THREE-PEAT! TENNESSEE ATHLETICS CAPTURES THIRD CONSECUTIVE SEC ALL-SPORTS TROPHY
Courtesy / UT Athletics

THREE-PEAT! TENNESSEE ATHLETICS CAPTURES THIRD CONSECUTIVE SEC ALL-SPORTS TROPHY

Posted on May 29, 2024

UT becomes just the second school in SEC history to win the award three straight years

Tennessee Athletics etched its name into the record book, becoming just the second school to capture three consecutive SEC All-Sports titles, presented by USA Today Network.

“I am so proud of our exceptional student-athletes, coaches, and staff, as well as the unwavering support of our fans and donors here on Rocky Top,” Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White said. “Securing the SEC All-Sports Trophy for the third consecutive year is a testament to the dedication and hard work of everyone involved. As we press forward in our journey at Tennessee, this sustained competitive excellence ignites our determination to pursue even greater accomplishments!”

Tennessee Athletics becoming the top athletics department in the SEC coincides with White taking over the department’s lead in 2021.

Four Tennessee teams captured SEC championships in 2023-24, headlined by No. 1 baseball sweeping both the regular season and tournament titles. Men’s basketball and softball also won regular-season SEC titles. Tennessee became the first school in SEC history to win a men’s basketball, baseball, and softball SEC championship in the same year.

Under White’s leadership, Tennessee has won 12 SEC titles since the spring of 2021. In the four years before White’s arrival, UT won two SEC championships.
Tennessee also finished first in the SEC Men’s All-Sports standings and second in the SEC Women’s All-Sports standings.

Tennessee joined Florida as the only school to win multiple SEC All-Sports titles. 

In its first full academic year under White, Tennessee secured its first-ever SEC Overall All-Sports Trophy in 2022. 

Last year, the second full academic year under White’s leadership, Tennessee became just the second SEC school to capture both the men’s and women’s titles in the same year.

2023-24 USA Today Network SEC Overall All-Sports Standings
1. Tennessee
2. Texas A&M
3. Florida
4. Georgia
5. Arkansas
6. Auburn
7. Alabama
8. LSU
9. Kentucky
10. South Carolina
11. Mississippi State
12. Vanderbilt
13. Mississippi
14. Missouri

2023-24 Men’s All-Sports Standings: 1. Tennessee, 2. Texas A&M, 3. Alabama, 4. Florida, 5. Auburn, 6. Arkansas, 7. Georgia, 8. Kentucky, 9. Mississippi State, 10. LSU, 11. Mississippi, 12. South Carolina, 13. Vanderbilt, 14. Missouri.

2023-24 Women’s All-Sports Standings: 1. Texas A&M, 2. Tennessee, 3. Arkansas, 4. Florida, 5. LSU, 6. Georgia, 7. South Carolina, 8. Auburn, 9. Mississippi State, 10. Vanderbilt, 11. Alabama,12. Kentucky,13. Mississippi, 14. Missouri.

TBI Endangered Child Alert is Still Active for Missing Middle Tennessee Autistic Teen

TBI Endangered Child Alert is Still Active for Missing Middle Tennessee Autistic Teen

Posted on May 29, 2024

It’s been just over three months since 15-year-old Sebastian Rogers went missing from his mother’s Hendersonville home in middle Tennessee.

A TBI Endangered Child Alert remains active for the teen with autism who went missing February 26th and hasn’t been seen since. Authorities that have searched around his home and beyond have found no signs of Sebastian, nor has he been seen on surveillance cameras.

Investigators continue to follow up on tips they receive and in early May, investigators checked out a pair of pants that were found and believed could belong to Sebastian but were quickly ruled out as evidence.

His father, Seth Rogers, has hired private investigators to search for his son. He is also asking the FBI to take over the case. Please call 1-800 TBI FIND if you have any information.

North Central Street Cleanup Means People in Knoxville Will Need to Move Their Cars

North Central Street Cleanup Means People in Knoxville Will Need to Move Their Cars

Posted on May 28, 2024

Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Knoxville city engineers will be organizing a cleanup on North Central Street starting this week, meaning people will need to move their cars or risk being towed.

Crews will be freshening up street markings, replacing signs and sweeping the streets Saturday, June 1 from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; it’s part of a project that will also include trash cleanup and weeding.

