Summer Ball Update #3: Christian Scott Impressing Out West

Summer Ball Update #3: Christian Scott Impressing Out West

Posted on July 2, 2019
Christian Scott / Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. –  Tennessee freshman outfielder Christian Scott has been a key piece in the lineup for the Arroyo Seco Saints in the California Collegiate League and posted some more solid performances last week, with hits in all five games he played in.

Read more about Scott’s performances as well as other Vols playing summer ball below.

Each week on UTSports.com, we will provide an update on all of the Vols participating in the various summer leagues around the country.

USA Baseball Collegiate National Team (Team Website)
LHP Garrett Crochet
Season Stats: 1 App, 0 GS, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 2 BB, 1 K, 2.00 WHIP

The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team wrapped up its Red vs. Blue Scrimmages on Sunday and will take on the Coastal Plain League Select Team on Monday before cutting the roster down to 26 players prior to the 8th USA vs. Cuba International Friendship Series that will take place July 2-6 in Cary, Charlotte, Durham and Hickory, North Carolina.

Crochet threw two shutout innings in his only appearance of the Red vs. Blue series. The big lefty faced nine batters, registering one strikeout while allowing two hits and two walks in the outing. He is scheduled to pitch two more innings in Monday’s scrimmage against the CPL Select Team.

Following Monday’s context, Team USA’s 26-man roster will travel to Taiwan for the 19th USA vs. Chinese Taipei International Friendship Series after which USA Baseball will announce a final 24-man roster to compete in the 43rd USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series from July 16-21 in Japan.

Cape Cod League (Full League Stats)
OF Zach Daniels – Orleans Firebirds
Season Stats: 13 GP, 3 R, 5 H, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 0 BB, 14 K, .156 AVG, .156 OBP, .219 SLG

Daniels drove in a pair of runs with a triple and also scored a run in a 3-3 tie at Cotuit on June 26. The Georgia native also scored a run in a 10-6 win over Cotuit on June 28.

LHP Will Heflin – Harwich Mariners
Season Stats: 3 App, 0 GS, 1-0, 1 SV, 0.00 ERA, 8.1 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 3 BB, 12 K, 0.72 WHIP

In his only appearance last week, Heflin allowed just two hits and had three strikeouts over three shutout innings to earn his first save of the summer as the Mariners picked up a 6-0 victory over Hyannis on June 28. The junior lefty has yet to give up a run and has surrendered just three hits in 8.1 innings of work this summer.

RHP Sean Hunley – Brewster Whitecaps
Season Stats: 2 App, 2 GS, 1-1, 5.14 ERA, 7.0 IP, 6 R, 4 ER, 10 H, 1 BB, 6 K, 1.57 WHIP

Hunley did not see action last week for the Whitecaps. He was the losing pitcher in a loss to Cotuit on June 23 after allowing three runs on four hits in three innings of work to fall to 1-1 for the summer.

OF Alerick Soularie – Brewster Whitecaps
Season Stats: 9 GP, 7 R, 6 H, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 4 BB, 5 K, 1 SB, .207 AVG, .303 OBP, .345 SLG

Soularie went 1-for-4 in his only game played last week as Brewster was beaten 11-0 by Wareham on June 26.

RHP Chase Wallace – Orleans Firebirds
Season Stats: 4 App, 0 GS, 0-0, 2.57 ERA, 7.0 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 7 K, 1.29 WHIP

Wallace gave up his first two runs of the summer in Orleans’ 10-6 win over Cotuit on June 28. The Sevierville native struck out one batter and allowed three hits and a walk in 1.2 innings of work in his lone appearance last week.

California Collegiate League (Full League Stats)
OF Justin Ammons – Conejo Oaks
Season Stats: 11 GP, 8 R, 14 H, 5 2B, 7 RBI, 5 BB, 8 K, 2 SB, .292 AVG, .358 OBP, .396 SLG

Ammons continued his solid play this summer with another productive week for the Oaks. The Memphis native had hits in four of five games played, including a 3-for-5 performance against the Academy Barons on June 28. Ammons registered a pair of base hits and drove in two runs against the San Luis Obispo Blues on June 25 as well. The junior outfielder is tied for the team lead with five doubles and is tied for sixth on the team in hits despite playing fewer games than most of the players on the team.

INF Pete Derkay – Arroyo Seco Saints
Season Stats: 5 GP, 3 R, 4 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 5 BB, 4 K, .286 AVG, .474 OBP, .500 SLG

Derkay has reached base in all five games he’s played in and has hits in three of five contests. The Georgia native went 2-for-4 and hit a grand slam against the Conejo Oaks on June 29.

INF Max Ferguson – Orange County Riptide
Season Stats: N/A

Ferguson has not seen action yet this summer.

