KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The WNBA will tip off its 22nd season on Friday, and as the 2018 campaign gets under way there will be six former Lady Vols on league rosters.
Diamond DeShields became UT’s 17th first-round pick when she was taken third overall by the Chicago Sky in the 2018 WNBA Draft. The Sky is coached by Amber Stocks, who served as a graduate assistant and director of basketball operations at Tennessee from 2000-02.
Jaime Nared, a 6-2 forward, was selected 13th overall by the Las Vegas Aces, joining fellow Lady Vol alum Isabelle Harrison. Harrison remains on the roster but is taking a personal leave of absence due to medical reasons, per an April 28 report from the franchise. The Aces were previously the San Antonio Stars.
Candace Parker is Tennessee’s most seasoned WNBA veteran, as she enters her 11th season with the Los Angeles Sparks. Parker, a four-time WNBA All-Star forward and 2016 WNBA Finals MVP, will look to lead the Sparks to their third consecutive WNBA Finals appearance.
I voting by the league’s general managers, Parker was second in balloting for best forward in the WNBA. She also finished second in highest basketball IQ.
Entering her seventh season in the league, Shekinna Stricklen is UT’s second-most experienced player in the WNBA. Originally drafted second overall by the Seattle Storm, Stricklen begins her fourth year with the Connecticut Sun. She saw action in 34 games last season, averaging 20.3 mpg and 7.7 ppg.
Glory Johnson is in her sixth season with the Dallas Wings. Johnson, a two-time Western Conference All-Star, appeared in 33 games for Dallas last season, averaging 13.7 ppg and 8.5 rpg.
Johnson will be the first LVFL in action this season, as the Dallas Wings face the Phoenix Mercury on the road in the WNBA season opener on Friday, May 18, at 10 p.m. ET (NBA TV).
WNBA GMs voted Glory Johnson (in a tie with Rebekkah Brunson and Tierra Ruffin-Pratt) as the toughest player in the WNBA. She also tied for second as most athletic player in the league.
DeShields, a Lady Vol from 2014-17, will look to make her rookie debut on Saturday as Chicago plays at Indiana at 1 p.m. (NBA TV).
In games involving Tennessee graduates on Sunday, Nared and Stricklen will be in action as the Connecticut Sun hosts the Las Vegas Aces at 1 p.m. ET. Johnson and the Wings will host the Atlanta Dream at 3 p.m. ET (FSSW-Dal+), and Parker will take to the court when Los Angeles travels to Minnesota at 3 p.m. ET (ESPN 2).
The Lady Vols had a trio of players drafted in the 2018 WNBA Draft. Mercedes Russell was taken 22nd overall by the New York Liberty but did not make the team’s final cut. The 6-6 center is now eligible to be picked up off waivers by other teams. Cierra Burdick and Bashaara Graves are two other LVFLs who could wind up on league rosters this season after spending training camps with Las Vegas and Indiana, respectively. Both have professional playing experience under their belts.
Dierks Bentley dropped an inspiring new video for “You Can’t Bring Me Down” on May 17.
The new song follows the release of “Woman, Amen,” “The Mountain” and “Living” from Dierks’ upcoming ninth studio album, The Mountain (June 8).
The new video features scenic footage of Dierks and his band performing the song in front of a mountain backdrop, interspersed with clips that highlight Cultivate Kindness, a nonprofit that was created in honor of McKenzi Loid, who passed about at age 27 in 2017 after a car accident. The creators of Cultivate Kindness—Emily Wilkins (McKenzi’s younger sister) and Robin Loid (McKenzi’s mother)—raise funds through the sale of merchandise to support initiatives like Be the Light, which is an annual prom for special needs students.
Check out the new video for “You Can’t Bring Me Down.”
Dan + Shay released “Speechless” on May 18, a tune that is likely to become the wedding song of the summer.
The new song, which is featured on the duo’s upcoming self-titled album (June 22), was inspired by Dan’s marriage to Abby Law (May 2017) and Shay’s marriage to Hannah Billingsley (October 2017). The new video for “Speechless” features footage from both Dan and Shay’s weddings.
“We both got married last year, and wrote a song about the moment we first saw our beautiful brides walking down the aisle,” said the duo via Instagram.”
The duo also released the 11 song titles on their upcoming album, one of which, “Keeping Score,” features Kelly Clarkson.
Scotty McCreery stopped by Harry on May 17 to chat with host Harry Connick Jr. and perform his recent No. 1 hit, “Five More Minutes.”
Scotty co-penned the deeply personal tune with Frank Rogers and Monty Criswell two weeks after the death of his grandfather in 2015.
