Talking about the EP, Elvie says, “It’s the story of who I am… all the twists and turns that got me to this very moment.”
County Roads track list includes,
01 “County Roads”
02 “Keep On Strummin’”
03 “Sundays In the South”
04 “My Boy”
05 “Sundress”
06 “My Mississippi”
When it comes to the songwriting process for his music, Elvie shares what he says to his co-writers, “Every time I sit in a room, I set out to try to write something that’s going to evoke some kind of emotion. Before we get started I always like to just say ‘Hey, what matters? What matters today?’ and that can change from day to day, but maybe what matters today is your children, maybe what matters today is your spouse, maybe what matters today is you know you’re thinking about that first love or whatever, and I hope to achieve that goal every time I’m in the room.”
It was using that philosophy that allowed Elvie and his co-writers to come up with his very autobiography song, “My Boy” — which is one of the 6 tracks on his new EP, Elvie says, “There’s an old Garth Brooks song that says ‘blood is thicker than water, but love is thicker than blood’. That’s the message we were trying to get out with this song, ‘My Boy.'”
The road to County Roads started when Elvie, who felt like he would never fit in, in Music City, saw a performance on the CMA Awards…Elvie explains, “Nashville always seemed really out of reach, my entire life. I had some friends that were coming down here…they were in a band up in Kentucky, I had been kind of opening up for them acoustic, and stuff. They’d been coming down here writin’, and I just…I kept putting it off, putting it off, and then the CMA performance where Chris Stapleton and Justin Timberlake played together…one of my buddies in that band called me right after that performance, and he’s like ‘Hey man, you reckon it’s time to go to Nashville?’ Just seeing the…seeing the possibilities that was represented on that stage in country music from one end of the spectrum to the other, I was like there’s gotta be a place for me somewhere in between all that. So, I came down the following Monday.”
The County Roads EP from Elvie Shane is available now — and it features this song that is climbing up the country airplay chart…
If we’ve learned anything lately, it’s that people have a lot on their plate, so it’s not good to judge too quickly.
That’s what Raleigh Keegan‘s new song “Easy On The Trigger” is all about.
Produced by Grammy-award winner Ryan Gore (Jon Pardi, Old Dominion), and co-written by Raleigh with Alex Dooley and Brian Carper.
When it comes to creating the track, Raleigh shares, “That was an idea I had because of what I was seeing on social media and how we treat each other. I’d read someone say ‘words can be violent.’ That really struck me and made me think about words as a gun, and that’s really what inspired the concept.”
While there is a message to it, “Easy On The Trigger” doesn’t feel like a “message” song Raleigh says, “It was a fun song to write because it has a serious message wrapped in up-tempo music. It will make you dance while encouraging you to be thoughtful about prioritizing what is important in life over trivial things.”
Raleigh adds, “What’s cool about Alex and Brian is they will take risks with me. When I came in with those ideas we ran with it. This isn’t your typical love song. It also has tempo changes that normal country/pop songs don’t have. They helped me formulate the ideas I had and brought them to fruition.”
“Easy On The Trigger” from Raleigh Keegan arrives everywhere tomorrow — but The Country Daily has the EXCLUSIVE preview of the song and lyric video today!
Lathan Warlick‘s 8 song EP My Way is available now!
This is Lathan’s first EP with a country connection as he has duets with Matt Stell, Lauren Alaina, Russell Dickerson. Dustin Lynch, RaeLynn, High Valley and Tyler Hubard — who is also the Executive Producer of the project.
Talking about the EP, Lathan says, “I want fans to know that…man, that’s why it’s called My Way…my EP is called My Way, I know I got a song with Tyler Hubbard out called ‘My Way,’ but the EP is just about my way, and it’s about having it your way. Having it my way as in like…I have some gospel on here, I’ve got some country, and I have some hip-hop stuff on here. So, it’s like all of that is just trying to bring people together during all these times that are going on right now. I just want people to know that, I just want positive vibes, just good vibes going on for this music. No matter what’s going on you can pop this thing in and just ride to it. Nothing negative on it, just straight positive things, straight positive thoughts about the music.”
Check out this Behind the Song video for the EP’s title track “My Way” from Lathan featuring Tyler Hubbard
Lathan Warlick – My Way – Track Listing:
01 “My Way” feat. Tyler Hubbard
02 “Roots” feat. RaeLynn
03 “In His Hands” feat. Lauren Alaina
04 “Gotta Be God” feat. Russell Dickerson
05 “My Dawgs”
06 “Over Yonder” feat. Matt Stell
07 “Way Out Here” feat. Dustin Lynch
08 “Runaway Train” feat. High Valley
Watch the music video for “Over Yonder” from Lathan and Matt Stell
Lathan says, “I’m so Proud to announce that I’m dropping my first project for you guys!! The talented collabs that we have on this thing is something that you guys DO NOT wanna miss!!!”
