KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – In what had the feel of a heavyweight fight from the start, No. 4 Tennessee dropped round one to top-ranked Arkansas, 6-5, on Friday night in front of a capacity crowd at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
After holding the Razorbacks off the board to start the game, the Vols struck for five runs in the bottom of the first courtesy of a Jake Rucker two-run double and a Jordan Beck three-run homer, but were held scoreless for the remainder of the night.
Neither starting pitcher had their best night as Chad Dallas and Patrick Wicklander were both pulled before the fifth inning. Wicklander lasted just 2.2 innings, allowing five runs on six hits and two walks, while Dallas was taken out after 4.1 innings of work, allowing five runs on seven hits and three walks.
On the flip side, both team’s bullpens were lights out as neither allowed an earned run in the game. Sean Hunley was the hard-luck loser, dropping to 7-3 on the year after allowing just one unearned run on one hit in 4.2 innings of relief.
The duo of Caden Monke and Kevin Kopps allowed just one hit over the final 6.1 innings as the Razorbacks made some top-notch defensive plays as well to stay within striking distance.
After falling behind 5-0 in the first, Arkansas’s high-powered offense countered with two runs each in the second and third innings on a pair of two-run home runs by Robert Moore and Brady Slavens to cut the UT lead to one.
The Hogs (38-9, 18-7 SEC) tied the game at five with an RBI single by Cayden Wallace in the fifth, and after two scoreless innings, took their first lead of the night with a run in the top of the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Moore.
The Vols had the potential tying run at second base in the eighth after a two-out, pinch-hit double by Kyle Booker, but Kopps got Liam Spence to strike out to end the threat. Spence did finish the game with a pair of hits to extend his nation-leading on-base streak to 50 consecutive games.
Tennessee (38-12 // 17-8 SEC) will look to even the series tomorrow afternoon in game two, which is slated for a 12:02 p.m. first pitch on the SEC Network.
NOTABLE
LINDSEY NELSON WAS ROCKIN’: For the first time this season, Lindsey Nelson Stadium was at full capacity and Vol Nation didn’t disappoint. Friday night’s attendance of 3,476 was by far the highest since Tony Vitello took over as head coach in 2018. Another sold out crowd is expected for Saturday and Sunday’s contests.
BECK BLAST: Jordan Beck’s three-run homer in the first inning spotted the Vols an early 5-0 lead. It was the 10th of the year for the sophomore slugger who is now tied for the team lead with 48 RBI. UT has now homered in 12 straight SEC games.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The WNBA tips off its 25th season Friday, and as the new campaign begins there will be seven former Lady Vols on rosters around the league on opening night.
Tennessee once again leads the SEC in the number of alums on WNBA teams, with South Carolina ranking second with five, followed by Texas A&M, Mississippi State, LSU and Arkansas with two apiece. Auburn, Alabama and Missouri have one player each in the league, while Georgia, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss and Florida have no players currently holding roster spots.
In a poll of league general managers, DeShields led all vote-getters as the league’s best 2-3 swing player.
All-time, 49 Lady Vols have gone on to play in the WNBA. A total of 43 of those Tennessee products were taken in league drafts, including 18 first-rounders and three No. 1 overall selections.
Davis, a three-time All-SEC and All-America honorable mention selection at UT, was the latest to join the professional ranks, going with the No. 9 overall pick in round one of the 2021 draft by the Lynx. The franchise announced on May 1, however, that she sustained a stress fracture in her left foot and would be out indefinitely.
Nonetheless, Minnesota opens the season at home on Friday against Phoenix at 9 p.m. ET in a game carried by CBS Sports Network. LVFL Cierra Burdick plays for the Mercury, and sets sail on her fifth year of duty in the league. She saw action in a career-high 13 games (0.3 ppg., 0.4 rpg.) with Las Vegas last season as a reserve for the WNBA runner-up Aces before moving to the Valley of the Sun.