“There was a time I thought this song would never see the light of day,” says Scotty. “Seeing this song, inspired by my Granddaddy Bill, go gold and then become my first number one means the world to me! After writing it with Frank Rogers and Monty Criswell, I tweeted out that ‘I think I just wrote my favorite song I’ve ever written,’ and that still holds true today.”
“Five More Minutes” is the lead single from Scotty’s third album, Seasons Change, which dropped on March 16. The 11-song offering features Scotty’s new single, “This Is It,” which was inspired by his engagement to Gabi Dugal.
Watch Scotty’s performance of “Five More Minutes” on Harry.
Photo by Arroyo-O\’Connor/AFF-USA.com. Video courtesy of \”Harry\” TV Show
NASHVILLE – Nearly 1,000 Tennessee fans ignored an outside storm and packed the concourse at Nissan Stadium on Thursday night for the 52nd Annual All-Sports Picnic – the third stop of the 2018 Big Orange Caravan.
Director of Athletics Phillip Fulmer, head football coach Jeremy Pruitt, head men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes and women’s basketball assistant coach Sharrona Reeves posed for photos with fans, signed autographs and took part in a Q & A program with Bob Kesling at the event.
“I tell you what, this is a nice crowd,” Pruitt said to the fans during the program portion of the event held at the Tennessee Titans’ stadium. “First of all I want to say this, I’m excited to be at Tennessee. It seems like everywhere we go there are more and more people that turn out. You don’t have to be around the Tennessee fanbase very long to feel the passion, the energy and excitement. I’ve said this before, but everywhere I go I get a little more inspired and a little more fired up for the season to get started.”
The UT Knoxville Office of Alumni Affairs awarded a pair of scholarships to Nashville natives Zoe Babyar and Amanda Boeing at the event, which also featured face painting, corn hole, prizes, free food and a silent auction.
“It’s awesome to receive this scholarship and to see the love everybody has for this school,” said Babyar, who plans to major in computer science at Tennessee. “I’m really excited to go to UT. This will help me out a lot. College is really expensive. To be a women in STEM is a cool opportunity and this will help me with that.”
The Big Orange Caravan continues next week in Atlanta at SunTrust Park on Tuesday, May 22, before wrapping up on Thursday, May 24 in the Tri-Cities at the Meadowview Conference Resort and Convention Center in Kingsport.
Admission to all Big Orange Caravan events is $5 per person in advance or $10 at the door. Students and youth will receive complimentary admission. Proceeds from admission benefit the scholarship funds of the local UT Knoxville Alumni Chapter (these donations are non-refundable).
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The No. 10 national seed Tennessee Lady Vols begin their quest to return to the Women’s College World Series this week by hosting Monmouth, Ohio and No. 23/25 James Madison at the NCAA Knoxville Regional from Friday, May 18 through Sunday, May 20.
For more information on the this week’s regional, please visit the Tennessee NCAA Softball Gameday Information page HERE.
2018 NCAA KNOXVILLE REGIONAL
Dates: Friday, May 18 – Sunday, May 20
Venue: Sherri Parker Lee Stadium (Knoxville, Tenn.)
Every game of the NCAA Knoxville Regional will be streamed on WatchESPN or broadcast on ESPN 3.
Radio coverage for all Tennessee games will be carried on Sports Radio WNML (FM 99.1 or AM 990) and UTSports.com. Live stats will be available for every game on the Tennessee softball schedule page at UTSports.com.
Game Schedule
View the full NCAA Knoxville Regional schedule below:
Friday, May 18th: Game 1 3:00 p.m. – Ohio vs. James Madison Game 2 5:30 p.m. – Monmouth vs. Tennessee
Saturday, May 19th: Game 3 12:00 p.m. – Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 Game 4 2:30 p.m. – Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 Game 5 5:00 p.m. – Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3
Sunday, May 20th: Game 6 1:00 p.m. – Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5 Game 7 3:30 p.m. – Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6 (if necessary)
Scouting Report
Tennessee Lady Volunteers
No. 10 National Seed | No. 1 Seed in Knoxville Regional
The Vols are making their 15th consecutive NCAA Regional appearance and the 16th overall in program history. UT is also hosting a regional for the 14th straight season. The Big Orange are looking to advance to their 10th NCAA Super Regional.
Tennessee enters the NCAA Tournament with a 45-12 overall record and finished in fourth place in the SEC regular season standings, posting a 14-10 mark in conference play. The Lady Vols had five players earn SEC postseason honors last week, led by senior shortstop Meghan Gregg, who, along with junior second baseman Aubrey Leach and senior outfielder Scarlet McSwain, earned All-SEC first team honors. Freshman Ashley Morgan and Amanda Ayala were both named to the SEC All-Freshman Team.
