Darius Rucker‘s new single “My Masterpiece” started with an interview.
Darius shares the story of how the song was created, “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.”
Darius is now giving “My Masterpiece” a new sound with an acoustic version…check the video for it right here…
Did you catch Gabby Barrett‘s late night television debut on The Late Late Show With James Corden?
After chatting with James Corden about the inspiration for her number-one smash hit “The Good Ones” – Gabby let loose with a show-stopping performance of the track.
Gabby shared a photo with fans from after the performance — proving husband Cade Foehner still sweeps her off her feet…
Check out Gabby singing “The Good Ones” on The Late Late Show With James Corden right here…
Elvie Shane recently released his debut EP, County Roads, and that same day he also made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry.
Recalling the performance of his single “My Boy” at the Opry, Elvie shared, “Almost couldn’t make it through this one… performing ‘My Boy’ at the Grand Ole Opry with Caleb right there in the audience was something I’ll never forget.”
Lathan Warlick shares his story of success on CBS This Morning…from welding metal to melding genres, Lathan says what it really is about is “I’m trying to connecting the dots, and bring a lot more together with unity.”
Tyler Hubbard from Florida Georgia Line, who produced Lathan’s EP, and joins him on the title track “My Way” is also featured in the CBS This Morning piece.
Tyler says, “I think everybody is collaboration now. I think it’s a beautiful thing. It’s a big blend of genres.”
Lathan adds, “It’s just about good music, it’s about connecting and making good music.”
Watch the full CBS This Morning segment on Lathan Warlick and his brand new EP, My Way, right here…
After the segment aired, Lathan added, “CBS This Morning, Thank you for helping me push this vision. We gone continue to come together and make some good clean fun music that we all can enjoy.”
Lathan Warlick‘s 8 song EP My Way is available now – and it includes collaborations with Matt Stell, Lauren Alaina, Russell Dickerson. Dustin Lynch, RaeLynn, High Valley and Tyler Hubard.
Watch the music video for “Over Yonder” from Lathan and Matt Stell right here…
Did you catch Priscilla Block‘s livestream event celebrating the release of her EP?
You can catch the replay of Priscilla sharing stories – find out which track she originally wrote for Jason Aldean to sing – and songs from the project, including her current single “Just About Over You” from the Hard Rock Cafe in Nashville.
Back in March Joey Hendricks released his debut EP, Between the Clouds, which features his song “Hollywood.”
Joey says that the music on the EP actually influenced the project’s title, “I named the EP ‘Between The Clouds’ because writing these songs have been little moments of clarity and light in between a lot of confusion and anxiety that I’ve dealt with over the years.”
Joey shares the story behind his song, “Hollywood.”
He also adds, “I hope that people love the song as much as I do. I think if you’ve ever been in love or are in love you can relate to it. So grab your special someone, turn it up loud and scream it at the top of your lungs.”
Priscilla Block‘s debut EP arrives tomorrow (Friday, April 30th) but tonight she’s giving fans a taste of what’s to come.
She’ll be hosting a livestream release party with her full band from the Hard Rock Cafe in Downtown Nashville.
Priscilla says, “I am so, so, so excited to do this livestream. So many people haven’t been able to see me play live, and it has been a long time since I’ve been able to play with my band. And I’m so excited to talk about each song and also give people a taste of what a live show’s gonna look like”
It starts tonight (Thursday, April 29th) at 9 PM CT — head to here to see the event https://strm.to/PriscillaBlockEP
This is one that fans will be looking forward to seeing tonight — it’s Priscilla Block’s current single at country radio, “Just About Over You.”
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – VFLs Trey Smith, Josh Palmer, Bryce Thompson and Brandon Kennedy are set for the next chapter of their football careers as the three-day 2021 NFL Draft begins Thursday night in Cleveland.
Round one begins at 8 p.m. ET Thursday. Rounds two and three take place Friday with a 7 p.m. start. Rounds four through seven get underway at noon Saturday. ESPN, NFL Network and ABC will all carry it live.
Smith seeks to become the next great VFL offensive lineman at the next level. A starter in 41 career games, the Jackson, Tennessee, native saw action on over 2,500 snaps and allowed only one sack in his final two seasons.
Palmer’s draft stock has skyrocketed since the Senior Bowl. He looks to join an accomplished list of NFL VFL wide receivers. Jauan Jennings went to the San Francisco 49ers in last year’s seventh round, while Marquez Callaway established his presence as a rookie with the New Orleans Saints in 2020. Palmer caught 99 passes for 1,514 yards and seven touchdowns during his career.
Thompson, the UT single-game record holder for interceptions, tallied 19 passes defended, 102 tackles, eight tackles for loss and forced 10 turnovers during his career.
Kennedy, a 2020 National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete, started 22 career games at center for the Vols. He played 507 offensive snaps this past season and allowed only one sack.
