Softball Preview: Knoxville Regional

Softball Preview: Knoxville Regional

Posted on May 20, 2021
Lady Vols Softball / Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – For the 16th consecutive NCAA Tournament, Tennessee is hosting a regional as the No. 9-seeded Lady Vols welcome Liberty, James Madison and Eastern Kentucky to Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.

The Knoxville Regional is a double-elimination tournament and will run Friday, May 21 through Sunday, May 23 with the winner advancing to the NCAA Super Regional.

CAPACITY EXPANDED
On Wednesday, the NCAA Medical Advisory Group announced that venue capacity for 2021 Spring NCAA Championships conducted outdoors will be determined by state/local guidelines and may increase to 100 percent.

As a result of the announcement, this weekend’s NCAA Knoxville Regional will see softball attendance at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium expand to 100 percent capacity.

BROADCAST INFO
Game one of the of regional between Liberty and James Madison will be broadcast on ESPNU beginning at noon ET and will be followed by Tennessee vs. Eastern Kentucky on ESPN3/WatchESPN at 2:30. Tiffany Greene (play-by-play) and Erin Miller (color) will call the action all weekend.

GAME SCHEDULE
Friday
Game 1: Liberty vs. James Madison | 12 p.m. | ESPNU

Game 2: Tennessee vs. Eastern Kentucky | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN3/WatchESPN

Saturday
Game 3: G1 Winner vs. G2 Winner | 12 p.m.

Game 4: G1 Loser vs. G2 Loser | 2:30 p.m.

Game 5: G3 Loser vs. G4 Winner | 5 p.m.

Sunday
Game 6: G3 Winner vs. G5 Winner | 12 p.m.

Game 7: G6 Winner vs. G6 Loser (If necessary) | 2:30 p.m.

Need to Know
Tennessee enters the NCAA Tournament after reaching the SEC Tournament Semifinal last week. The Lady Vols defeated Texas A&M and SEC regular season Co-Champions Arkansas before falling to eventual SEC Tournament Champions Alabama.

UT has hosted a regional every year since the format began in 2005. That ties Alabama and Florida for the longest active hosting streak in the nation.

The Lady Vols had four players earn NFCA Southeast All-Region Team accolades, led by Ashley Rogers and Kiki Milloy who landed first team honors. Ashley Morgan and Amanda Ayala were tabbed to the second team.

FAMILIAR FOES
Tennessee has seen Liberty and Eastern Kentucky already in 2021 as both programs made the trek to Knoxville during the regular season. The Lady Vols opened the year at Sherri Parker Lee against EKU, winning both games of a doubleheader – 10-0 in five innings in game one and 3-2 in game two.

Liberty traveled to Rocky Top for a March 30 showdown, which went Tennessee’s way as it defeated the Flames, 6-0.

SCOUTING EASTERN KENTUCKY
2021 Record: 35-15 Overall, 22-9 OVC

Series Record: Tennessee Leads – 12-0

Last Meeting: A 3-2 victory for the Lady Vols in the Knoxville doubleheader on February 14, 2021, which was preceded by a 10-0 shutout win.

Key Player/Stat: In addition to having three games canceled in the month of May, the Colonels lost the final four regular season games that they played. EKU responded with a strong showing at the OVC Tournament, taking the tournament title and defeating top-seeded Southeast Missouri State twice in as many days to take home the conference crown. Redshirt junior outfielder Sammi Miller leads the Colonels with a season batting average of .419. Miller, while also holding team-best totals of 62 hits and 50 runs, is 16-of-18 when attempting to steal a base this season. Redshirt junior first baseman Carly Robinson leads EKU with 40 RBIs this year. The Colonels are batting .263 as a team this season and recorded an ERA of 3.42.

SCOUTING JAMES MADISON
2021 Record: 34-1 Overall, 17-1 CAA

Series Record: Tennessee Leads – 3-2

Last Meeting: A 2-6 loss for the Lady Vols in Clearwater, Florida, on February 16, 2019.