INF Luc Lipcius – Arroyo Seco Saints
Season Stats: 4 GP, 3 R, 3 H, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K, 1 SB,  .188 AVG, .278 OBP, .188 SLG

Lipcius did not see action last week. He went 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI in his second game of the summer against Conejo on June 8. Lipcius followed that with another hit and two runs scored against Orange County on June 9.

INF Trey Lipscomb – Orange County Riptide
Season Stats: 5 GP, 4 R, 3 H, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K, 2 SB, .188 AVG, .278 OBP, .188 SLG

Lipscomb has a hit in his past two games and drove in two runs against the Arroyo Seco Saints on Sunday. The Maryland native also drew two walks and scored a pair of runs on June 26 against the Saints.

C Connor Pavolony – Santa Barbara Foresters
Season Stats: 13 GP, 7 R, 10 H, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 8 BB, 13 K, .250 AVG, .412 OBP, .275 SLG 

Pavolony had three hits, three walks and scored four runs in five games played last week. The freshman catcher went 2-for-3 with a run scored on Sunday against the Academy Barons. Pavolony has also thrown out five of 10 base stealers this summer.

RHP Elijah Pleasants – Academy Barons
Season Stats: 6 App, 1 GS, 0-0, 2 SV, 2.70 ERA, 13.1 IP, 10 R, 4 ER, 11 H, 2 BB, 17 K, 0.98 WHIP

Pleasants had three strikeouts in two shutout innings of relief on June 26 against the Santa Barbara Foresters but struggled a little bit in his first start of the summer on Saturday. The freshman right hander allowed five runs (three earned) on six hits while striking out four batters in five innings of work against the Foresters.

OF Evan Russell – Arroyo Seco Saints
Season Stats: 7 GP, 8 R, 4 H, 1 2B, 4 RBI, 7 BB, 4 K, 4 SB, .167 AVG, .375 OBP, .208 SLG

While Russell is batting just .167, he has reached base in six of his seven games played, drawing seven walks. In five games last week, Russell scored seven times and stole four bases. The Lexington, Tenn., native had two hits, two runs and two RBI against the Orange County Riptide on June 26 and followed that performance with a single and three runs against the Academy Barons on June 27.

OF Christian Scott – Arroyo Seco Saints
Season Stats: 15 GP, 11 R, 14 H, 3 2B, 2 3B, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 14 K, 7 SB, .246 AVG, .317 OBP, .368 SLG

Scott is on a five-game hit streak entering this week after recording at least one base knock in every game he played in last week. The Clarksville, Tenn., native had two singles, scored a pair of runs and stole a base against Conejo Oaks on June 29. He had another hit, scored a run and stole two more bases on Sunday against the Orange County Riptide. Scott is tied for the team lead with seven steals this summer.

Coastal Plain League (Full League Stats)
RHP Caleb Pearson – Forest City Owls
Season Stats: 5 App, 4 GS, 0-2, 6.10 ERA, 20.2 IP, 17 H, 20 R, 14 ER, 19 BB, 11 K, 1.74 WHIP

Pearson received a no-decision in the Owls 7-6 victory over the Asheboro Copperheads on June 28 after allowing five runs (four earned) on four hits and four walks in 5.1 innings.

RHP Joshua Plummer – Fayetteville SwampDogs
Season Stats: 3 App, 3 GS, 1-1, 4.38 ERA, 12.1 IP, 7 H, 9 R, 6 ER, 10 BB, 14 K, 1.38 WHIP

Plummer did not see action last week for the SwampDogs. He had his best start of the summer in a 9-6 win over Holly Springs on June 23. The Virginia native struck out six batters and allowed just one earned run on two hits and three walks in five innings of work to improve his record to 1-1 for the summer.

INF Jake Rucker – Forest City Owls
Season Stats: 13 GP, 7 R, 8 H, 3 2B, 5 RBI, 6 BB, 12 K, 2 SB, .195 AVG, .313 OBP, .268 SLG

Rucker started the week off right, driving in all three of Forest City’s runs while also recording two hits in a 5-3 loss to High Point-Thomasville in game one of a doubleheader. In the second game of the doubleheader, Rucker had a hit and scored two runs in a 13-7 win.

Northwoods League (Full League Stats)
INF Austin Knight – Kalamazoo Growlers
Season Stats: 7 GP, 7 R, 7 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 5 BB, 9 K, 3 SB, .259 AVG, .375 OBP, .370 SLG

Knight had a strong finish to the week with back-to-back multi-hit and multi-RBI games over the weekend. The freshman infielder had three hits – including his first home run – with three runs scored and two RBI on Saturday in a 12-2 win against the Kokomo Jackrabbits. He followed that by smacking two more hits and driving in three more runs in a 10-5 win over the Jackrabbits on Sunday.

RHP Tanner Kohlhepp – Eau Claire Express
Season Stats: 4 App, 4 GS, 1-0, 5.30 ERA, 18.2 IP, 18 H, 12 R, 11 ER, 7 BB, 14 K, 1.34 WHIP

Kohlhepp struggled in his lone start last week, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits and two walks while recording just two strikeouts in 3.1 innings. The Express won the game 12-5 as Kohlhepp received a no-decision.

