It didn’t take long after announcing their tour plans for Dan + Shay to share how they feel about getting back out their with fans, “Already getting emo thinking about being in the same room as y’all again.”
Dan + Shay posted, “nothing makes us hAppier than being abLe to say that the (arena) tour is OFFICIALLY happening and kicks off septemBer 9th in greenville, sc. also excited to annoUnce the we have added los angeles (Staples Center) + san diego (Pechanga Arena San Diego) to the tour.”
They added, “froM the bottom of our hearts, thank y’all so much for being patient with us on all of this. we’ve missed y’all more than you know, and promise it will be so worth the wait. trust us. comment which show(s) we’ll see you at! we’ve literally never been more excited for anything in our entire lives.”
Fans will be glad to hear this one from Dan + Shay when they’re out on the road…
The announcing of tours returning is rolling on, and this is a big one!
After a 14-month hiatus from the road due to quarantine, Zac Brown Band is coming back with The Comeback Tour!
Zac Brown says, “We couldn’t be more excited to get back out on the road and share our new music with our fans, it’s been a long, difficult year for everyone and we’re fired up to be reuniting with our crew, get back on tour, and celebrate a brand new world.”
Tickets will go on sale to the general public beginning this Friday, May 14th at 12pm local time at ZacBrownBand.com.
Special guests include singer-songwriters Teddy Swims, Ashland Craft, Gabby Barrett, Adam Doleac and Devin Dawson, who will join the band throughout the tour.
In a way, Callie Twisselman says she was born to make music, “I always knew singing and being a country music artist was what I wanted to do. My mother was a local country singer and I was about 10 years old when I decided that was the path that I wanted to take. I really believe growing up on a seven generation grain and cattle ranch helped shape who I am as an artist today and Instilled in me the hard work, determination and patience it would take to be able to chase such a big dream. It makes me so happy that I get to share my music with the world and all I hope for is that people enjoy it and relate to the stories I tell.”
In 2017, Callie made the move from the West Coast to Music City – and last month she released her debut single, “Two Hands.”
She shares the story behind the song, “‘Two Hands’ is a story about a girl who can be hard to handle and a handful at times, but her man accepts her and loves her just the way she is. The message behind the song is that you shouldn’t try to be something you’re not, be yourself and the right person will love you for who you are.”
Looking to make her mark with her first music video, Callie says, “It’s a light hearted fun upbeat song and that’s really where the inspiration came for the music video. We shot the video in my hometown at a local diner that I grew up going to, and came up with this concept to have my character be this bubbly, flirty waitress. It was so much fun and practically all of the cast were family members of mine which made it even more special to me.”
Check out the music video from Callie Twisselman for her debut single “Two Hands.”
(This is the first in a three-part series from a recent interview with former Power 5 head coach and CBS analyst Rick Neuheisel on SportsTalk radio The Sports Animal. Part One is about UT players taken in the most recent draft.)
Tennessee had only two players taken in the most recent NFL draft, but CBS analyst Rick Neuheisel thinks both will make a huge impact with their pro teams.
Receiver Josh palmer, who never had a 500-yard or five-touchdown season at Tennessee, was the 77th overall pick in the draft, going to the Los Angeles Chargers in the third round.
Trey Smith, despite a decorated college career, went in the sixth round to Kansas City due to medical concerns.
“Josh Palmer, to me, is an excellent receiver,’’ Neuheisel said on SportsTalk last week.
Neuheisel pointed out that Palmer made big-time catches against defensive backs at Georgia and Alabama.
“He’s a 50-50 ball catcher,’’ Neuheisel said, “but he probably tips the scales in 65-35 in favor of him because of his athleticism.
“He’s a guy that was a product of inconsistent quarterbacking.’’
If Tennessee had better quarterback play during Palmer’s career, Neuheisel thinks Palmer could have been drafted higher.
Neuheisel thinks Palmer landed in a perfect situation, as quarterback Justin Herbert set an NFL rookie record for touchdown passes in a season, and two veteran receivers – Mike Williams and Keenan Allen – will take pressure off Palmer to produce immediately while also serving as tutors.
“Josh Palmer might find himself in the conversation for Rookie of the Year before you know it,’’ Neuheisel said.