One of those collabs not to miss features RaeLynn — “Roots”
My Way – the new EP from Lathan Warlick is available now
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee football went through its final full spring practice on Thursday afternoon as the Volunteers continue to prepare for Saturday’s Chevrolet Orange & White Game.
Thursday was Tennessee’s 13th spring practice. It’s 14th will be devoted to a “Fast Friday” walk through before culminating head coach Josh Heupel‘s first spring in Knoxville at 4 p.m. ET Saturday. Admission is free with Neyland Stadium gates opening at 2:30 p.m. Complete game day information is available at utsports.com/gameday.
Defensive coordinator Tim Banks and offensive coordinator Alex Golesh met with members of the media to discuss each side of the ball’s progress through five weeks, while looking ahead to an important summer.
Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach Alex Golesh
On how he would describe what he’s seen from the quarterbacks this spring …
“We just got done with practice 13. It’s been the three guys rotating through. Everybody’s mixing in with the ones, twos and threes. I think they have showed a ton of growth. That’s the one spot where you start with as you come in as a new staff and put in a new system. All three have shown a bunch of growth in their own ways. As we’ve gone, we have fine-tuned things to each guy’s skill set. As we’ve got into situational football, we’ve fine-tuned things to each guys’ skill set. But it’s been daily growth. They’ve been up and down a little bit at times. As we install more, all lights are on you at that point and that position. Obviously, it all goes through that position and there have been days we have been really excited. There have been days where we’ve wanted to see more growth. But individually, all three of those guys have done a really good job of soaking it in, getting better every day not making the same mistake twice – which we’ve really hit home at every spot, that one specifically in commanding the offense, and commanding that group. So, I’ve been really proud of those guys with what they have done, where they are at and where they are heading.”
On if the staff is pleased with the install of the offense as spring wraps up …
“We are probably right where we thought we would be. As coaches, we have scripted some situations. We just got done with a heavy red zone day and you leave with a bunch of stuff you want to catch up. When you get into a third down day, you leave and you want to get on stuff to touch up. I think we are where we hoped we would be, in terms of normal situation football. I think the situation side we have to continue to grow. I think it’s just guys understanding the game better, understanding what we’re trying to get done in certain situations. That’s the part that if we need to grow in a big way, that would be it. I think it just takes time, not that we had a built-in excuse when we got here, but that’s where you always feel behind as the coordinator that you’re not getting enough situational work. Coach (Josh Heupel) has done a really good job of presenting those opportunities to us, and now it’s time to learn from what we’ve gotten and capitalize on those opportunities. That’s probably one of the areas we have to hammer home as we get into fall camp.”
On how he would evaluate the running back group, and what he has seen in tight end Miles Campbell’s growth and development this spring…
“With the running back group, we’ve continued to roll a bunch of guys through there, to see similar to the quarterback situation, what each guy’s skill set is, who can continue to be every down back for us. We’ve seen a bunch of growth from Jabari (Small), a young man that we hadn’t seen a lot on film. He’s continued to take daily strides both in the backfield and as a receiver. Out of the backfield, he has to continue to grow and become a complete back in terms of pass protection and catching the football and have been really happy with him. Dee (Beckwith) has continued to grow. Tiyon Evans got banged up there early and has been able to come back and was able to scrimmage last week. It was really good to see him. I think his future is incredibly bright. He’s going to continue to push for that spot and a variety of different roles within the program. We got to continue to figure out at that position who are one through whatever number that may be. We’re going to continue to push that group. I think Jerry Mack has done a really great job of rolling those guys and letting them all go with the one o-line and two o-line. As we leave spring, that’s a spot we have to continue to figure out exactly where our depth is and what order and what each of those guys can really do. There are a bunch of guys that haven’t played at this level, and we’re going to continue to put those guys in situations where we got to figure out who and what order. In terms of depth, there’s a bunch of guys that are capable, and it’s on us to continue to develop them over the next four months. That room needs to and will continue to grow up. In terms of Miles Campbell, Miles has been a really pleasant surprise. Anytime you come in as a mid-year enrollee all your buddies are back home getting ready for prom, graduation, senioritis and being goof balls. With Miles, it took him a minute to figure it out that he’s in college taking 15 credit hours, waking up early, going to bed early. These guys want me in here all day, all these places to be. It took him a month. Since we started football, he’s been growing daily. A ton of promise, he’s soaked it all in, and I’ve been really happy with how he’s learned. I’ve been really happy with how hard he plays. He’s got a chance to be a really special player here. I’m excited he is here, and I think his future in incredibly bright. It was really big for him to be here mid-year and be able to go through spring and learn what it is to be a college football player because I think he had no clue when he got here that it was going to be all of this really fast all at once. It takes a special young man to come in at mid-year, and it’s become common in college football now. It takes a special young guy to adjust and fit in, especially in a place like this where the weather is always beautiful, the campus is pretty and you got to focus in on ball. He’s done a really good job the last couple weeks once he’s figured out a routine. I’m really proud of where Miles is, and I hope he can help us in a big way, maybe even this fall.”