Key Player/Stat: The Dukes of James Madison travel to the NCAA Knoxville Regionals having lost just one game this season. With a record of 34-1, JMU is ranked No. 22 in the USA TODAY/NFCA Coaches Poll. Redshirt junior Sara Jubas, leads the Dukes with a season batting average of .427 on 100 at-bats. She has scored 39 runs and accumulated 29 RBIs this season. Redshirt senior Kate Gordon is batting .417 and has posted 48 hits, 17 home runs, a team-high 52 RBIs and scored 40 runs this season. Redshirt senior infielder Madison Naujokas has been successful in each of 23 attempts to steal a base this season. As a team, the Dukes are batting .335 this season, while holding opponents to just .163 from the plate on the year.

SCOUTING LIBERTY
2021 Record: 42-13 Overall, 16-2 ASUN

Series Record: Tennessee Leads – 20-0

Last Meeting: A 6-0 shutout victory for the Lady Vols in Knoxville this season on March 30, 2021.

Key Player/Stat: The Liberty Lady Flames arrive in Knoxville on fire, having won 21 of their past 22 games. Liberty finished the season with a record of 42-13 and won 16 of their 18 ASUN games. They went on to win the ASUN Tournament, defeating second-seeded Kennesaw State. Sophomore Kara Canetto leads Liberty this season with a batting average of .388 on 178 at-bats. She has recorded 69 hits and scored 36 runs. Senior Amber Bishop-Riley holds a team-high 16 home runs on the year, while her sister, Autumn Bishop owns a team-best 19 doubles this season. The Bishop sisters are two of the three players for the Lady Flames batting above .300. Liberty, as a team, is batting .296 this year.

GAMEDAY/STADIUM POLICIES & INFORMATION
Clear Bag Policy
In an effort to enhance safety and expedite fan entry at Tennessee athletic events, UT has implemented a clear bag policy at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium and all other athletic facilities. Only one clear bag no larger than 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches (gallon size) per person is permitted. Fans are also allowed a small clutch purse not exceeding 4.5 inches by 6.5 inches. Gates will open 60 minutes prior to game time.

Parking
Softball parking is located in Lots S14 and C25 adjacent to Sherri Parker Lee Stadium and Regal Soccer Stadium.

Other Info
All of the information listed above and more can be found on the Tennessee Softball Gameday Information page HERE.

-UT Athletics

Four Lady Vols Earn NFCA All-Region Honors

Four Lady Vols Earn NFCA All-Region Honors

Posted on May 20, 2021
Lady Vols Softball / Credit: UT Athletics

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced its annual All-Region awards Thursday, with four Lady Vols landing on NFCA Southeast All-Region Teams.

Tennessee’s Ashley Rogers and Kiki Milloy were tabbed First Team All-Region, while Ashley Morgan and Amanda Ayala picked up second team honors. This is the second first team honor for Rogers and the first time Milloy, Morgan and Ayala have been recognized as All-Region players.

Rogers has had a stellar year in the circle for UT and is one of the top pitchers in the nation. She ranks fifth nationally and leads the SEC in victories with 25, leads the conference and is fifth nationally in strikeouts at 278 and has a conference-best eight shutouts to rank 12th overall in the nation.

The Athens, Tennessee, native was named the SEC Pitcher of the Week three times this season, becoming the first Lady Vol to win the weekly honor three times in a single season since 2018. Rogers was also selected to the All-SEC First Team.

Milloy was named to the regions first team and enters the NCAA Tournament hitting .364 with 36 RBI, an SEC-leading 36 stolen bases and a team-best 48 runs scored. Her 36 stolen bases are the most by a Lady Vol since Raven Chavanne stole 41 in 2013.

The Woodinville, Washington, native was picked First Team All-SEC and landed a spot on the All-SEC Newcomer Team a week ago.

Morgan picked up second team accolades, marking her first NFCA All-Region honor. She was tabbed Second Team All-SEC last week after leading the Lady Vols in batting average in SEC play, hitting .400. She also led the Lady Vols in league play with 15 RBIs, 26 hits and six doubles.

Outfielder Amanda Ayala secured Second Team All-Region honors after posting career-highs in batting average, hits, triples, home runs and slugging percentage. She was able to achieve the honor despite missing three weeks in the middle of the season due to injury.