The former head coach at Colorado, Washington and UCLA is equally high on Smith, who suffered from blood clots in 2018 but didn’t miss any playing time the last two years.
“I think the Kansas City Chiefs got a steal,’’ Neuheisel said. “They’ve got to be elated that they got somebody of that talent at that point in the draft.’’
The lone issue with Smith is whether the college regimen that allowed him to play will be suitable for NFL teams.
“We all keep our fingers crossed that Trey is healthy and past the medical issues that have plagued him,’’ Neuheisel said. “Obviously, that’s the reason he fell to the sixth round. A lot of teams were unwilling to take the risk, given that they’re not sure exactly what his long-term prognosis is.’’
The fact that Tennessee has had just 13 players drafted in the past seven years is an indication of how far the program has fallen, when you consider Alabama had 10 players taken in the most recent draft, six in the first round.
Tennessee has had six first-rounders in the past 13 years.
“It’s a huge barometer,’’ Neuheisel said of the draft. “Absolutely a huge barometer.’’
This past Sunday country music remembered one its greatest that left this world way too soon.
May 9th was the 32nd anniversary of the passing of Keith Whitley.
During the 1980s Keith had a string of hits including “I’m No Stranger To The Rain,” “When You Say Nothing At All,” and “Don’t Close Your Eyes.”
Keith Whitley influenced many of today’s country music hit makers – including Chris Young.
Back in 2011 Chris had an opportunity to actually buy a guitar once owned by his musical hero. Chris shares, “They found this guitar that Keith actually owned and played, and it was one of the three guitars that he used on the road between ’84 and ’89, right before he died, when he was really having number-ones and having hits.”
He adds, it wasn’t just the guitar, “It’s so cool. It’s still got the original luggage tag on it with his signature.”
Chris Young is not usually tempted into making extravagant purchases, but he knew this was something that he could not pass up, “I don’t buy much stuff, but when that came by, I was like, ‘That’s one of a kind. I gotta have that.’ So…and I’m a huge Keith Whitley fan anyway, so for me, it means a lot to have it.”
It was the perfect find for Chris because the guitar was not in perfect condition — it was a piece of musical equipment that was used by Keith, Chris says, “It’s got all the dings and the scratches, but it’s in really, really great shape for being as old as it is. I mean, you think about…I think…I’m not exactly sure what year, but I think it’s early ’80s, so, I mean, just the fact that the guitar has held up this well and the case is in such great shape, and it’s actually the original case. And yeah, I geeked-out a little bit over that.”
Having the guitar in his possession, Chris Young knew the perfect spot to play it for the first time in public, “Keith Whitley has always been one of my musical heroes, so to get the chance to hold a piece of history in my hands and play his guitar on the Opry stage was beyond awesome.”
Since that day in October of 2011 on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, Chris Young has not used Keith Whitley’s guitar in public.
While it’s still in his collection, and Chris will occasionally use it for inspiration — he jokes that it’s hard to write a song using a guitar that once belonged to his idol, “There’s pressure! Oh, trust me, there’s…’cause I’m gonna use it to write with, and I mean, you don’t want to come out of the gate and the first song you write on Keith Whitley’s old guitar is terrible.”
While Chris has racked up a bunch of number-one hits since 2011 – he admits that so far they have not been written on Keith’s guitar.
Chris is using his own guitar in the video for this one – check out “Famous Friends” – Chris’ current single at country radio with Kane Brown…
Headline Chris Young Photo Credit: Jeff Johnson
Keith Whitley Photo Credit: Jim Shea
Chris Young Performance Photos Credit: (c) 2011 Grand Ole Opry / Joel Dennis
OVERLAND PARK, KAN. – Tennessee outfielder Evan Russell has been named one of 10 finalists for the 2021 Senior CLASS Award, as announced by the award committee on Monday.
The Senior CLASS Award recognizes student-athletes who excel both on and off the field. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.
After a slow start to the season, Russell has been one of the top hitters in the SEC during league play. The senior outfielder leads the conference with 29 RBI in SEC games and also ranks third in home runs (10) and fourth in slugging percentage (.721) during league play. He has had two three-homer games this season, becoming the only player in program history to have multiple three-homer games in their career.