Gregg and Chelsea Seggern rank third and 10th in the nation in RBIs, with 67 and 62, respectively. Caylan Arnold leads the Lady Vols in the circle with a 2.10 ERA and a 24-4 record.
James Madison Dukes
No. 2 Seed in Knoxville Regional
The Dukes earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the sixth consecutive year. They also notched 40 wins for the sixth straight year, amassing a 42-12 record in 2018.
As a team, James Madison ranks first in the nation in home runs per game (1.52, 82 total home runs in 54 games), sixth in scoring per game (6.34 runs) and eighth in on base percentage (.409). Entering postseason play, James Madison is No. 23 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll and No. 25 in the //ESPN.com/USASoftball Poll.
Freshman Payton Buresch leads the Dukes with a 1.69 ERA and a 18-5 record. Offensively, senior Morgan Teller set the single-season program record with 18 home runs, while left fielder Kate Gordon added 13 homers and had a .412 batting average. Sophomore Odicci Alexander has been effective both as a pitcher and a hitter. Alexander has a team-leading 56 RBIs while striking out 206 batters.
Ohio Bobcats
No. 3 Seed in Knoxville Regional
The Bobcats return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014. After winning the Mid-American Conference Tournament, Ohio earned its third postseason bid in program history.
Ohio (38-15) is led offensively by Alex Day and Mikayla Cooper. Day leads the team in batting average (.344), hits (63), RBIs (44) and home runs (12). Cooper leads in runs scored (45), slugging percentage (.634) and on base percentage (.443).
Danielle Steine was named MAC Pitcher of the Year at the end of the regular season. Steine compiled a 27-6 record, with her 27 victories ranking sixth in the nation. She recorded a 1.51 ERA and tallied 257 strikeouts. Day and Cooper joined Steine on the All-MAC First Team.
Monmouth Hawks
No. 4 Seed in Knoxville Regional
The Hawks earned their first-ever berth to the NCAA Tournament by winning the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament. The conference title was also the first in program history. Monmouth ran through the MAAC regular season schedule, amassing a 19-1 record in league play.
Monmouth (32-14) comes into the Knoxville Regional riding a 13-game win streak. During conference play, the Hawks outscored opponents 109-38. As a team, Monmouth led the MAAC in ERA (2.89), home runs per game (0.85), and slugging percentage (.431).
Senior Amanda Riley was named MAAC Pitcher of the Year after going 11-0 in conference games. Riley’s 21 wins were the second most in program history, with her top performance being a 17-strikeout effort to lead the Hawks to a semifinal win in the MAAC Tournament. Riley ranks 28th in the nation with 216 strikeouts in 2018. Since March 31, she is 15-0 with a 1.05 ERA. Katie Baron leads the team offensively with 56 hits and a .389 batting average.
Fan Information/Stadium Policies
Please be advised that the university’s clear bag policy for all of its athletic venues will be in effect for the NCAA Knoxville Regional and all other events at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. In order to enhance safety and expedite fan entry at Tennessee athletic events, the university is implementing new safety policies for fans bringing bags into all athletic venues.
Only one clear plastic bag no larger than 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches or a one-gallon, clear, resealable plastic storage bag per person will be permitted. Fans will also be allowed a small clutch purse not to exceed 4.5 inches by 6.5 inches. Fans interested in purchasing an approved clear bag may visit the Official Team Store at Neyland Stadium, VolShop locations in the Student Union, 17th & Cumberland Avenue and University Commons; as well as other area retailers.
For more information on the new bag policy and all other stadium policies please visit the NCAA Knoxville Regional Gameday Information page HERE.
What’s Next?
The winner of the NCAA Knoxville Regional will advance to the NCAA Super Regionals from May 25-27.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Five Tennessee softball players received All-Region accolades for the 2018 season, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced Wednesday.
The awards honor softball student-athletes from the Association’s 10 regions with first, second and third-team selections. NFCA member coaches from each respective region voted on the teams, and all the honorees now become eligible for selection to the 2018 NFCA Division I All-American squads.
Gregg, the program’s career leader in home runs and RBIs, once again showcased her offensive prowess in her senior year. The Williamson, Ga. native recorded 67 hits during the season, with 30 going for extra bases. She leads the Lady Vols with a .760 slugging percentage, and her 67 runs batted rest atop the SEC leaderboard. Gregg hit 16 long balls in 2018, good for second most in the conference.