Ohio Valley League (Full League Stats)
C Matthew Ellis – Dubois County Bombers 
Season Stats: 11 GP, 6 R, 14 H, 2 2B, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 1 BB, 9 K, .341 AVG, .364 OBP, .463 SLG

Ellis currently ranks fourth on the Bombers with a .341 batting average and is third on the team with 12 RBI after driving in eight runs in five games played last week. The Kentucky native homered, had four base hits and drove in six runs in the Bombers 13-7 win over Fulton on Sunday. He also had three hits and two RBI against the Henderson Flash on June 25.

RHP Bennett Shoptaw – Dubois County Bombers
Season Stats: 5 App, 2 GS, 1-1, 7.63 ERA, 15.1 IP, 24 H, 16 R, 13 ER, 6 BB, 15 K, 1.96 WHIP

Shoptaw had a pair of solid outings for the Bombers last week. The freshman right hander tossed 2.1 shutout innings to earn his first win of the summer in a victory over the Muhlenberg County Stallions on June 27. On Saturday against the Owensboro RiverDawgs, Shoptaw allowed two runs but struck out five in 2.2 innings of relief.

Expedition League (Full League Stats)
RHP Hunter Dreves – Western Nebraska Pioneers
Season Stats: 6 App, 4 GS, 1-1, 9.00 ERA, 15.0 IP, 14 H, 27 R, 15 ER, 29 BB, 18 K, 2.87 WHIP

Dreves fell to 1-1 on the summer after a rough start on June 30 as the Pioneers were routed by the Badlands Big Sticks, 22-11.

Hamptons League (Full League Stats)
C Landon Gray – Westhampton Aviators
Season Stats: 12 GP, 5 R, 10 H, 2 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 9 BB, 12 K, 2 SB, .286 AVG, .444 OBP, .429 SLG

Gray had a huge game in a 22-3 blowout victory against the North Fork Ospreys on June 27. The junior catcher reached base in all five plate appearances, going 2-for-2 with two runs, a homer and four RBI while also drawing three walks. Gray also had a hit, scored a run and drove in a run in a 10-8 win over the Southampton Breakers on June 28.

-UT Athletics

VFLs Harris, Richardson Teaming Up in Philly

VFLs Harris, Richardson Teaming Up in Philly

Posted on July 1, 2019
Credit: UT Athletics

A pair of VFLs and NBA veterans appear to be teaming up as members of the Philadelphia 76ers.

In moves that were first reported Sunday by the extraordinarily reliable Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Tobias Harris (2010-11) has agreed to a five-year, $180 million contract to remain with Philadelphia, and Josh Richardson (2011-15) is joining the Sixers from the Miami Heat.

Harris initially came to Philly via a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers in February. He averaged 18.2 points over the final 27 games of the regular season with his new team—starting all of them and playing 35.0 minutes per game—before the 76ers made a run to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. He became a free agent this summer and chose to agree to a long-term deal Sunday to remain in the City of Brotherly Love. His new deal is the richest contract in franchise history.

Harris is embarking on his ninth NBA season in 2019-20. He started all 82 regular-season games last year. He averaged a career-best 20.0 points per game during the regular season, and his 18.2 ppg with the Sixers ranked second on the team. For his career, Harris averages 15.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while shooting .364 from 3-point range.

Richardson’s move to Philadelphia comes as the 76ers work to complete a multi-team, sign-and-trade deal with veteran swingman Jimmy Butler.

Richardson in 2019-20 enters his fifth NBA season—the previous four with Miami, which drafted him in 2015. The 26-year-old has started 154 games over the last two seasons and averages 12.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists during his NBA career. He also shoots at a .368 clip from 3-point range. His averages for points, rebounds and assists have improved every year as a pro.

Other SEC alums on the current Philadelphia roster include Ben Simmons (LSU) and Al Horford (Florida).

Free agency is still ongoing, but after Sunday’s movement throughout the league, the Sixers appear poised to be among the top contenders in the NBA Eastern Conference.

 

UT Athletics

Watch Thousands of Fans Sing Along as Carrie Underwood Closes Her UK Show With “Before He Cheats”

Watch Thousands of Fans Sing Along as Carrie Underwood Closes Her UK Show With “Before He Cheats”

Posted on July 1, 2019

Carrie Underwood closed her set at the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, England, on June 29 with a rendition of “Before He Cheats” that had the zealous crowd singing along.

The five-day festival, which debuted in 1970, drew an estimated crowd of more than 200,000 patrons. Carrie was featured on the headlining Pyramid stage with a who’s who of artists, including Janet Jackson, Hozier, Kylie Minogue, Lauryn Hill, Miley Cyrus, The Killers and more. Previous country acts to play the iconic festival include Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash.