Heading into the 2021 NFL Draft, Tennessee has produced 372 all-time draft picks, which dates back to 1936. That mark includes the AFL Draft, which merged in 1967.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 4 Tennessee will look to continue its success in Southeastern Conference play as it hosts fellow eastern division foe Kentucky this Thursday through Saturday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The Vols have won five of their six SEC series so far after taking two of three games at Texas A&M last weekend, exploding for 20 runs in Sunday’s rubber game to clinch the series.
The Wildcats are coming off a series win of their own, sweeping a Sunday doubleheader against Alabama after dropping the opener.
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
Lindsey Nelson Stadium continues to operate with reduced capacity to align with state and local social-distancing guidelines for public gatherings.
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. For SEC Conference games, a limited number of single game tickets will go on sale at Lindsey Nelson Stadium 90 minutes prior to first pitch.
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
Thursday’s game will be televised on ESPNU with Clay Matvick (PxP) and Todd Walker (color) on the call. Friday and Saturday’s games will be streamed live on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app with Bob Kesling (PxP) and Charlie Puleo (color) calling the action.
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. John Wilkerson and Vince Ferrara will call the action.
PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
Game 1: RHP Chad Dallas (6-1) vs. RHP Cole Stupp (4-3) Game 2: LHP Will Heflin (2-1) vs. TBD Game 3: RHP Blade Tidwell (4-2) vs. RHP Zack Lee (4-3)
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Tennessee leads, 175-151
In Knoxville: Tennessee leads, 99-70
In Lexington: Kentucky leads, 79-73
Neutral Sites: Tennessee leads, 3-2
Last Meeting: W, 8-2 (April 20, 2019)
The Vols have won four straight in the series after sweeping the Wildcats in the last meeting between the two programs back in 2019. During Tony Vitello‘s tenure as head coach, UT has won both of its series against Kentucky, coming away victorious in five of the six games.
NOTABLE
Rucker & Gilbert Take Home SEC Weekly Honors
Junior third baseman Jake Rucker and sophomore outfielder/pitcher Drew Gilbert both earned SEC weekly honors on Monday after big weekends at Texas A&M.
Rucker was UT’s best hitter last week, leading the team with a .556 batting average, 10 hits, six runs, four doubles, 17 total bases, a .944 slugging percentage and a .579 on-base percentage. Rucker recorded hits in all four games last week and tied his career high with three hits in all three games against Texas A&M over the weekend. The Greenbrier, Tennessee, native went 3-for-5 with two doubles and set a new career high with four runs scored in Sunday’s series finale. He also drove in a pair of runs as the Vols hammered the Aggies, 20-7, to take the series.
Gilbert showcased his versatility last week, doing damage at the plate while also pitching two scoreless innings in last Tuesday’s midweek win over Tennessee Tech. The Stillwater, Minnesota, native had a hit in three of Tennessee’s four games and was second on the team with six RBI last week. His six hits also ranked second on the team for the week. Four of those hits came in Sunday’s rubber game at Texas A&M, tying a career high. He also scored two runs and had three RBI on the day to lead UT to an emphatic series-clinching win.
Going Yard
Tennessee has been on a major power surge recently. In the past two weeks, the Vols have hit 20 home runs in a span of just nine games, including nine in their series win at Texas A&M last weekend. The Big Orange blasted a season-high six homers in Sunday’s 20-7 victory to increase their season total to 54, which ranks fifth in the SEC and 12th in nation. Senior Evan Russell has been responsible for 12 of those 54 homers, which is tied for fifth in the SEC and 13th nationally. His 10 long balls in SEC play are the most in the league.
SEC Success
Tennessee’s 12-6 conference record is its best through 18 games since going 13-5 in 1995. The Big Orange have won five of their six SEC series so far, including all three road series, marking the first time they have won their first three series away from home in league play since 1994.
Vols In the Polls
The Vols enter their series against the Wildcats ranked No. 4 in the nation by D1Baseball.com, USA Today and the NCBWA. UT is ranked in the top 10 by all six major polls.
OPPONENT SCOUT
Kentucky Wildcats
2021 Record: 25-13 (9-9 SEC)
Rankings: RV (NCBWA)
2019 Postseason: N/A
Head Coach: Nick Mingione (5th season) // Named 2017 National and SEC Coach of the Year
Predicted SEC Finish: 7th (Eastern Division)
Preseason All-SEC Selections:
T.J. Collett (1st Team – 1B)
Stat Leaders:
Batting Avg: Coltyn Kessler (.394)
Runs: John Rhodes (37)
Hits: Austin Schultz (54)
Home Runs: T.J. Collett (14)
RBI: T.J. Collett (46)
Stolen Bases: Austin Schultz (16-18)
Wins: Cole Stupp/Zack Lee (4)
ERA (min. 15.0 IP): Mason Hazelwood (2.13)
Innings Pitched: Cole Stupp (56.2)
Strikeouts: Cole Stupp (53)
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
Tennessee will not play a midweek game next week and will have five days off before starting a road series at Missouri on Friday, May 7.