Parker is Tennessee’s most experienced WNBA veteran and enters her 14th year in the league but initial campaign in her hometown of Chicago after playing her first 13 seasons in Los Angeles. Parker, a five-time WNBA All-Star forward, two-time league MVP and 2016 WNBA Finals MVP, is ranked by ESPN as the league’s No. 4-rated player entering 2021.
Last season, the 6-foot-4 standout started 22 games and produced an average of 14.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.2 steals per contest while shooting 51 percent from the field. She was chosen as the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year and was voted All-WNBA First Team for the sixth time.
DeShields, meanwhile, begins her fourth season with the Sky and joins forces with Parker to make Chicago one of the league’s most promising teams. A member of the WNBA All-Rookie Team in 2018 and a WNBA All-Star in 2019, the gifted wing player is hoping for a bounce-back year after struggles with injuries in 2020 forced her to curtail her season after 13 games and leave the “Wubble.”
Though she only put up 6.8 ppg., 1.8 rpg. and 1.5 apg. a year ago, DeShields’ 14.4/4.9/2.2 and 16.2/5.5/2.4 lines in 2018 and 2019, respectively, demonstrate she is a force to be reckoned with when healthy. ESPN concurs, placing her at No. 19 on its list of the WNBA’s top 25 players.
Parker and DeShields tip off the 2021 season on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET, as they travel to D.C. to take on the Washington Mystics in a contest televised by ABC. Among those coaching them will be another LVFL, assistant coach Tonya Edwards, who starred at Tennessee from 1986-90 and played in the WNBA from 1999-2002.
Stricklen is the second-most experienced UT player in the WNBA, heading into her 10th year as a pro. She was originally drafted second overall and spent three seasons with the Seattle Storm, played five years with the Connecticut Sun and now embarks on her second season with Atlanta. The Dream will open up by hosting the Sun on Friday at 7:30 p.m., with Twitter providing coverage.
Last season, Stricklen started 15 of 22 games with her new team. The 6-2 guard/forward averaged 6.1 ppg. and 1.9 rpg. while playing 21.7 minutes per contest. She knocked down 33 three-pointers in 99 attempts.
Harrison, meanwhile, embarks on her fifth season in the league and third year in Dallas. After sitting out the 2018 season due to medical reasons, the 6-3 forward bounced back in 2019 by starting 29 of 33 games and averaging 8.6 points and 4.9 rebounds. A pair of ankle injuries in 2020, however, limited her output to 6.4 ppg. and 4.6 rpg., and effectively ended her campaign after 13 games.
After a winter/spring of playing abroad, Harrison appears ready to get the 2021 campaign started. She’ll do so on Friday at 10:30 p.m. ET, as the Wings visit the Los Angeles Sparks with Facebook providing live coverage.
UT’s seventh active player is Russell, who enters year four with defending WNBA champion Seattle and is a two-time league champ (2018, 2020). A year ago, Russell played in 22 games, starting two, while contributing 3.5 ppg. and 3.2 rpg. and playing 13.8 mpg. as a key reserve.
Russell, who has been playing in Turkey and just arrived back in the U.S., may not be active as the WNBA slate gets under way. Her Storm teammates, however, will tip on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET, hosting the Las Vegas Aces in a tilt carried on ABC.
Two former Lady Vols are active in the front office of a pair of franchises. Tamika Catchings, who played her entire 15-year career with the Indiana Fever and is being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this weekend, is the vice president of basketball operations and general manager for Indy.
Additionally, Nikki (Caldwell) Fargas, who spent 13 seasons as an NCAA women’s basketball head coach, most recently at LSU, was named the president of the Las Vegas Aces on May 11. Fargas had two stints on the UT staff after her Lady Vol playing career, serving as a graduate assistant for Pat Summitt in 1998-99 and returning as an assistant from 2002-08.