If you typically park in the area, you will need to move your car by 6:00 a.m. on Saturday.

“We want to thank residents and business owners, in advance, for their patience as we work on this project,” City Parking Manager Mark Elliott said. “This is similar to the roundup we do in Fort Sanders every year. We will be posting no-parking signs in the days prior to the closure and will be posting reminders on the City’s social media channels.”

City officials add that traffic shouldn’t be affected, but there may be some short-term closures.

VOLS EARN NO. 1 NATIONAL SEED FOR SECOND TIME IN PROGRAM HISTORY
Courtesy / UT Athletics

VOLS EARN NO. 1 NATIONAL SEED FOR SECOND TIME IN PROGRAM HISTORY

Posted on May 28, 2024

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – For the second time in program history, Tennessee is the No. 1 national seed in the NCAA Baseball Tournament.

The Volunteers will begin their postseason run by hosting the Knoxville Regional, which features No. 2 seed Southern Miss (Sun Belt Champion), No. 3 seed Indiana (at-large) and No. 4 seed Northern Kentucky (Horizon League Champion).

UT will be hosting its eighth NCAA Regional in program history and its third in four years. Should the top-ranked Vols advance from the Knoxville Regional, they will also host a Super Regional the following weekend. Tennessee is making its fifth consecutive regional appearance and 14th appearance in the NCAA Tournament overall.

The Big Orange enter the tournament after winning the SEC regular season and SEC Tournament titles for the second time in three years. Tennessee is the only team in the country to enter this year’s NCAA Tournament with 50 wins, boasting a 50-11 overall record.

The Vols will look to continue their home dominance in the postseason, having won their last five regionals in Knoxville. Tennessee is 20-5 all-time in NCAA regional games played at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

UT was one of a NCAA Tournament record 11 teams from the SEC to make the field, including five regional hosts, which led all conferences.

Ticket Info
All Tennessee baseball season-ticket holders were awarded the opportunity to purchase postseason tickets for all games taking place at home. Season tickets were sold out for the 2024 season. A limited number of single-session standing room only tickets will be sold to the general public at the Lindsey Nelson Stadium ticket window starting 90 minutes prior to first pitch of each session. In addition, the first 300 students will receive free admission into Lindsey Nelson Stadium for all postseason contests.

NCAA Knoxville Regional Schedule
A full schedule for the weekend action can be found below, game times and TV designations will be updated as they become available:

Friday, May 31
Game 1 – [2] Southern Miss vs. [3] Indiana, 1 ET (ESPN+)
Game 2 – [1] Tennessee vs. [4] Northern Kentucky, 7 p.m. ET (SEC Network)

Saturday, June 1
Game 3 – Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2, Noon ET (TBD)
Game 4 – Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2, 6 p.m. ET (TBD)

Sunday, June 2
Game 5 – Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4, Noon ET (TBD)
Game 6 – Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 4, 6 p.m. ET (TBD)

Monday, June 3
Game 7 (if necessary) – Winner of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 6, TBD (TBD)

#3 [3] TENNESSEE DROPS HEARTBREAKER TO NO. 14 ALABAMA IN GAME THREE OF SUPER REGIONALS
Courtesy / UT Athletics

#3 [3] TENNESSEE DROPS HEARTBREAKER TO NO. 14 ALABAMA IN GAME THREE OF SUPER REGIONALS

Posted on May 27, 2024

Game Recap: Softball | May 27, 2024

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The third-seeded Lady Vols’ seventh-inning rally fell short Sunday night at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium as they fell in game three of the Knoxville Super Regional to No. 14 Alabama, 4-1.

Tennessee (44-12) saw its SEC championship-winning season end at home but not before it gave one final push to keep the magic alive.

Down 4-0 entering the bottom of the seventh inning, UT mustered up one final rally as McKenna Gibson, Sophia Nugent and Taylor Pannell all reached base to lead off the final half inning.

Pannell’s bunt single scored UT’s first and ultimately only run as pinch-runner Katie Taylor slid home for the score.

Pinch-hitter Jamison Brockenbrough got hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out, but a foul out and a ground-out to shortstop ended the inning and the season.

