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HOME RUN BARRAGE CONTINUES AS #4 VOLS RUN-RULE TIGERS TO WIN SERIES

Posted on April 7, 2024

AUBURN, Ala. – No. 4/4 Tennessee continued its red-hot hitting from Saturday’s victory with another explosive offensive performance on Sunday afternoon, run-ruling Auburn for the second straight day to claim the series with a 19-5 win at Plainsman Park.

For the second game in a row, the Big Orange (26-6, 7-5 SEC) blasted six home runs and finished with 14 total for the weekend, the most in any series during the Tony Vitello era.

UT’s 19 runs were its most in a conference game this year and marked the sixth time it has scored double-digit runs in SEC play this season. After going down in order in the top of the first, the Vols scored in each of the next six innings, including a seven-spot in the second and four more in the third to blow the game open.

Cal Stark led the charge in Sunday’s power display with two home runs and seven RBIs, both career highs. Stark also had a career-best three hits and four runs scored on the day.

His first hit of the afternoon was a grand slam to put the Vols ahead 5-3 in the top of the second after they fell behind 3-0 in the first inning. It was his second slam of the season and Tennessee’s second in as many days.

The Knoxville native hammered an 0-1 pitch over the tall left-field wall in his second at-bat for a three-run blast and added a double later in the game to finish 3-for-3 while also drawing a walk and getting hit by a pitch to reach base in all five of his plate appearances.

Blake Burke had three hits on the day, as well, to extend his hit streak to 22 games, which is the fourth longest in program history and the longest since the duo of Jeff Pickler and Justin Ross hit safely in 26 and 24 games, respectively, during the 1998 season. Condredge Holloway holds the program record with a 27-game hit streak in1975.

Christian Moore continued his impressive weekend with another multi-hit day, going 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs. The Brooklyn, New York, native, hit his team-leading 13^th home run in the second inning and finished the series with team highs in hits (seven), doubles (three), homers (three), RBIs (10) and total bases (19).

Kavares Tears, Hunter Ensley and Dean Curley hit the other three long balls for the Big Orange in the win.

Nate Snead recorded his team-leading sixth victory after pitching four innings of relief with three strikeouts. Andrew Behnke made his return to the mound and retired the side in order to end the game in the bottom of the seventh.

After back-to-back singles to start the frame, Cooper McMurray got the Tigers (18-13, 2-10 SEC) off to a quick start with a three-run homer in the bottom of the first, but Auburn was held to just five hits for the remainder of the game.

Starting pitcher Will Cannon was credited with the loss after he surrendered six runs on three hits and two walks in just 1.1 innings of work.

With Sunday’s win, UT secured its third straight victory in a Sunday rubber game and improved to 3-1 in series-deciding contests this season.

STATS OF THE GAME: The Vols hit their second grand slam of the series when Stark became the first UT player to hit two this season. His second inning salami added to Tennessee’s single-season record as it now has nine on the year. Eight of Stark’s 10 RBIs this season have come via grand slams.

With Sunday’s series-clinching victory, the Vols secured their first series win at Auburn since 2005. Tennessee was 1-8 in its previous nine games on the road against the Tigers entering this weekend’s series.

UP NEXT: The Big Orange return to Knoxville for four home games next week, starting with a midweek contest against Alabama A&M on Tuesday at 6 p.m. before defending national champion LSU visits Lindsey Nelson Stadium for a highly-anticipated weekend series.

Credit / UT Athletics

NUGENT’S BLAST PROPELS #6 LADY VOLS TO SERIES VICTORY OVER #3 GEORGIA

Posted on April 7, 2024

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 6 Lady Vols clinched a series victory against the third-ranked Georgia Bulldogs and secured their 30th win of the season with a spectacular performance in the late stages of the game on Sunday at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.

Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the sixth, a one-out single by Rylie West put two Lady Vols in scoring position with runners on second and third. Sophia Nugent’s one-out, opposite-field blast on the next at-bat propelled Tennessee (30-6, 10-2 SEC) to its 3-1 victory.

Tennessee’s Karlyn Pickens got the start in the circle and retired the first six batters she faced, aided by five strikeouts. The sophomore right-hander finished the day with eight punchouts in five innings, allowing three hits and a run.

Payton Gottshall came on in the top of the sixth and secured her 13th win of the season, retiring Georgia’s (31-8, 7-5 SEC) final six batters in order with three strikeouts.