“Before He Cheats,” which was featured on Carrie’s debut studio album, Some Hearts, topped the Billboard Country Airplay chart in 2007. C

Watch Carrie’s performance of “Before He Cheats” from the Glastonbury Festival below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaKJ0c9p2AM

Lee Brice Scores 6th No. 1 Single With “Rumor”

Lee Brice Scores 6th No. 1 Single With “Rumor”

Posted on July 1, 2019

Lee Brice scored his sixth No. 1 single as “Rumor” hit the top spot on both the Mediabase chart and Billboard Country Airplay chart this week.

Co-penned by Lee, Ashley Gorley and Kyle Jacobs, “Rumor” is Lee’s first No. 1 single since “Drinking Class” reached the top of the Mediabase chart in Summer 2015.

“Watching it hit the number one spot on the Billboard and Mediabase charts is unreal,” says Lee. “I’m truly grateful to our supporters at radio, streaming platforms, TV and media, but I have to shout-out our incredible fans who have supported it by tuning in, downloading, streaming and coming to see our shows.”

“Rumor” is featured on Lee’s 2017 self-titled album.

Eric Church Says Top 5 Hit, “Some Of It,” Almost Wasn’t Included on “Desperate Man” Album

Eric Church Says Top 5 Hit, “Some Of It,” Almost Wasn’t Included on “Desperate Man” Album

Posted on July 1, 2019

Eric Church has another Top 5 hit on his hands with “Some of It,” which is the second single from his 2018 album, Desperate Man.

Co-penned by Eric, Jeff Hyde, Clint Daniels and Bobby Pinson, “Some of It” finds Eric dispensing “some” fatherly advice during the chorus: “Some of it you learn the hard way / Some of it you read on a page / Some of it comes from heartbreak / Most of it comes with age / And none of it ever comes easy / A bunch of it you maybe can’t use / I know I don’t probably know what I think I do / But there’s something to some of it.”

According to Eric, “Some of It” almost didn’t make the track list for Desperate Man. It was only after his wife, Katherine, played the song for a friend that Eric decided to revisit his upcoming track list.

“I was playing the album for a dear friend of ours, and my wife was with me, and it was just the three of us playing the album, and my wife said, ‘But let me play you what didn’t make it,’” says Eric. “And the first thing she played was ‘Some of It.’ I hadn’t listened to it in a while, and it was always a favorite song of mine, and I listened to it that night and went, ‘I’m gonna regret if I don’t record this song.’ I think my hesitation was because, initially, all the stuff that I thought was gonna be the pillars for this album just bombed, so I was scared of that song. But I think it’s really interesting that the album took on an identity that allowed ‘Some of It’ to make it from where it started to where it is now.”

Where it is now? No. 3 on the Mediabase chart.

photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

Kenny Chesney to Release New Single, “Tip of My Tongue”

Kenny Chesney to Release New Single, “Tip of My Tongue”

Posted on July 1, 2019

Almost a year after releasing his previous single, Kenny Chesney will return to country radio on July 12 with “Tip of My Tongue.”

Co-penned by Kenny, Ross Copperman and Ed Sheeran, “Tip of My Tongue” will be the first taste of Kenny’s upcoming 18th studio album, which will be released via Blue Chair/Warner Music Nashville.

“It’s funny how a figure of speech can lead you to all kinds of places,” says Kenny. “You start talking, and words fall out, and anything can happen. When you go in and write on any given day, the chemistry is what it is. When the idea fell out, we all just laughed and went, ‘Well, what can we do with that?’ I’ve written so much with Ross [Copperman], that’s always easy. He brought Ed [Sheeran] in, and he is such a great writer . . . The way creativity works in creative people is so different, but it’s always exciting. As a co-write with a new writer, it’s one of the most fun sessions I’ve done in a long time. I get why people love working with him.”

No released date has been announced for the new album, which will be helmed by longtime producer Buddy Cannon.

“Tip of My Tongue” arrives on July 12 at 5 a.m. CT.

photo by AFF-USA.com

Watch Midland Team With Brooks & Dunn on “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” for “CMT Crossroads”

Watch Midland Team With Brooks & Dunn on “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” for “CMT Crossroads”

Posted on July 1, 2019

CMT Crossroads crossed up its playbook its recent episode featuring Brooks & Dunn.

Instead of collaborating with a cross-genre artist—as is the norm on CMT Crossroads—Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks joined forces with a number of country stars featured on their recent Reboot album, including Brett Young, Cody Johnson, Jon Pardi, Luke Combs, Midland and Brandon Lancaster from LANCO. The hour-long episode was tapped on June 4 in downtown Nashville during CMA Fest week.

Midland—the trio of Mark Wystrach, Cameron Duddy and Jess Carson—joined Brooks & Dunn onstage to perform “Boot Scootin’ Boogie,” which topped the charts back in 1992.