Payton Gottshall got the start for UT, tossing three innings scattering three hits and allowing four runs on a walk and four strikeouts. The right-hander suffered the loss and ended the season with a 20-5 record.

Alabama (38-18) opened the game with two strikeouts before Kenleigh Cahalan extended the inning with a two-out single. Back-to-back hit-by-pitches loaded the bases for Riley Valentine who hit a grand slam to put the Tide up 4-0.

Game three then entered a two-hour and 57-minute weather delay before the Lady Vols came to bat in the first.

Karlyn Pickens relieved Gottshall to start the fourth inning, closing out the game with two hits, no walks and three strikeouts.

Tennessee ended the night with four hits, while the Crimson Tide managed five.

TOP-RANKED VOLS WIN FIFTH SEC TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP WITH 4-3 WIN OVER LSU
Courtesy / UT Athletics

TOP-RANKED VOLS WIN FIFTH SEC TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP WITH 4-3 WIN OVER LSU

Posted on May 27, 2024

Game Recap: Baseball | May 26, 2024

HOOVER, Ala. – Top-ranked Tennessee secured its fifth Southeastern Conference Tournament Championship, including its second in the last three seasons, after taking down LSU, 4-3, in Sunday’s title game at the Hoover Met.

The Volunteers (50-11) were led by another impressive performance from its pitching staff, highlighted by 4.2 scoreless innings from freshman lefthander Dylan Loy, who earned the win to improve to 2-0 on the year.

Loy’s 4.2 innings pitched were a career high, as were his 78 total pitches. The Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, native also tied a career high with five strikeouts and allowed just two hits on the day while retiring seven consecutive batters at one point.

Backing up Loy were Kirby Connell and Aaron Combs, who combined for four strikeouts and finished the game by pitching the final 3.1 innings. Connell retired the side in order in the seventh and eighth innings before running into some trouble in the ninth and handing the ball off to Combs, who stifled LSU’s late rally and ended the game with back-to-back strikeouts to strand the tying run at second base and earn his fifth save.

Hunter Ensley led the way offensively with a 4-for-4 day at the plate, including a two-out RBI single in the top of the seventh inning that turned out to be the game-winning hit.

Billy Amick broke out of his recent slump with a massive three-run homer to left field to put the Vols ahead 3-1 in the third inning. The junior third baseman also drew a walk and reached on an error in the contest.
Blake Burke, who was named the tournament’s MVP, scored two runs and also added a pair of hits to give him a team-high nine for the tournament.

UT had to withstand a ninth-inning rally from the Tigers, which was aided by a couple of defensive miscues, but was able to hold on after LSU scored a pair of runs in the inning.

After going 4-1 this week, Tennessee is now 11-5 overall in the SEC Tournament under head coach Tony Vitello and has made three championship game appearances in the last four years.

Kavares Tears was named to the SEC All-Tournament Team as an outfielder, joining Burke, who made the team at first base on top of earning MVP honors.

STAT OF THE GAME: With Sunday’s victory, the Vols have now reached the 50-win mark in three of the last four seasons and are the only program in the country to do so. Prior to Vitello’s arrival, UT had won 50-plus games in a season just twice in program history, accomplishing the feat during back-to-back years in 1994 and 1995.

UP NEXT: Tennessee will learn its seed and opponents for next weekend’s NCAA Knoxville Regional during the NCAA Selection Show, which will air Monday at noon ET on ESPN2.

#1 VOLS ADVANCE TO SEC TITLE GAME WITH 6-4 WIN OVER RIVAL VANDERBILT
Courtesy / UT Athletics

#1 VOLS ADVANCE TO SEC TITLE GAME WITH 6-4 WIN OVER RIVAL VANDERBILT

Posted on May 26, 2024

Game Recap: Baseball | May 25, 2024

HOOVER, Ala. – For the third time in four years, No. 1/1 Tennessee will play for the Southeastern Conference Tournament Championship after taking down rival Vanderbilt, 6-4, in Saturday’s semifinal at the Hoover Met.

Another stellar Zander Sechrist start on the mound and some more fireworks from Christian Moore at the plate led the way for the Volunteers, who improved to 49-11 on the year.