Georgia took the initial lead in the top of the third inning with a sacrifice fly from Jaiden Fields, bringing Hannah Davila home to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 edge. Sunday’s rubber match between a pair of top 10 teams was a pitcher’s duel, as both teams combined for two hits entering the sixth inning.

Georgia began the sixth inning with back-to-back singles, prompting a pitching change and bringing an end to Pickens’ day in the circle.

Bulldog starter Shelby Walters took the loss, pitching 5.1 innings and conceding three runs and three walks.

UP NEXT
The Lady Vols will begin a three-game set against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in Starkville on Friday, April 12th at 7 p.m. ET.

Courtesy / UT Athletics

TENNESSEE SELECTS CALDWELL TO LEAD STORIED LADY VOL BASKETBALL PROGRAM

Posted on April 7, 2024

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – University of Tennessee Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White announced Sunday that Kim Caldwell, the 2024 Spalding Maggie Dixon NCAA Division I Rookie Coach of the Year, has been chosen to lead the Lady Volunteers. She will be introduced Tuesday at a press conference on campus.

“From the beginning, our goal has been to find a dynamic head coach who can restore our women’s basketball program to national prominence. Kim Caldwell is the ideal person to lead us,” said White. “Kim has a winning formula that she has successfully implemented everywhere she has coached, with a fast-paced, high-octane offense and pressure defense that has led to remarkable results. In this new era of college sports, it was vital that we found an innovative head coach with a strong track record of winning titles. We are eager to return the Lady Vols to a championship level, and we’re confident that Kim Caldwell is the coach who can lead us back to the top.”

Caldwell becomes the fourth head coach of the Lady Vols in the NCAA era of women’s basketball, which began with the late, legendary Pat Summitt at the helm. A rising star in the profession, Caldwell has quickly made an elite mark at two different levels of the game, earning eight NCAA berths and winning seven conference trophies in her eight seasons as a head coach. She led NCAA Division II Glenville State and DI Marshall to championship seasons with a high-octane attack on both ends of the floor and now takes the reins of the winningest program in women’s hoops history.

“I am honored and humbled to accept the role as head coach of this historic program at the University of Tennessee,” Caldwell said. “I can’t help but reflect on accepting the Pat Summitt Trophy three seasons ago and be moved by the great responsibility and opportunity of now leading and building upon the incredible Lady Vol tradition she built. I am so excited to get to work and can’t wait to see what we all can accomplish together.”

Caldwell earned the aforementioned national recognition from the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association after guiding Marshall to a 26-7 overall record and 17-1 league mark in her first season there in 2023-24. She also was named Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year after directing the Thundering Herd to both the league’s regular season and tournament titles as well as the school’s second NCAA Tournament berth ever and first since 1997.

Marshall ranked in the top five nationally in seven different statistical categories in Caldwell’s first season with the Herd. One of the nation’s most prolific scoring offenses, the Herd finished with nine games of 90+ points and five games with over 100 points. Marshall led the nation in three-point field goals attempted and third in three-pointers made per game with over 10 per contest.

After being picked ninth in the Sun Belt Conference preseason poll, Marshall proceeded to generate 85.3 points per game (fourth nationally) and force 24.2 turnovers per contest (second nationally) in notching a program best for wins. Caldwell’s victory total stands as the most by a first-year coach in MU women’s hoops history and marked the first 20-win regular-season campaign by the school since 1990-91.

With a 217-31 (.875) career record in eight seasons as a head coach, including 149-13 (.920) in conference games, Caldwell got her start as a program leader at her alma mater under her maiden name of Kim Stephens. She led Glenville State to the 2021-22 NCAA Division II National Championship in her sixth year at the school and helped the Pioneers make seven NCAA appearances and claim six Mountain East Conference regular season crowns and four tournament titles.

For the 2021-22 season’s accomplishment, she was presented the Pat Summitt Trophy, which goes to the WBCA’s NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year. She also earned the 2022 Furfari Award, which is presented to West Virginia’s College Coach of the Year by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.

In seven seasons with the Pioneers, the 2011 GSU graduate compiled a 191-24 mark, including a 132-12 slate in the MEC. Her final two editions forged a 68-4 combined record, including the 35-1 national championship season (22-0 in league play) in 2021-22 and a 33-3 outcome after advancing to the national semifinals in 2022-23. Her final unit there led NCAA Division II in points per game (91.2) and turnovers forced (27.3).