Tennessee, the No. 9 national seed in the NCAA Tournament, will host the NCAA Knoxville Regional this weekend, May 21-23.

-UT Athletics

Blake Shelton Taking His Friends And Heroes Out On the Road in 2021

Blake Shelton Taking His Friends And Heroes Out On the Road in 2021

Posted on May 20, 2021

When it comes to his upcoming Friends And Heroes 2021 tour Blake Shelton says “Here we go!!!!! Looking forward to getting back out there with y’all!!!!!”

Blake says “A little over a year ago when the world shut down and we had to postpone the tour, I was already in Omaha getting ready for the show that night.”

He adds, “I told you we would be back, and I’m thrilled to say we are kicking off the Friends and Heroes 2021 Tour in Omaha. I’m giving everybody in every city plenty of notice – you might as well tell your boss you’re gonna be late to work the next day and pay that babysitter overtime, because we are going to play some country music for y’all until they turn on the lights. And that might not stop us!”

Blake shared who will be joining him on the tour, “I’m excited to welcome Martina McBride, Tracy Byrd, Trace Adkins and my very special guest Lindsay Ell to the Friends and Heroes 2021 Tour”

BLAKE SHELTON’S FRIENDS AND HEROES 2021 DATES

All tickets on sale 6/10 at 10am local time except where noted

August 18: Omaha, NE / CHI Health Center*

August 20: Denver, CO / Ball Arena*

September 2: Philadelphia, PA / Wells Fargo Center

September 3-4: Washington, D.C. / The Anthem

September 9: Nashville, TN / Bridgestone Arena

September 10: Evansville, IN / Ford Center

September 11: Rosemont, IL / Allstate Arena*

September 16: North Charleston, SC / North Charleston Coliseum

September 17: Greenville, SC / Bon Secours Wellness Arena

September 18: Duluth, GA / Infinite Energy Center

September 23: St. Louis, MO / Enterprise Center

September 24: Tulsa, OK / BOK Center

September 25: Fort Worth, TX /Dickies Arena

September 30: Grand Rapids, MI / Van Andel Arena

October 1: Detroit, MI / Little Caesars Arena*

October 2: Milwaukee, WI / Fiserv Forum*

*Rescheduled date. These shows are on sale now. If you previously purchased tickets for one of these shows and you’re no longer able to attend, you may request a refund within 30 days. To be eligible, you must have purchased your tickets through Ticketmaster and not have transferred, posted, or sold them.

This is one fans will be looking to here — it’s from Blake Shelton’s new album Body Language – “Minimum Wage”

Photo Courtesy of WMN

Lady A Thinks Hillary Will Cry on the What A Song Can Do Tour

Lady A Thinks Hillary Will Cry on the What A Song Can Do Tour

Posted on May 20, 2021

Lady A is heading out on the road with their What A Song Can Do tour, and the trio exclaims “To say we are beyond excited for this announcement is a huge understatement.”

Charles of Lady A says, “This tour is really going to be about letting our fans know how much they mean to us and what music has done for all of us over the last year…which is the essence of the tour name. We started writing a song called ‘What A Song Can Do’ and it turned into a love-letter to our fans.” 

While Charles, Hillary and Dave will be there of course, they shared who else will be out there with them “We cannot wait to hit the road this summer on the What A Song Can Do Tour with Carly Pearce, Niko Moon and Tenille Arts!”

Lady A wants their fans to know that since they saw them last, there’s a ton of new music to play live, “Y’all come out and share this experience with us and sing along to the songs you know and love – plus, we can’t wait to share a few new ones that we’ve been working on this past year.”

Charles added, “We were lucky enough to still release new music this past year but there are songs like ‘Champagne Night’ and ‘What If I Never Get Over You’ that we haven’t been able to play live much so we know those will make for some really special moments.”

Lady A also shared that they know after the events of last year, getting back together will be an emotional experience, “We are going to soak up these moments on stage more than ever before and yes Hillary will most likely cry, ha!”

The group’s current single at country radio is sure to be a big hit on the What A Song Can Do tour – check out “Like A Lady.”