Check out their performance below.

photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

Watch Chris Young Debut Tear-Inducing New Song, “Drowning,” on the Grand Ole Opry

Watch Chris Young Debut Tear-Inducing New Song, “Drowning,” on the Grand Ole Opry

Posted on July 1, 2019

The Grand Ole Opry released a video of Chris Young debuting his touching new song, “Drowning,” on the Opry in June.

Co-penned by Chris, Corey Crowder and Josh Hoge, “Drowning” was partly inspired by the death of Chris’ close friend, Adam, and features lyrics: “So tonight I’m gonna pull out pictures, ones with you in ’em / Laugh and cry a little while reminiscing / By myself, I can’t help that all I think about is / How you were taken way too soon / It ain’t the same here without you / I gotta say, missing you comes in waves / And tonight I’m drowning.”

Toward the end of Chris’ Opry performance of “Drowning,” he was so overcome with emotion that he ended the song prematurely.

“When I wrote this song with Corey Crowder and Josh Hoge, we each thought of someone that we lost way too soon,” said Chris via Instagram. “For me, it was one of my best friends, Adam. Missing you comes in waves and tonight I’m drowning. This one is for you, brother.”

“Drowning” will be featured on Chris’ upcoming eighth studio album, Raised On Country, which is expected to drop later this year.

Watch Chris’ performance of “Drowning” on the Opry below.

photo by NCD

35 U. of Tennessee players in NFL as training camps approach, all 32 team camp dates

35 U. of Tennessee players in NFL as training camps approach, all 32 team camp dates

Posted on June 28, 2019
Running back John Kelly (42) of the Los Angeles Rams works out on the eighteenth day of offseason voluntary training, Phase 2, Wednesday, May 16, 2018, in Thousand Oaks, CA. (Will Navarro/Rams)

By Vince Ferrara / @VinceSports

Here’s an updated list of University of Tennessee players in the National Football League a few weeks before the start of training camps preparing for the 2019 season.

Teams are in their final break before training camps open in mid-to-late July. I’ve included the dates and locations for rookies and veterans starting camps for all 32 NFL teams below. NFL rosters are expanded right now and can be kept at up to 90 players until final preseason cuts August 31, 2019.

I’ve included some notes, jersey numbers, unofficial depth chart positions and more. You will also see the list of players with local ties to the Knoxville area or were once at the UT but transferred elsewhere to finish their college careers.

I’ll update this list throughout the year here on my blog “Vince’s View.” Bookmark my blog page and check back often.

News – Most Recent Tennessee Vols/Local Non-UT Players in the NFL
-P Matt Darr signed with the NY Jets
-Carson-Newman WR Dorren Miller was released by the Eagles

Numbers – Vols in the NFL
-Currently 35 U. of Tennessee players on NFL teams
-3 VFL rookies are in the NFL right now (none are draft picks)
-Pittsburgh has the most UT players with 4
-DL, DB & P are the largest positions of VFLs in the league right now with 5
-21 of the 32 teams have a UT player
-There are 10 players that are either one-time Vols or are Knoxville area players that did not attend UT
-5 of the 10 Local/Non-UT players in the league are rookies

Tennessee Volunteers On NFL Teams as of 6/28/19 (35) x = rookie
Atlanta Falcons
Luke Stocker (80) TE (2nd team TE)
Training Camp: Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch, GA
Rookies: 7/18 – Veterans: 7/21

Baltimore Ravens
Morgan Cox (46) LS (starting LS)
Training Camp: Under Armour Performance Center in Owings Mills, MD
Rookies: 7/17 – Veterans: 7/24

Buffalo Bills
Jason Croom (80) TE (5th team TE)
Training Camp: St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY
Rookies: 7/22 – Veterans: 7/24

Carolina Panthers
Michael Palardy (5) P (starting P/H)
Rashaan Gaulden (28) DB (starting FS)
Ethan Wolf (86) TE (4th team TE)
Training Camp: Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC
Rookies: 7/24 – Veterans: 7/24

Chicago Bears
Tyler Bray (9) QB (3rd team QB)
Cordarrelle Patterson (84) WR/KR (2nd team WR & starting KR)
Training Camp: Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, IL
Rookies: 7/22 – Veterans: 7/25

Cincinnati Bengals
Josh Malone (80) WR (3rd team WR)
Training Camp: Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, OH (1st practice in Dayton, OH)
Rookies: 7/24 – Veterans: 7/26

Cleveland Browns
Britton Colquitt (4) P (starting P/H)
Training Camp: Cleveland Browns Training Complex in Berea, OH
Rookies: 7/24 – Veterans: 7/24

Dallas Cowboys
Jason Witten (82) TE (starting TE)
Training Camp: Marriott Residence Inn in Oxnard, CA
Rookies: 7/26 – Veterans: 7/26