From 2016-23, she directed Glenville to six MEC regular season titles (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023) and four MEC Tournament trophies (2018, 2019, 2020, 2023), earning MEC Coach of the Year honors four times in 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023.

Prior to her stint at GSU, she served as an assistant at Sacramento State for three seasons from 2013-16 under Bunky Harkleroad, for the 2012-13 season at Glenville State an assistant to Harkleroad and began her college coaching career at Ohio Valley University, filling a role as an assistant there from 2011-12.

A native of Parkersburg, W.Va., Caldwell helped lead GSU to the 2010-11 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship as a player and earn an NCAA Division II Tournament berth. She was named the WVIAC Student-Athlete of the Year that season and academically made the WVIAC Commissioner’s Honor Roll as a junior and senior.

CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Record As Head Coach (8 Seasons)

217-31 (.875) overall
149-13 (.920) in conference games

National Coach of the Year (2)

2024 WBCA Spalding Maggie Dixon NCAA Division I Rookie Coach of the Year
2022 WBCA NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year (Pat Summitt Trophy)

Conference Coach of the Year (5)

Mountain East Conference: 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023
Sun Belt Conference: 2024

NCAA Tournaments (8)

NCAA DII: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
NCAA DI: 2024

NCAA National Championships (1)

NCAA DII: 2022

NCAA Final Fours (2)

NCAA DII champions: 2022
NCAA DII semifinalist: 2023

Conference Championships (7)

Mountain East Conference: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023
Sun Belt Conference: 2024

Conference Tournaments Championships (5)

Mountain East Conference: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023
Sun Belt Conference: 2024

Courtesy / UT Athletics

Tight End Rotation Taking Shape For Tennessee This Spring

Posted on April 7, 2024

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A revamped tight end room featuring two major transfers and one returning redshirt freshman is taking shape for the Tennessee football team, which completed its 10th practice of the spring on Saturday afternoon at Haslam Field.

The Volunteers went full pads to conclude the third week of spring ball. Second-year tight ends coach Alec Abeln addressed members of the media following the practice along with transfers Holden Staes (Notre Dame) and Miles Kitselman (Alabama).

Abeln is seeking to replace departing seniors Jacob Warren and McCallan Castles, who combined for 38 catches for 474 yards and nine touchdowns in 2023.

“I don’t want to crown them too early, but they’re doing a really good job,” Abeln said. “McCallan (Castles) was probably on the curve that most guys are on where it’s a spring of trying to learn how to operate. There’s a lot going on, and it’s happening very fast. Without getting their egos too inflated, the two new guys (Holden Staes and Miles Kitselman) have come in are really ahead of schedule in terms of where I thought they would be in the ability to line up, process and play. We probably put more on their plates because of their ability to learn so fast.”

Staes played two seasons with the Irish before transferring to Knoxville. He caught 15 passes for 176 yards and four touchdowns as a sophomore last fall. Kitselman played in 19 games for the Crimson Tide after spending the 2021 season at Hutchinson Community College.

The Vols welcome back redshirt freshman Ethan Davis, who possesses the size and athleticism to make a major impact. Davis bulked up significantly and has a better grasp of the offense in his second season.

“This spring, he’s done such a great job,” Abeln said of Davis. “One, getting his body right. I think he was 242 last week, and he’s so comfortable now with where to be and what to do. There’s still a detail in everything that he has to continue to clean up, but I’ve told him this, he’s going to be an elite player in the core. He has so much twitch, pop. He’s not scared of anything.”

The fourth and final week of the spring includes practices on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday before next Saturday’s 1 p.m. Orange & White Game in a limited capacity Neyland Stadium. The Vol Village Music Festival and spring game watch party outside the stadium is free admission.

Courtesy / UT Athletics

Record-Breaking Home Runs Highlight 12-2 Victory Over Auburn

Posted on April 7, 2024

Game Recap: Baseball | April 06, 2024

AUBURN, Ala. – It was a day filled with record-setting home runs for No. 4/4 Tennessee as it evened its series against Auburn with an emphatic 12-2 victory in front of a capacity crowd at Plainsman Park on Saturday afternoon.