Russell is the first player in program history to be named a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award. The Lexington, Tennessee, native is a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll recipient and, in 2019, became the eighth player in program history to earn CoSIDA Academic All-America honors.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
The finalists were chosen by a selection committee from the list of 30 candidates announced earlier in the season. Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to help select the winner. Fans are encouraged to vote on the Senior CLASS Award website through June 7. Fan votes will be combined with media and Division I head coaches’ votes to determine the winner.
The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2021 College World Series® in June.
The complete list of 2021 Senior CLASS Award candidates can be seen HERE.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 4 Tennessee returns to action at home on Tuesday against Tennessee Tech after a series sweep at Missouri last weekend.
Tuesday will be the second meeting between the Vols and Golden Eagles this season. UT came away victorious with a 3-2 walk-off win in the first meeting on April 20.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Relying on the expertise of public health authorities, the state of Tennessee, appropriate university and government agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), we are implementing a number of new initiatives at Tennessee Baseball gamedays this spring. The well-being of our student-athletes, fans and staff are our top priorities and guide our decisions. Exposure to COVID-19 is an inherent risk in any public location where people are present; we cannot guarantee you will not be exposed during your visit.
The Southeastern Conference in August released several conference-wide fan health and safety guidelines for all member institutions this fall. The Tennessee-specific measures outlined on this page are in line with, and in addition to, the SEC’s guidelines.
Parking
Baseball parking is located primarily in Lots GF1, G16, and C1.
Additional on-street parking is located in C10 along Todd Helton Dr. and Chamique Holdsclaw Dr. and along West Volunteer Blvd.
Handicap parking is located in marked handicap spaces on Pat Head Summitt St. and in the G16 Volunteer Blvd. garage. The 2021 parking map can be seen HERE (PDF).
For more information and gameday info, visit the Tennessee Baseball Gameday Information page by clicking HERE.
TICKET INFORMATION
While Lindsey Nelson Stadium we be at 100 percent capacity for this weekend’s series vs. Arkansas, it will continue to operate with reduced capacity for Tuesday’s game against Tennessee Tech.
Single-game tickets for remaining midweek games may be purchased by calling the Tennessee Athletic ticket office at 865-656-1200 or online at Allvols.com.
Single-game tickets may also be available for select games at the baseball ticket office based on visiting team ticket returns. Fans are encouraged to call the Ticket Office at 865-656-1200 for individual game availability. For weekend series, please contact the Ticket Office on Fridays before 5:00 p.m. Single-game tickets can also be purchased through Vivid Seats by clicking HERE.
In order to keep Lindsey Nelson Stadium as full as possible during a season with limited capacity, we are encouraging season ticket holders who are unable to use their tickets for a game(s) to either transfer your tickets to someone else (Instructions HERE), sell them on VividSeats (Information available at UTSports.com/cantmakethegame) or participate in our new Seats for Student program (Instructions HERE).
BROADCAST INFO
Tuesday’s game will be streamed live on WatchESPN.com and the ESPN app.
Fans can also listen to the official Vol Network radio call on Sports Radio WNML (FM 99.1 / AM 990), as well as UTSports.com and the UT Gameday app. John Wilkerson and Vince Ferrara will call the action.
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Tennessee leads, 71-30-1
In Knoxville: Tennessee leads, 46-12
In Cookeville: Tennessee leads, 25-18-1
Neutral Sites: N/A
Last Meeting: W, 3-2 (April 20, 2021)
The Vols have won five of the past six meetings against the Golden Eagles and are 2-1 against them under Tony Vitello.
NOTABLE
Offense is Clicking
The Vols bats have been red hot over the past few weeks. The Big Orange have scored double-digit runs in five of their last seven SEC games after scoring 11 and 10 in wins over Missouri on Saturday and Sunday last weekend. UT has homered in 11 consecutive conference games and ranks among the top three in the league in batting average, hits, runs scored, doubles, home runs, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, walks and total bases.
SEC Benchmarks
After completing the series sweep on Sunday, the Vols now sit at 17-7 in conference play, their best SEC record through 24 games since also going 17-7 in 1995. Tennessee has secured a winning record in league play for the first time since 2005 and has also recorded its most wins in SEC play since going 18-11 during that same season. UT has also won its first four SEC road series this year for the first time since 1994.