Denver Broncos
Alexander “AJ” Johnson (45) LB (3rd team ILB)
Ja’Wuan James (70) OT (starting RT)
Training Camp: UCHealth Training Center in Englewood, CO
Rookies: 7/17 – Veterans: 7/17

Detroit Lions
Jalen Reeves-Maybin (44) LB (2nd team OLB)
Justin Coleman (27) DB (starting NCB)
Training Camp: Detroit Lions Training Facility in Allen Park, MI
Rookies: 7/18 – Veterans: 7/24

Houston Texans
Zach Fulton (73) OL (starting RG)
Trevor Daniel (8) P (starting P/H)
Training Camp: Houston Methodist Training Center in Houston, TX
Rookies: 7/21 – Veterans: 7/24

Kansas City Chiefs
Dustin Colquitt (2) P (starting P/H)
Kahlil McKenzie (66) OG (2nd team LG)
Training Camp: Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, MO
Rookies: 7/23 – Veterans: 7/26

Los Angeles Rams
John Kelly (42) RB (5th team RB)
Training Camp: University of California, Irvine in Irvine, CA
Rookies: 7/24 – Veterans: 7/26

Minnesota Vikings
Micah Abernathy (46) DB (3rd team FS)-x
Training Camp: TCO Performance Center in Eagan, MN
Rookies: 7/22 – Veterans: 7/25

New England Patriots
Jacob Johnson (47) FB/TE (3rd team TE)
Training Camp: Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA
Rookies: 7/21 – Veterans: 7/24

New Orleans Saints
Alvin Kamara (41) RB (starting RB/starting PR)
Shy Tuttle (74) DT (4th team DE)-x
Colton Jumper (51) LB (4th team WLB)
Training Camp: New Orleans Saints Training Facility in Metairie, LA
Rookies: 7/18 – Veterans: 7/25

New York Jets
Kyle Phillips (98) DE (3rd team DE)-x
Matt Darr (3) P (2nd team P)
Training Camp: Atlantic Health Jets Training Center in Florham Park, NJ
Rookies: 7/19 – Veterans: 7/24

Philadelphia Eagles
Derek Barnett (96) DE (starting DE)
Malik Jackson (97) DT (starting DT)
Training Camp: NovaCare Complex in Philadelphia, PA
Rookies: 7/24 – Veterans: 7/24

Pittsburgh Steelers
Ramon Foster (73) OG (starting LG)
Daniel McCullers (93) NT (2nd team NT)
Cameron Sutton (20) DB (3rd team CB/2nd team FS)
Joshua Dobbs (5) QB (2nd team QB)
Training Camp: Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA
Rookies: 7/24 – Veterans: 7/25

San Francisco 49ers
Emmanuel Moseley (41) CB (4th team CB)
Training Camp: SAP Performance Facility in Santa Clara, CA
Rookies: 7/26 – Veterans: 7/26

Tennessee Titans
LaTroy Lewis (45) LB (2nd team OLB)
Training Camp: Saint Thomas Sports Park in Nashville, TN
Rookies: 7/22 – Veterans: 7/25

Recent Free Agents From Late Last Season That Played at U. of Tennessee
Eric Berry S
Justin Hunter WR
Jordan Williams DL
James Stone OL
Justin Martin DB
Quart’e Sapp LB
Alexis Johnson Jr. NT
Kendal Vickers DE
Alex Ellis TE
Keller Chryst QB

Teams Without Any Players On Current Expanded Rosters From UT (11)
Arizona Cardinals
Training Camp: State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ
Rookies: 7/17 – Veterans: 7/24

Green Bay Packers
Training Camp: St. Norbert College in De Pere, WI
Rookies: 7/22 – Veterans: 7/24

Indianapolis Colts
Training Camp: Grand Park in Westfield, IN
Rookies: 7/21 – Veterans: 7/24

Jacksonville Jaguars
Training Camp: TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, FL
Rookies: 7/22 – Veterans: 7/24

Los Angeles Chargers
Training Camp: Jack Hammett Sports Complex in Costa Mesa, CA
Rookies: 7/24 – Veterans: 7/24

Miami Dolphins
Training Camp: Baptist Health Training Facility in Davie, FL
Rookies: 7/21 – Veterans: 7/24

New York Giants
Training Camp: Quest Diagnostics Training Facility in East Rutherford, NJ
Rookies: 7/22 – Veterans: 7/24

Oakland Raiders
Training Camp: Napa Valley Marriott in Napa, CA
Rookies: 7/23 – Veterans: 7/26

Seattle Seahawks
Training Camp: Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton, WA
Rookies: 7/17 – Veterans: 7/24

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Training Camp: AdventHealth Training Center in Tampa, FL
Rookies: 7/21 – Veterans: 7/25

Washington Redskins
Training Camp: Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center in Richmond, VA
Rookies: 7/24 – Veterans: 7/24

*Note via NFL Communications: The first official practice of training camp for each club at the site designated above is generally held the day after the veteran reporting date