Blake Burke cemented himself into UT lore, becoming the Volunteers’ career home run leader while Christian Moore hit the eighth grand slam of the season for the Big Orange, breaking the 1998 team’s single season record of seven.

Burke led off the fourth inning with his 41^st career homer, a solo shot to left-center field to put himself atop the program’s all-time home run list, surpassing his predecessor at first base Luc Lipcius (2017-22).

Burke’s 11^th blast of the year also extended his hitting streak to 21 straight games and was one of six that the Big Orange belted on the afternoon.

Dylan Dreiling and Dalton Bargo hit two long balls each, marking the first time this season that the Vols had two players hit multiple homers in the same game.

While UT (25-6, 6-5 SEC) wasn’t busy mashing baseballs over the fence, Drew Beam was dealing on the mound en route to his second complete game of the season. The junior righthander allowed just three hits and didn’t give up a run until back-to-back wild pitches allowed the Tigers to score twice in the seventh inning.

Until a one-out double in that seventh inning, Beam had retired 14 consecutive batters. The Murfreesboro, Tennessee, native, finished with eight strikeouts and walked just one batter on the day, improving to 4-1 on the year.

Auburn (18-12, 2-9 SEC) did not have a single player finish with more than one hit. Conner McBride started on the mound for the Tigers was fell to 3-2 on the year after surrendering five runs on four hits and two walks in just 1.2 innings.

The Vols on the other hand, had five players record multiple base hits in the game, led by three-hit performances from Moore and Dean Curley. Moore also finished with a career-high six RBIs after doubling in a pair of runs in the top of the seventh following his grand slam in UT’s five-run second inning.

Bargo and Dreiling had multi-RBI days as well with three and two, respectively. Hunter Ensley also had a productive game, scoring twice and reaching base in all four of his plate appearances with a pair of singles and two walks.

STAT OF THE GAME: Tennessee’s six home runs were its most in an SEC game since blasting seven in a win at Mississippi State on May 19, 2022, which was a full nine-inning contest. The Big Orange also hit six bombs in a victory over Auburn on April 29, 2022, in Knoxville.

UP NEXT: The Vols will play in their fourth consecutive rubber game on Sunday. They are 2-1 in their previous three after posting back-to-back Sunday wins at home over Ole Miss and Georgia to cap off the past two weekends.

First pitch for this Sunday’s series finale is set for 2 p.m. ET on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app.

Courtesy / UT Athletics

KNECHT NAMED JULIUS ERVING AWARD RECIPIENT

Posted on April 7, 2024

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. –Dalton Knecht of the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team is the 2023-24 Julius Erving Award honoree, as announced Saturday evening on ESPN College GameDay.

The elite accolade, awarded by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, is given to the nation’s premier small forward.

“I am honored to receive this prestigious award. To see my name associated with one of the greatest basketball players ever is truly humbling,” Knecht said. “I want to thank Julius Erving and the entire committee for selecting me. It would not have been possible, though, without my teammates and coaches. I’d like to express my appreciation to every single one of them for supporting me throughout this entire season, on and off the court. I will be forever grateful to all of them, as well as to the University of Tennessee community and Vol Nation, for embracing me in such an incredible way.”

Knecht is the first player in Tennessee history to win any of the Starting Five—there is one given to the best player at each position—distinctions. The Bob Cousy Award, for the top point guard, started in 2004 and is in its 21st season, while each of the other four plaudits are in their 10th year after being initiated in 2015.

The list of Julius Erving Award designees, which Knecht now joins, features some of the finest college basketball players of the last decade. He is now alongside Kansas’ Jalen Wilson (2022-23), Duke’s Wendell Moore Jr. (2021-22), Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert (2020-21), Villanova’s Saddiq Bey (2019-20), Gonzaga’s Rui Hachimura (2018-19), Villanova’s Mikal Bridges (2017-18), Villanova’s Josh Hart (2016-17), Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine (2015-16) and Arizona’s Stanley Johnson (2014-15).

Knecht edged Washington’s Keion Brooks Jr., Memphis’ David Jones, Weber State’s Dillon Jones and Creighton’s Baylor Scheierman for the recognition.

Additionally, Connecticut’s Tristen Newton won the Bob Cousy Award, North Carolina’s R.J. Davis claimed the Jerry West Award, San Diego State’s Jaedon LeDee earned the Karl Malone Award and Purdue’s Zach Edey collected the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award. The winners were determined by a combination of input from committees composed of top basketball personnel and Starting Five Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies.