Tennessee vs. In-State Foes
Tennessee has been successful against in-state competition since Vitello took over as head coach in 2018. The Vols are 20-12 against in-state teams in that span, including a 17-6 record against non-conference in-state foes.
Non-Conference Dominance
UT has been close to unbeatable in non-conference and midweek games in the past couple of years. Since the start of the 2019 season, the Vols are 61-11 against non-conference foes. The Big Orange have also posted an impressive 37-7 record in midweek games since Vitello became head coach in 2018. Tennessee is 20-4 in non-conference games this season, including a 9-2 record in midweek contests.
OPPONENT SCOUT
Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles
2021 Record: 18-21 (11-13 OVC)
Rankings: Not Ranked
2019 Postseason: N/A
Head Coach: Steve Smith (2nd season) // Spent 21 years as Baylor’s head coach, where he is the winningest coach in Baylor Athletics history (744 wins).
Predicted OVC Finish: 10th
Preseason All-OVC Selections:
Jason Hinchman (1st Team – OF)
Stat Leaders:
Batting Avg: Brett Roberts (.337)
Runs: Ed Johnson (34)
Hits: Brett Roberts (56)
Home Runs: Cody Littlejohn (11)
RBI: Brett Roberts (29)
Stolen Bases: Brett Roberts (16-24)
Wins: Ty Fisher (5)
ERA (min. 15.0 IP): Grant Phillips (3.65)
Innings Pitched: Ty Fisher (61.1)
Strikeouts: Ty Fisher (51)
GAME PROMOTIONS
Upcoming promotions for all Tennessee athletics home events can be found on the UT Fan Experience page by clicking HERE.
Fans are encouraged to download the My All App for their phones and devices this season. The app is available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store and will allow fans to participate in in-game trivia, the custom filter selfie cam and more throughout the year.
ON DECK
A top-five matchup with No. 1 Arkansas awaits this weekend at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The Vols and Razorbacks open their highly-anticipated series on Friday at 6:30 p.m.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Tennessee sophomore Drew Gilbert was named the SEC Newcomer of the Week for the second time this season on Monday, as announced by the league office.
The Stillwater, Minnesota, native had a huge series offensively in the Vols’ sweep at Missouri, leading the team with nine hits, five runs, four doubles and six RBI while batting .600 for the weekend.
Gilbert had multiple hits in all three games against the Tigers, tying a career high with four hits in Sunday’s series finale while adding two runs scored and two RBI in the 10-2 victory.
In Saturday’s series-clinching win, Gilbert finished with three hits and four RBI while setting a career high with two doubles and tying a career high with three runs scored. He went 2-for-5 with a double in Friday’s series-opening win.
UT players have been named the SEC Newcomer of the Week in each of the last three weeks with Gilbert earning the award twice and Jordan Beck also garnering the honor after his big series against Kentucky two weeks ago. In total, the Vols have had five players earn SEC weekly honors this season (Gilbert, Beck, Jake Rucker, Sean Hunley, Blade Tidwell).
Tennessee kicks off its final homestand of the regular season on Tuesday night against Tennessee Tech at 6:30 p.m.
Following weeks of responsibly and gradually loosening capacity restrictions for Tennessee home athletic events, Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White announced Monday that the Vols are expanding baseball attendance to 100 percent at Lindsey Nelson Stadium for this weekend’s series against top-ranked Arkansas.
As vaccination numbers continue to rise and other stadiums throughout the Southeastern Conference have demonstrated the ability to safely host events without attendance restrictions, Tennessee Athletics is taking this final step in its phased approach to creating an impactful homefield advantage, which will also enhance the gameday experience for fans supporting the fourth-ranked Vols heading into postseason play.
As preparations for a full-capacity stadium are finalized this week, Tuesday’s home game against Tennessee Tech will be contested with limited attendance restrictions still in place. Friday’s series opener against Arkansas, with first pitch set for 6:30 p.m. ET, will be the first home game of the season for which capacity restrictions will be lifted (aside from ESPN broadcast guidelines and mandatory SEC event protocols). Tickets for this weekend’s games are available for purchase at AllVols.com or by calling the UT Ticket Office at 1-800-332-8657.
Should the Vols earn hosting privileges for an NCAA Regional next month, it should be noted that the NCAA has mandated that host venues cap attendance at 50 percent of capacity for those games.
