12

Shania will serve as the creative director for the new shows, which feature her past catalog of music, videos, seven-piece band, eight male dancers and multiple wardrobe changes. Tickets go on sale on Feb. 14 at 10 a.m. PT, with pre-sale for Citi cardmembers beginning on Feb.11 at 10 a.m. PT. General tickets prices begin at $60 plus taxes and fees.

A limited number of tickets are available for Shania’s previously announced shows:

March: 13, 14, 18, 20, 21, 25, 27, 28
May: 20, 22, 23, 27, 29, 30
June: 3, 5, 6

photo by Arroyo/O\’Connor, AFF-USA.com

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