While many expected such a campaign from the reigning SEC Player of the Year, Gregg is joined on the first-team by perhaps the Lady Vols’ breakout star of the season in Leach. In her third season on Rocky Top, Leach increased her runs scored and hits totals by more than 10 each compared to the previous two years. Her 74 total runs are the most in the SEC, and she ranks second in the conference in batting average (.435), on base percentage (.562), and hits (74). From Feb. 24 to Mar. 25, Leach recorded at least a hit in 18 consecutive games. Last week, she was named to the All-SEC first team for the first time in her career.
After a strong showing as a freshman in 2017, Holcomb followed up this season by finishing fourth in the SEC in batting average (.499) and recording 59 hits. On the defensive side, the versatile outfielder caught 61 fly balls this season while not committing a single error.
Arnold answered her own impressive freshman campaign by establishing herself as one of the conference’s best pitchers in 2018. She finished in the top five in the SEC in wins (24, T-3rd), strikeouts (207, 3rd), games started (30, 1st), and saves (3, 5th). A member of the SEC All-Freshman team a year ago, Arnold is already up to 351 career strikeouts in just 88 total appearances. She earned conference pitcher of the week honors three times this season, sharing the recognition with Florida’s Kelly Barnhill and Alabama’s Alexis Osorio on Feb. 26 before being named again on Mar. 20 and May 1.
Like Leach, Seggern spent the spring asserting herself as one of the college game’s top offensive talents. In three less total games played than her freshman year, Seggern recorded 19 more hits and 32 more runs batted in. Her 62 total RBIs trail only Gregg for the conference lead and rank 10th nationally. She has hit 16 doubles, good for third in the SEC, and is also second on the team with a .571 slugging percentage.
What’s Next? First team All-Region choices are eligible for selection to the NFCA All-America team, which will be announced the evening of May 23 online at NFCA.org and in person at the NCAA Division III Championship banquet in Oklahoma City.
Darius Rucker will perform live on the season finale of American Idol on May 21.
The two-night finale, which begins on May 20, will also feature performances by judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, as well as Bebe Rexha, Gary Clark Jr., Nick Jonas + Mustard, Patti LaBelle, Yolanda Adams, Kermit the Frog and the Top 10 Idol finalists.
Gabby Barrett, Caleb Lee Hutchinson and Maddie Poppe will compete for the Idol crown during the two-part finale, airing on ABC on May 20 at 7 p.m. CT and May 21 at 8 p.m CT.
The Country Music Association announced that Jason Aldean will headline Nissan Stadium during the first night of CMA Fest on June 7.
Jason joins Nissan Stadium headliners Carrie Underwood (June 8), Keith Urban (June 9) and Luke Bryan (June 10), as well as previously announced Nissan Stadium performers Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Charles Esten and Friends, Florida Georgia Line, Dustin Lynch, Old Dominion, Jon Pardi, Carly Pearce, Charley Pride, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton, Ricky Skaggs, Chris Stapleton, Lee Ann Womack and Brett Young. In addition, Lauren Alaina and Bebe Rexha will make guest appearances.
Stadium gates open daily at 6 p.m. with performances starting at 8 p.m. A limited number of four-day tickets for the nightly performances at Nissan Stadium are still available.
CMA Fest, which takes place in Nashville on June 7–10, features numerous FREE daytime shows.
The Academy of Country Music announced ACM Awards nominees in the industry and studio categories. The winners will be acknowledged during the 12th annual ACM Honors ceremony, an evening dedicated to recognizing the special honorees and off-camera category winners from the 53rd ACM Awards.
The ACM Honors will take place on Aug. 22 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.
Check out the nominees below.
Industry Awards Nominees
NIGHTCLUB OF THE YEAR
Cotton Eyed Joe – Knoxville, TN
Dusty Armadillo – Rootstown, OH
Keg’s Canalside Events Center – Jordan, NY
Moonshine Flats – San Diego, CA
Stoney’s Rockin’ Country – Las Vegas, NV
CASINO OF THE YEAR – SMALL CAPACITY
Harrah’s Cherokee Casino
Resort Event Center – Cherokee, NC
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – Tulsa, OK
The Show At Agua Caliente Casino – Rancho Mirage, CA
Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort – Mount Pleasant, MI
The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino – Las Vegas, NV
CASINO OF THE YEAR – MEDIUM CAPACITY
Casino Rama Entertainment Centre – Rama, ON
Choctaw Casino Resort (Grand Theater) – Durant, OK
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