Sechrist posted his fifth start of five or more innings by going six strong to earn the win and improve to 3-1 this season. The senior lefthander struck out five and allowed just two runs on four hits. Both runs came on a Braden Holcomb two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Moore added another multi-hit effort to his resume with three knocks, none bigger than a mammoth 441-foot blast over the batter’s eye in center field that put the Vols ahead by three runs in the sixth inning after the Commodores scored two runs to tie the game a half inning earlier.

Cannon Peebles, who got the start at catcher, also had a productive day, finishing with a pair of hits, two runs scored and an RBI.

Dalton Bargo added a hit, a walk and an RBI, as well, while Kavares Tears continued his impressive tournament showing with two more hits and a run.

Marcus Phillips locked down his third save of the year by pitching a career-high three innings and tying a career best with three strikeouts.

Reliever Luke Guth got the loss for Vanderbilt (38-21) after giving up three runs on five hits in two innings of work. Offensively, Jonathan Vastine had a pair of sacrifice flies to drive in two runs to go along with Holcomb’s homer.

STAT OF THE GAME: Tennessee will look to win its fifth SEC Tournament title, including the second under head coach Tony Vitello, on Sunday when it takes on LSU.

The Vols defeated Florida, 8-5, in the 2022 championship game, which is their only title since the tournament adopted its current 12-team format in 2013.

UP NEXT: UT will take on No. 11 seed LSU for the SEC Tournament title on Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on ESPN2.

#3 [3] Lady Vols Fall to Alabama in Game Two of Super Regionals
Courtesy / UT Athletics

#3 [3] Lady Vols Fall to Alabama in Game Two of Super Regionals

Posted on May 26, 2024

Game Recap: Softball | May 25, 2024

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Playing in the longest game in Tennessee softball history and NCAA Super Regional history, the third-ranked Lady Vols fell to No. 14 Alabama, 3-2, in game two of the Knoxville Super Regional at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.

The Lady Vols (44-11) played the longest game in program history at 14 innings – surpassing a 13-inning affair against Mississippi State at the 2022 SEC Tournament. When Saturday’s game versus Alabama reached the 13th frame, it became the longest game ever in Super Regionals.

Karlyn Pickens turned in a gutsy performance in the circle – pitching 9.1 innings in relief. The sophomore scattered five hits, allowed one run, walked three and struck out 10. Pickens suffered the loss as Alabama scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the 14th.

Payton Gottshall got the start for UT, tossing 3.2 innings before Pickens came on in the fourth. The graduate allowed two runs – one earned – on four hits. Gottshall fanned three without giving up a free pass.

Alabama’s (37-18) Kayla Beaver pitched 10 innings out of the bullpen Saturday en route to her 18th win of the season. UT got six hits off Beaver but the graduate pitcher was able to pitch around the trouble to keep Tennessee at bay.

Beaver finished the night with four walks and four strikeouts.

Jocelyn Briski started for the Crimson Tide in the circle, going four innings and surrendering two runs on five hits.

The Tide scored first with a run in the first before Laura Mealer tied the game in the second with an RBI single to left.

Sophia Nugent put the Lady Vols ahead with a solo home run in the top half of the fourth, but Bailey Dowling answered back with her own solo home run in the bottom half of the frame to tie the game again at 2-2.

Pickens and Beaver kept the hitters guessing for the next nine innings before Alabama got back-to-back hits and an intentional base on balls to load the bases in the 14th. Kristen White then reached on a fielder’s choice to drive in the game-winning run.

UP NEXT
Tennessee and Alabama will play game three of the best-of-three series on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN.

#1 Vols Secure Spot in SEC Tournament Semifinal with 6-5 Win Over #14 Bulldogs
Courtesy / UT Athletics

#1 Vols Secure Spot in SEC Tournament Semifinal with 6-5 Win Over #14 Bulldogs

Posted on May 25, 2024

Game Recap: Baseball | May 24, 2024

HOOVER, Ala. – For the third time in the last four years, Tennessee is headed to the SEC Tournament semifinals after earning a hard-fought 6-5 win over No. 14/15 Mississippi State on a muggy Friday night at the Hoover Met.

Blake Burke’s eighth-inning solo home run broke a 5-5 tie and stood as the game-winning hit for the top-ranked Volunteers as they improved to 5-2 all-time against the Bulldogs in the SEC Tournament.