Photos Courtesy of BMLG Records

A Day In The Country – May 20th – Kane Brown, Chris Young, Cassadee Pope, Sara Evans & Jon Pardi

A Day In The Country – May 20th – Kane Brown, Chris Young, Cassadee Pope, Sara Evans & Jon Pardi

Posted on May 20, 2021

This is A Day in the Country with Paul Koffy – May 20th

On this day in 2018, Kane Brown was at number-one with “Heaven”

In 2016 Chris Young and Cassadee Pope were in their second week at number-1 with “Think of You.”

On this day in 2011 Sara Evans was at number-1 with “A Little Bit Stronger”

And sending a very happy birthday to Jon Pardi – hopefully on his birthday he will “Tequila Little Time”

Photo Credit: Jim Wright

George Strait Headed Back To Vegas for His “Strait To Vegas” Shows

George Strait Headed Back To Vegas for His “Strait To Vegas” Shows

Posted on May 20, 2021

George Strait has announced that he’ll be back in Las Vegas this August for back-to-back shows on the 13th and 14th.

 

George’s Strait To Vegas shows were interrupted by the 2020 shut-down, but now the King is heading back. He says, “The Ace in the Hole Band and I have been looking forward to this day for a year and a half. I cannot wait to see Vegas and all of my great fans once again. It’s been way too long. We will finally ride again. See you soon.”

Tickets to the original 2020 dates will be honored for the rescheduled shows: August 28, 2020 tickets will apply to the August 13, 2021 show, while August 29, 2020 tickets will apply to the August 14, 2021 show. Those unable to attend the rescheduled shows are eligible for a refund at the original point of purchase for the next 30 days. Additional tickets are on sale now at www.GeorgeStrait.com.

When it comes to fans making it to the Vegas shows, they’ll be checking a big “yes” that they’re happy that the King is returning.

Photo Credit: David McClister

Kelsea Ballerini Gets Call To Go On Tour With the Jonas Brothers

Kelsea Ballerini Gets Call To Go On Tour With the Jonas Brothers

Posted on May 20, 2021

13-year old Kelsea Ballerini is freaking out right now.

Well, the 2021 version of Kelsea Ballerini is also kind of freaking out right now too — after getting a call from the Jonas Brothers to go out on tour with them…

Kelsea is a long time Jonas Brothers fan — and just in case she’s called upon to come up and help with one of their songs, Kelsea shared a quick acoustic version of their hit “Burnin’ Up”

Starting in August, and running through the end of October Kelsea has about 40 dates on the books for The Remember This tour with the Jonas Brothers.

Fans will be excited to see this new one from Kelsea in concert – this is “half of my hometown” (featuring Kenny Chesney)

Headline Photo Courtesy of Kelsea Ballerini

Additional Photo Courtesy of the Jonas Brothers

Laine Hardy Marks 2 Years Since American Idol Win in a Memorizing Way

Laine Hardy Marks 2 Years Since American Idol Win in a Memorizing Way

Posted on May 20, 2021

It was 2 years ago this week that Laine Hardy won Season 17 of American Idol.

To mark the anniversary Laine shared on social media “Thank y’all for sticking with me on this journey for the last couple years. I feel blessed to have the best fans!”

Laine also recently released his brand new single “Memorize You”

Talking about the track, he says “I’ve been so excited to get this out since the moment I heard the mix. I’ve been asking and asking when we could put it out.  Well, it’s here!”

Check out the music video for Laine Hardy’s “Memorize You”…

For more information about Laine Hardy, visit  LaineHardyMusic.com  and join his journey @TheLaineHardy.

Headline & Single Photo Credit: Dustin Haney

Additional Photo Courtesy of Laine Hardy

Baseball Preview: #4 Vols Travel to #15 South Carolina to Conclude Regular Season

Baseball Preview: #4 Vols Travel to #15 South Carolina to Conclude Regular Season

Posted on May 19, 2021
Vols Drew Gilbert & Max Ferguson / Credit: UT Athletics

COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 4 Tennessee wraps up the regular season with an important series against SEC eastern division rival No. 15 South Carolina starting Thursday night at 7 p.m. in Columbia.

The Vols enter the weekend with a half game lead over Vanderbilt in the SEC East and have a chance to win their first eastern division title since 1997.