INDIANAPOLIS – Tennessee’s Lindsey Nelson Stadium was among the 20 sites announced by the NCAA on Friday that have been approved to host NCAA Regionals and Super Regionals for baseball this season.
The 16 regional sites will come from the 20 approved locations announced on Friday and will be revealed on Sunday, May 30 at 8:30 p.m. ET.
The full release from the NCAA and complete list of the 20 approved sites can be seen HERE.
Entering this weekend’s series against No. 1 Arkansas, the Vols are ranked as high as No. 4 in the national polls and are No. 8 in the latest RPI rankings. The Big Orange are also tied with the Razorbacks for first in the SEC.
Should Tennessee be selected to host a regional, it would be its first time hosting one since 2005. The Vols went on to win that regional and advance all the way to the College World Series, which was their last trip to Omaha.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Junior Ashley Rogers twirled a gem Thursday as the 19th-ranked and seventh-seeded Tennessee softball team shutdown No. 6 and second-seeded Arkansas, 1-0, at Rhoads Stadium.
Pitching for the second consecutive day, Rogers no-hit Arkansas for four innings and allowed the Razorbacks just one lone hit. The Athens, Tennessee, native struck out 12 and walked three as she cruised through the Arkansas lineup.
Rogers earned her 25th win of the season Thursday and threw her 23rd complete game of the year.
With her 12 strikeouts, she came within three of tying the single-game SEC Tournament record set by Alexis Osorio, when she struck out 15 on May 11, 2017 against Texas A&M. Through the first two games of the tournament, Rogers has struck out 25 batters, which ranks sixth all-time in SEC Tournament history.
On the other side of the diamond, Arkansas’ (40-9) Mary Haff threw a complete game and allowed the Lady Vols just two hits on the night. Haff struck out five, walked none and surrendered one run in the loss.
Haff, the SEC Co-Pitcher of the Year, drops to 23-6 on the year.
Tennessee (41-12) scored the games only run off an Ally Shipman solo home run in the top half of the fifth. Shipman picked up UT’s second hit of the game in the seventh as she doubled off the wall in left center.
With the win, Tennessee advances to the SEC Tournament semifinals. It will be the Lady Vols 16th appearance in the semifinals all-time and their first trip to the semis since 2018.
UP NEXT
Tennessee will take on Alabama Friday night with a trip to the championship game on the line. It will be the fourth meeting between the two teams this season, following UT’s three-game series in Tuscaloosa March 19-21.
The Crimson Tide won the regular season series, winning games two and three.
First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
With hosts Kelsea Ballerini and Kane Brown already in place for the CMT Music Awards, now the nominations are announced…
Maren Morris & Miranda Lambert have the most nods with 4 each, followed by Kane, Kelsea, Little Big Town and Mickey Guyton with 3 each.
Mickey is one of 13 first time CMT Music Award nominees a list that also includes Dylan Scott, Hailey Whitters, HARDY, Lainey Wilson, Margo Price, Nathaniel Rateliff, Niko Moon, Noah Cyrus, Parmalee, Ryan Hurd, Tyler Hubbard (as a solo artist) and Willie Jones.
The Fan voted categories are…
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video of the year; awarded to the artist (male, female, group/duo or collaboration). Top five nominees, from the first round of voting, will be announced on June 1. Top 3 nominees, from the second round of voting, will be announced on June 8. Final voting will be determined via social media and announced as the final category during the live show.