UT built a 3-0 lead by scoring a run each in the third, fourth and fifth innings but fell behind after Mississippi State struck for five runs, all with two outs, in the bottom of the fifth to take a 5-3 advantage.

Vols’ starting pitcher Drew Beam was dominant in the early going and carried a no-hitter into the fourth inning before running into trouble in the fifth. Beam was nearly out of the inning but a foul tip into the glove of catcher Cal Stark barely popped loose and kept Bryce Chance’s at-bat alive before he eventually drew a walk to load the bases.

David Mershon walked one batter later to bring in State’s first run before back-to-back singles from Connor Hujsak and Dakota Jordan drove in four more runs for the Bulldogs (38-21).

Reliever Aaron Combs was able to steady the waters and keep MSU off the board for the next 2.1 innings, posting four strikeouts en route to earning his second win of the season.

The Big Orange (48-11) were able to scratch across a pair of runs to tie the game in the top of the seventh after loading the bases with one out. Pinch hitter Cannon Peebles’ RBI fielder’s choice scored Hunter Ensley from third before second baseman Armani Larry’s throw to try and double up Peebles sailed into the netting over UT’s dugout, allowing Dean Curley to score on the play, as well, and tie the game at five.

Burke led off the eighth with his 17th homer of the year, blasting a 1-1 pitch 392 feet over the right-center field wall to put the Vols back in front.

Andrew Behnke retired the side in order in the bottom of the eighth before Kirby Connell and Nate Snead combined to pitch a scoreless ninth inning to slam the door. Snead recorded the final two outs to pick up his team-leading fifth save of the year.

Burke, Ensley, Curley and Reese Chapman all finished the night with multiple hits as the Vols finished with 10 total for the game.

STAT OF THE GAME: Burke reached base in all five of his plate appearances on Friday night, going 3-for-3 with two runs scored, two walks and an RBI. For the tournament, the California native leads the team with a .600 batting average, six hits, a 1.000 slugging percentage and a .714 on-base percentage.

UP NEXT: A rematch of Wednesday’s SEC Tournament opener awaits the Vols on Saturday afternoon as they’ll look to exact some revenge against No. 8 seed Vanderbilt at approximately 4:30 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.

A win would send Tennessee to its third SEC Tournament championship game appearance in the last four years after finishing as the runner-up in 2021 and winning the title in 2022.

#3 [3] Lady Vols Rally to Defeat #14 Alabama, 3-2
Courtesy / UT Athletics

#3 [3] Lady Vols Rally to Defeat #14 Alabama, 3-2

Posted on May 25, 2024

Game Recap: Softball | May 24, 2024

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Laura Mealer blasted a game-winning two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth as the third-ranked Lady Vols knocked off No. 14 Alabama, 3-2, in game one of the Knoxville Super Regional at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.

Tennessee (44-10) trailed 2-0 entering the fifth and scratched across three runs with two outs in the frame. A fielding error and heads-up baserunning by Rylie West scored the first run as West sprinted around third and beat a throw home as she slid under the tag.

With the inning extended by the error, Mealer came to the plate and took a 0-1 pitch over the wall in center to put Tennessee ahead 3-2.

Sophomore right-hander Karlyn Pickens started in the circle for Tennessee, tossing five innings en route to her 22nd victory. Pickens scattered four hits, allowed just two runs – one earned – with one walk and seven strikeouts.

Graduate Payton Gottshall relieved Pickens in the sixth, earning the save. Gottshall gave up two hits, walked none and struck out two in her outing.

Tennessee had three hits on the night from McKenna Gibson, Zaida Puni and Mealer.

Alabama cobbled together six hits – led by Kristen White going 2-for-4 at the plate. Kayla Beaver started for the Crimson Tide, pitching 4.2 innings. The graduate allowed three runs on two hits – all unearned – with a walk and two strikeouts.

Jocelyn Briski came on in relief and finished out the final 1.1 innings.

The Tide scored a run in the first after White led off with a single to left – advancing to third on an error – before scoring on a wild pitch later in the frame. Alabama scored again in the second off an infield single. 

STAT OF THE GAME
Tennessee is now 41-0 when scoring three-plus runs and 29-0 when leading after five innings.

UP NEXT
Tennessee and Alabama return to the diamond for game two of the Knoxville Super Regional at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN.

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