BROADCAST INFO

Thursday and Friday’s games will be streamed live on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app as Butch Antley (PxP) and Kip Bouknight (color) call the action. Saturday’s contest will be televised on the SEC Network with Tom Hart (PxP) and Chris Burke (color) on the call.

Fans can also listen to the official Vol Network radio call for all three games on Sports Radio WNML (FM 99.1 / AM 990), as well as UTSports.com and the UT Gameday app. The Voice of Tennessee Baseball John Wilkerson will call the action.

PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS

Game 1: RHP Chad Dallas (8-1) vs. RHP Brannon Jordan (5-4)
Game 2: LHP Will Heflin (2-2) vs. RHP Brett Kerry (4-1)
Game 3: RHP Blade Tidwell (6-3) vs. RHP Thomas Farr (3-5)

SERIES HISTORY

Overall: South Carolina leads, 65-38
In Knoxville: South Carolina leads, 24-22
In Columbia: South Carolina leads, 38-14
Neutral Sites: South Carolina leads, 3-2
Last Meeting: W, 6-3 (March 24, 2019)

While the Vols won their last series against the Gamecocks in 2019, South Carolina has had UT’s number in recent years, especially at home. Tennessee will be looking to end an 11-game losing streak in Columbia.

NOTABLE

SEC East Title Up for Grabs
Tennessee has a chance to win its first SEC Eastern Division title since 1997 and secure a top-four seed in the SEC Tournament this weekend in Columbia. The Vols still have an outside chance to win the SEC regular season title as well but will need help from Florida in its series at Arkansas.

Walk-Off Wins
Tennessee has had a flair for the dramatic this season with sixth walk-off wins, including three walk-off home runs after last Saturday’s 8-7 win over No. 1 Arkansas. Max Ferguson hit a three-run homer with UT trailing 7-5 in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Vols their third victory over a top-ranked opponent under Vitello.

53 and Counting…
Senior shortstop Liam Spence has been one of the toughest outs in all of college baseball this season. The Geelong, Australia, native has reached base in 53 consecutive games played dating back to last season and has gotten on base in all 50 games he’s played in this year. His 53 games streak is the second longest active streak in college baseball behind East Carolina’s Connor Norby (54 games). His 50-game on-base streak for just this season is the longest in the nation.

Road Vols
The Vols have been extremely good away from home this series, winning all five of their weekend road series, including their first four SEC road series for the first time since 1994. UT’s 14-4 road record this season is the best in the conference.

OPPONENT SCOUT

South Carolina Gamecocks

  • 2021 Record: 32-18 (15-12 SEC)
  • Rankings: No. 15 (CBN), No. 18 (USA Today/NCBWA/PG), No. 21 (D1B/BA)
  • 2019 Postseason: N/A
  • Head Coach: Mark Kingston (4th season) // Has led three different schools to NCAA Regionals during his head coaching career.
  • Predicted SEC Finish: 4th (Eastern Division)
  • Preseason All-SEC Selections:
    • Wes Clarke (2nd Team – DH/UTL)
  • Stat Leaders:
    • Batting Avg: Andrew Eyster (.285)
    • Runs: Wes Clarke (50)
    • Hits: Brady Allen (56)
    • Home Runs: Wes Clarke (20)
    • RBI: Wes Clarke (49)
    • Stolen Bases: Brady Allen (12-12)
    • Wins: Brannon Jordan (5-4)
    • ERA (min. 15.0 IP): Jack Mahoney (1.62)
    • Innings Pitched: Thomas Farr (71.0)
    • Strikeouts: Brannon Jordan (90)- ERA (min. 15.0 IP): Kyle Brennan (3.19)
    • Innings Pitched: Joshua South (71.1)
    • Strikeouts: Joshua South (57)

ON DECK

The Vols will head to Hoover, Alabama for the 2021 SEC Tournament next week at the Hoover Met. The tournament starts on Tuesday, May 25 and runs through Sunday, May 30. The Vols’ opening game in the tournament is to be determined. Should UT earn a top-four seed, they would receive a bye into the double elimination rounds, which begin on Wednesday, May 26.

-UT Athletics

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