Carrie Underwood with John Legend – “Hallelujah”
Dierks Bentley – “Gone”
Elle King and Miranda Lambert – “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)”
Ingrid Andress – “Lady Like”
Kane Brown – “Worldwide Beautiful”
Keith Urban with P!nk – “One Too Many”
Kelsea Ballerini – “hole in the bottle”
Kenny Chesney – “Knowing You”
Maren Morris – “Better Than We Found It”
Mickey Guyton – “Heaven Down Here”
Miranda Lambert – “Settling Down”
Ryan Hurd with Maren Morris – “Chasing After You”
Sam Hunt – “Breaking Up Was Easy In The 90’s”
Willie Jones – “American Dream”
FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a female artist; awarded to the artist
Carly Pearce – “Next Girl”
Gabby Barrett – “The Good Ones”
Kelsea Ballerini – “hole in the bottle”
Maren Morris – “To Hell & Back”
Mickey Guyton – “Heaven Down Here”
Miranda Lambert – “Settling Down”
MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a male artist; awarded to the artist
Chris Stapleton – “Starting Over”
Darius Rucker – “Beers and Sunshine”
Kane Brown – “Worship You”
Luke Bryan – “Down To One”
Luke Combs – “Lovin’ On You”
Thomas Rhett – “What’s Your Country Song”
DUO/GROUP VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a duo or group; awarded to the artists
Brothers Osborne – “All Night”
Lady A – “Like A Lady”
Little Big Town – “Wine, Beer, Whiskey”
Old Dominion – “Never Be Sorry”
Parmalee and Blanco Brown – “Just The Way”
Runaway June – “We Were Rich”
BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video from an artist?s major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist (male, female or group/duo)
Dylan Scott – “Nobody”
Hailey Whitters feat. Little Big Town – “Fillin’ My Cup”
HARDY – “Give Heaven Some Hell”
Lainey Wilson – “Things a Man Oughta Know”
Mickey Guyton – “Black Like Me”
Niko Moon – “GOOD TIME (Ride Along Video)”
COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video from a collaboration; awarded to the artists
Carrie Underwood with John Legend – “Hallelujah”
Chris Young and Kane Brown – “Famous Friends”
Elle King and Miranda Lambert – “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)”
Keith Urban with P!nk – “One Too Many”
Ryan Hurd with Maren Morris – “Chasing After You”
Tim McGraw and Tyler Hubbard – “Undivided”
CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Musical performance on a television show, series or variety special on CMT; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo)
From the 2020 CMT Music Awards – Brooks & Dunn and Luke Combs “1, 2 Many”
From the 2020 CMT Music Awards – Dan + Shay “I Should Probably Go To Bed”
From the 2020 CMT Music Awards – Jimmie Allen and Noah Cyrus “This Is Us”
From the 2020 CMT Music Awards – Kelsea Ballerini and Halsey “The Other Girl”
From the 2020 CMT Music Awards – Little Big Town “Wine, Beer, Whiskey”
From CMT Crossroads – Nathaniel Rateliff and Margo Price “Twinkle Twinkle”
Photo Courtesy of Kelsea Ballerini, Kane Brown and CMT Music Awards
Darius Rucker‘s new song “My Masterpiece” was inspired by one of his co-writers after he heard Darius during a radio interview, ““I was having a writing session with the same guys I wrote ‘Beers and Sunshine’ with, and they were talking about just, well, I think it was John (Harding) that said he heard me on a radio station talking about what I was doing during COVID. I said I was trying to learn to play piano and they asked if I could play, and I said, ‘I can’t play like Ray Charles.’ And that just stuck in his head and that was the idea that he had. And we went in, and it was another one of those songs that really, with when you think about all of the great masterpieces in the world, it was great to write that song and come up with another song that I love.”
Check out the music video for Darius’ new song…right here…
Kelsea Ballerini made a big move to Nashville from Knoxville in her teen years…it was a move that changed the course of her life.
In her music video for “half of my hometown” Kelsea gets to see what might have happened if the boxes were unpacked instead of loaded on the moving truck.
She says, “played out the what could have beens had I not left my hometown at 15 to live out this dream. the most emotional, grounding, and full circle video I’ve gotten to make.”
Check out the video for “half of my hometown” right here…
At the end of the music video did you catch that quick clip of Kelsea and Kenny Chesney performing – it was from this year’s ACM Awards…you can see the two East Tennessee kids singing “half of my hometown” right here…