UT Players In The NFL By Position (35)
QB – 2
RB – 2
WR – 2
TE – 4
FB – 1
OL – 4
DL – 5
LB – 4
DB – 5
P – 5
PK – 0
LS – 1

Knoxville Area Players/Finished College Elsewhere After UT (10) x = rookie
Buffalo Bills
Lee Smith TE (85) *Powell HS/Tennessee/Marshall (3rd team TE)

Dallas Cowboys
Randall Cobb (18) WR *Alcoa HS/Kentucky (2nd team WR)
Chris Jones (6) P *Carson-Newman (starting P/H)

Los Angeles Chargers
Daniel Helm (41) TE *Tennessee/Duke (5th team TE)-x

Miami Dolphins
Preston Williams (82) WR *Tennessee/Colorado State (3rd team WR)-x
Dewayne Hendrix (73) DE *Tennessee/Pittsburgh (3rd team DE)-x

Minnesota Vikings
Harrison Smith (22) S *Catholic HS/Notre Dame (starting FS)

Oakland Raiders
Nathan Peterman (2) QB *Tennessee/Pittsburgh (3rd team QB)

San Francisco 49ers
Jalen Hurd (17) WR *Tennessee/Baylor (2nd team WR)-x

Tennessee Titans
D’Andre Payne (28) CB *Tennessee/Iowa State (5th team CB)-x

Free Agents Among Local Players/One-Time Vols
Venzell Boulware OL-x
Dorren Miller WR

Find more of my broadcasting work at VinceSports.net.

Tennessee Finishes Strong in Directors’ Cup, Lands in Top 25

Tennessee Finishes Strong in Directors’ Cup, Lands in Top 25

Posted on June 28, 2019

UT has improved by 21 spots in the last two years

UT / Credit: UT Athletics

The final Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cup standings for 2018-19 were released Thursday, and Tennessee posted its highest finish in eight years, landing at No. 25.

Tennessee’s finish this year was eighth-best among Southeastern Conference schools after landing at 12th in 2016-17 and 11th a year ago.

This year’s finish is a vast improvement from Tennessee’s 46th-place finish in 2016-17 and UT’s best final placement since 2010-11 (22nd). UT finished 35th in last year’s standings and has steadily ascended over the last two years.

Tennessee is one of only four schools among top-50 finishers that has improved its Directors’ Cup placement by at least 20 spots over the last two years (joining Texas Tech, Arizona State and Duke) and one of only two SEC schools to have posted a double-digit improvement during that span (joining Vanderbilt).

Tennessee joined Florida State and Louisville as one of only three Division I schools that earned NCAA Tournament berths in men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, soccer, baseball and softball during the 2018-19 academic year.

A complete breakdown of Tennessee’s 2018-19 scoring contributions follows.

FALL

Women’s Soccer – 73 points

Tennessee’s highest-scoring sport in this year’s Directors’ Cup standings, the Vol soccer team made its farthest postseason run in program history, advancing to the quarterfinals as a No. 2 national seed. Tennessee’s final 16-3-3 record was good for the program’s highest winning percentage (.795) and fewest losses (3) in a single season.

Women’s Volleyball – 50 points

In Eve Rackham‘s first season as head coach of the Tennessee volleyball program, the Lady Vols returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in eight years and advanced to the second round. The 2018 season saw Tennessee increase its win total from the previous season by 14 wins overall and 11 wins in conference play. UT finished second in the SEC, an eight-place jump in the conference standings.

Men’s Cross Country – 27 points

The men’s cross country team put together one of its best seasons in more than a decade, finishing fourth at the SEC Championships and third at the NCAA South Region Championships, one spot away from making nationals as a team. Senior Zach Long finished second at the NCAA South Region meet and qualified as an individual for the NCAA Championships, finishing 204th. Karl Thiessen earned SEC All-Freshman honors, taking 16th at SECs and NCAA Regionals.

WINTER

Women’s Swimming & Diving – 70.5 points

The women’s swimming and diving team finished eighth overall at the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships, with the 200 Medley Relay team of Madeline Banic, Meghan Small, Nikol Popov and Erika Brown bringing home a national title. The team earned 25 All-America honors in total.

Men’s Swimming & Diving – 65.3 points

The men’s swimming and diving team finished 11th at the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships for the second consecutive year. Senior Colin Zeng took home a national title on the 1-meter springboard, while Tennessee finished with a total of 19 All-America honors.

Men’s Basketball – 64 points

In one of the best seasons in program history, the men’s basketball team spent an entire month of the season ranked No. 1 in the nation and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the eighth time in program history. Led by 2019 SEC Player of the Year and first-team All-American Grant Williams, first-team All-SEC selection Admiral Schofield and second-team honoree Jordan Bone, the Vols tied a program record with 31 wins and earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the third time ever.