“The Basketball Hall of Fame is proud to celebrate the best in the game at every level, both men and women,” said John L. Doleva, President of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. “The student-athletes who have received our Starting Five Awards are a true reflection of the Hall of Famers for whom the awards are named, both in terms of their character and abilities on the court. We are honored to recognize this remarkable group of people, and we know they will continue to achieve success wherever they go. We honor their accomplishments today and name them the … 2024 Naismith Starting Five.”

A fifth-year guard from Thornton, Colo., Knecht averaged 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game in his one and only season at Tennessee, during which he tallied 780 points, the second-most in a campaign in program history. The eighth-leading scorer in the country shot 45.8 percent on field goals, 39.7 percent from long range and 77.2 percent at the line.

The SEC Player of the Year according to both the league’s head coaches and, unanimously, the Associated Press, Knecht registered 25.5 points per game in SEC play, the second-best mark by anyone in the last 22 seasons (2002-24). That figure also put him atop the 2023-24 league-only scoring leaderboard among all Division I players.

The fourth consensus First Team All-American in Tennessee history, Knecht aided the Volunteers to their 11th SEC regular season title, including their sixth outright, and to their second Elite Eight appearance. He scored 30-plus points eight times, third-most nationally, and 35-plus six times, setting a program record and leading the country this season.

A 6-foot-6, 213-pounder, Knecht is among four finalists for the Naismith Trophy and one of five finalists for the John R. Wooden Award.

To keep up with the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.

Courtesy / UT Athletics

#6 Tennessee Falls to #3 Georgia in Second Game of Weekend Series, 3-2

Posted on April 7, 2024

Game Recap: Softball | April 06, 2024

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – After winning game one of the series Friday night, the sixth-ranked Lady Vols dropped game two to third-ranked Georgia, 3-2, on Saturday at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium – setting up a rubber match on Sunday.

The defeat snapped Tennessee’s (29-6, 9-2 SEC) 18-game home winning streak.

Graduate Payton Gottshall was solid in the circle for the Lady Vols, coming on in relief of starter Charli Orsini in the second inning. The right-hander tossed six frames, allowing only one run on one hit.

Gottshall notched seven strikeouts with no walks but ultimately suffered the loss – her third of the season.

Orsini got the start and allowed two runs on three hits in an inning of work before Gottshall relieved her after facing three batters in the second.

Georgia (31-7, 7-4 SEC) scored first thanks to a triple to right field by Emily Digby in the second, opening up a quick two-run lead.

Tennessee battled back in the third, tying the game on a single and a sacrifice fly. With two runners on, junior McKenna Gibson laced a single through the infield to plate Laura Mealer and advance Amanda Ahlin to third.

Sophomore Destiny Rodriguez tied the ballgame with an RBI sac fly to right that got deep enough to score Ahlin.

Gottshall held the Bulldogs off the board for two innings before Sarah Gordon hit a fifth-inning solo home run to retake the lead for Georgia.

UGA started Madison Kerpics in the circle and let her toss 2.1 innings before turning things over to Shelby Walters out of the bullpen. Kerpics allowed two runs on four hits with three walks and a strikeout.

Walters came on in the third and closed out the contest, throwing the final 4.2 frames. She surrendered just one hit with five strikeouts as she picked up her seventh win of the season.

Courtesy / UT Athletics

HOT START NOT ENOUGH AS #4 VOLS DROP SERIES OPENER AT AUBURN

Posted on April 6, 2024

Box Score (PDF)

Game Recap: Baseball | April 05, 2024

AUBURN, Ala. — Despite a hot-start offensively and an inspiring showing from the bullpen, No. 4/4 Tennessee was unable to keep Auburn’s bats in check in the early innings and dropped Friday night’s series opener, 9-5, at Plainsman Park.

A pair of two-run homers from Kavares Tears and Christian Moore provided four of UT’s five runs over the first two innings, but missed opportunities came back to plague the Vols as they left the bases loaded in the second inning and were unable to capitalize in the third after getting two runners aboard with just one out.

The Tigers (18-11, 2-8 SEC) came out swinging, as well, quickly erasing a 3-0 deficit with five runs of their own in the bottom of the first inning and three more in the second to take an 8-5 lead they would not relinquish.