Women’s Indoor Track & Field – 50.5 points

Three Lady Vols made their way to the podium with top-eight finishes at the NCAA Championships, as Tennessee tied for 21st place on the team leaderboard with 10 points. LaChyna Roe and Alonie Sutton took fourth and seventh place, respectively, in the women’s triple jump competition, while Stamatia Scarvelis posted a sixth-place finish in the weight throw. Scarvelis posted a top-10 mark in NCAA history at the SEC Championships, as her sixth and final heave of 24.06m (78-11.75) was the No. 7 mark in collegiate history to win gold at the conference meet. Maia McCoy also stood out for the Lady Vols with bronze-medal performances in the 60m and 200m dashes – the only athlete in the SEC (male or female) to medal in both of those events.

Men’s Indoor Track & Field – 37.5 points

Tennessee’s men’s indoor track and field team finished 35th at the NCAA Indoor Championships with seven points, as junior high jumper Darryl Sullivan cleared a lifetime-best mark of 2.26m (7-5) to tie for second place overall. At the SEC Indoor Championships, the Vols finished sixth in the team standings with 50 points – notching the program’s highest finish and point total since 2009. Mustaqeem Williams took home a gold medal in the men’s 200m dash, while Zach Long (3,000m) and Joseph Maxwell (shot put) each claimed bronze in their respective events.

Women’s Basketball – 25 points

The women’s basketball team made the NCAA Tournament for a 38th consecutive season and rose as high as No. 9 in the AP Poll during the 2018-19 campaign. Sophomore Rennia Davis was tabbed second-team All-SEC, while Zaay Green was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team.

SPRING

Softball – 64

The softball program posted a 17th consecutive season of 40-plus wins and advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals for the seventh time in the past eight years. The Lady Vols’ second-place SEC finish was the highest for the program since 2014. Senior infielder Aubrey Leach was tabbed first-team All-American by Softball America.

Men’s Tennis – 64 points

The men’s tennis team finished the season 13th in both the ITA and USTA polls, while advancing to the NCAA Tournament round of 16 for the first time since 2014. Seniors Timo Stodder and Preston Touliatos advanced to the semifinal round of the NCAA doubles championships, becoming the first doubles pair to reach the semifinals in five years.

Baseball – 50

In Tony Vitello‘s second season at the helm of the Tennessee baseball program, the Vols made their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2005. Tennessee’s 40 wins on the season were the most for the program in 14 years. The Vols finished the season with 10 shutout wins, which tied a program record.

Women’s Golf – 50 points

The women’s golf team qualified for the NCAA Championships for the 12th time under head coach Judi Pavon, advancing out of the NCAA Regionals with a sixth-place finish. The Lady Vols finished in the top six in eight tournaments, with a pair of victories at the Starmount Classic in October and the Florida Atlantic Winter Warm Up in February. Michaela Williams’ 14 rounds of par or better tied for the sixth-most in a single season in school history.

Women’s Tennis – 50 points

Alison Ojeda‘s third season as the head coach of the Tennessee women’s tennis program saw the Lady Vols record their best regular-season win total in 16 years and advance to a third straight NCAA Tournament. Over the course of the season, UT defeated four top-25 teams. Individually, Sadie Hammond and Kaitlin Staines became the program’s first All-Americans since 2013.

Men’s Golf – 40.5 points

In Brennan Webb‘s first season as head coach, the Tennessee men’s golf team won a program-record-tying three tournaments and had its highest NCAA Regional finish since 2012. Redshirt sophomore Hunter Wolcott rounded out the season with a 71.91 stroke average — the fourth-best individual single-season mark in program history.

Men’s Outdoor Track & Field – 11.5 points

During the men’s outdoor track and field season, the Vols claimed three All-America citations at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, highlighted by an eighth-place finish from Mustaqeem Williams in the 200-meter dash for first-team honors. Joseph Maxwell (shot put) and Georgios Korakidis(weight throw) earned second-team acclaim. Tennessee finished seventh in the team standings at the SEC Championships with 68 points – the highest total for the Vols since 2008. Williams (100m and 200m), Alex Crigger (steeplechase), Maxwell (shot put), Darryl Sullivan (high jump) and Jalen Tate (triple jump) all claimed All-SEC honors with top-three results in their respective events.

Women’s Outdoor Track & Field – 5 points

Eight Lady Vols earned All-America status at the national championships during the outdoor track and field season, headlined by Stamatia Scarvelis’ eighth-place outing in the women’s hammer throw. Tennessee additionally claimed second-team All-America accolades in the triple jump (LaChyna Roe, Alonie Sutton), 100m hurdles (Alexis Duncan) and women’s 4×400-meter relay (Layla White, Brooklynn Broadwater, Martina Weil and Lenysse Dyer). Scarvelis won the SEC Commissioner’s Trophy, designated for the highest point-scorer at the conference meet. The senior captain tallied 23 points with an SEC title in the hammer, second-place finish in the discus and fourth-place result in the shot put.

-UT Athletics

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