After the explosive start, the Big Orange struggled to find any kind of rhythm at the plate for the remainder of the night against Auburn’s bullpen, which did not allow a run and gave up just four hits over the final seven innings.

Carson Myers got the win after tossing 3.2 scoreless innings in relief of starter Dylan Watts before John Armstong finished the game with four shutout frames that included six strikeouts to pick up his second save of the season.

Tennessee’s bullpen was nearly as impressive, allowing only one run on four hits while totaling 11 strikeouts over 6.2 innings.

Aaron Combs posted his most impressive outing of the season, setting career highs with four innings pitched and six strikeouts to keep the Vols in the game. Veteran lefties Kirby Connell and Chris Stamos combined for five strikeouts and didn’t allow a run over the final 2.2 innings.

AJ Causey had a rough outing for the second straight weekend to fall to 5-2 on the year.

Blake Burke had the lone hit against Armstrong with a single in the ninth inning and finished with a team-high three hits to extend his hit streak to 20 consecutive games while also scoring and driving in a run with an RBI double in the first inning.

STAT OF THE GAME: After the two teams combined to score 13 runs in the first two innings, both bullpens were lights out after that. In 14.1 combined innings, relief pitchers for both sides combined to allow just eight hits and one run while striking out 21 batters.

UP NEXT: Like last weekend, Tennessee (24-6, 5-5 SEC) will look to rebound from a Friday-night loss and even the series on Saturday. First pitch for game two between the Vols and Tigers is slated for 4:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app.

Courtesy / UT Athletics

BOO BOMB POWERS #6 TENNESSEE PAST #3 GEORGIA, 5-1

Posted on April 6, 2024

Game Recap: Softball | April 05, 2024

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The sixth-ranked Lady Vols regained their momentum Friday night with a 5-1 series-opening victory over third-ranked Georgia at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.

Tennessee (29-5, 9-1 SEC) also extended its home winning streak to 18 with the win.

The Lady Vols took an early lead when Mckenna Gibson hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning. The blast was the first of three hits for Gibson who finished with two RBIs and a run scored.

Georgia (30-7, 6-4 SEC) threatened in the top of the second inning, but Destiny Rodriguez and Sophia Nugent made a crucial defensive play to prevent a run by the Bulldogs – cutting down a UGA runner breaking for home.

The Lady Vols then added another run in the bottom of the third on a single by Nugent, bringing the score to 3-0.

Zaida Puni added a little insurance to the lead in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run double.

Georgia avoided a shutout with a fifth-inning solo home run off the bat of Emilly Digby.

Karlyn Pickens got the start for Tennessee in the circle, tossing her 11th complete game of the year en route to her 15th win. The flamethrower scattered six hits over seven innings of work with six strikeouts and two walks.

The Weaverville, North Carolina, native allowed just one run on the night.

Lilli Backes started for the Bulldogs, throwing 3.1 innings before giving way to Shelby Walters who pitched the final 2.2 frames.

Backes struck out four on the night but also walked four and allowed three runs – two earned – on three hits. Walters gave up two runs on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

STAT OF THE DAY
Mckenna Gibson has been rock solid for Tennessee all season long but has upped her level in SEC play. The junior is hitting an even .400 through 10 league games – best on the team – while also leading the Lady Vols with three home runs and 11 RBIs.

She is slugging .743 with an OPS of 1.190.

UP NEXT
Tennessee and Georgia play game two of the series on Saturday with a first pitch set for noon ET. The matchup will air on SEC Network with Matt Schumacker (play-by-play) and Amanda Scarborough (analyst) calling the action.

Fans can also listen to Voice of the Lady Vols Brian Rice all weekend long on AM990.

Fentress County Child Abuse Case Moves to Grand Jury

Posted on April 5, 2024

Fentress County, TN (WOKI) The case of a Fentress County mother and father accused of abusing their adopted children was moved to the grand jury Thursday, April 4.

Jessica and Jason Klimp are suspected of abusing two of their four adopted children. One of those children, who is 12 years old, reportedly appeared so malnourished in February that doctors initially thought she was six years old.

According to court records, the couple is also accused of making the two children sleep in totes in their home’s basement as punishment for wetting the bed.

The Klimps are charged with aggravated child abuse, neglect or endangerment.

The grand jury is slated to meet next on April 18.