On how eager he is to see the quarterbacks on this stage Saturday, and if there is a concern there may be some overreaction …
“I guess I haven’t thought about an overreaction. I’ve really just thought for us, it’s going to be a scrimmage and an opportunity for our guys to go play in front of people. I’m excited to see them go play. I’m excited to see all those guys go be able to roll in there and do what they do. For us offensively, and I’d imagine the same for Coach (Tim) Banks, we just want another, however many plays it is, to go play football, how we want to play and be able to execute at a really high rate. Whoever the quarterback that is in there, we’ll try to maximize their ability within those drives. I’m excited to take it one drive at a time, play with relentless attitude and effort, play with really good tempo, play with a level of violence and play as hard as we can as long as we can. It’s awesome that there’s going to be people, the TV, the whole deal. How it gets written about and talked about is out my control and their control. All we can control is playing one play at a time. That’s not to sound cliché on it. I just haven’t thought about the reaction part of it.”
On if he is starting to see some separation from the receiver room and players standing out …
“The biggest thing I’ve tried to sit back and figure out and Coach (Kodi) Burns has done a great job of taking those guys from when we got here to where they are right now, in terms of them developing as route runners, blockers, fundamentally understanding how to line up, where to line up, how I fit. It is so drastically different than what those guys have been used to. There’s not a ton of experience there, not a bunch of guys that have played. The biggest thing for us on offense we’ve tried to do is figure out who is good at what and continue to develop them all as complete players. It’s been awesome to see some of those young guys step up and grow. Those young guys — Jalin Hyatt, Cedric Tillman — in terms of playing has been a young guy. Jimmy Calloway, Walker Merrill has been an incredibly big surprise in terms of we just had no idea coming in. He’s mature beyond his years both as a player and the way he handles how he approaches the game. Velus (Jones Jr.) has played a bunch. We’ve put a lot on him and tried to get him to continue to take the next step. Ramel Keyton has shown. (Andison) Coby in a lot of ways that he’s fighting like crazy. As a group, those guys are competing. In terms of roles defining themselves. I think if you’ve seen us play, we’re going to need them all. We’re going to play a bunch of them and play really fast, and they’re all going to have to play. It’s on us as coaches, as we continue to develop game plans, to figure out who, where and how to get them the football and capitalize on what guys are really good at. Use the next four months to hone in on the guys that are going to play. The stuff they are not good at, continue to develop. I truly believe that Kodi Burns is good as anybody I’ve ever been around at developing that position. He played that position. He’s coached in this conference. He knows what it takes, and there’s a fiery approach to how those guys are getting coached. I think there are going to continue to grow and take steps. Their roles will continue to get defined as we get into fall camp and start to hone in on week one. That’s when those guys will figure out who’s playing where, who their backups are and who will play what roll. They are starting to get there right now.”
On going into the spring game and where the defense is at …
“We made considerable strides since the first practice to obviously whatever practice number we are on right now. The kids are starting to grasp what we’re trying to get done. It’s not all about schematics but what the expectations are. How we practice, our whole intent, our body language, everything, how we take the field. From the first practice to where we are now, we made considerable strides.”
On how much do you think your players fit into your system …
“It was a learning curve for those guys and understanding them. I’ve taken over a few programs of different defenses and it’s always the same. It’s a learning curve. At the end of the day, if you have a positive attitude and you’re ready to work, which these guys have had, you start to see the return in your investment. The guys are picking it up every day and every practice. They have gotten a lot more comfortable with it. This summer will be extremely valuable. Those fall camp reps that you’ll get. We’ll be ready by the time that we get to kick this thing off.”
On the growth of the players …
“We obviously have been thin at some of those spots. I think our coaches have worked extremely hard. You really can see the growth in our first practice to where we are now. To the kids’ credit, those guys have worked at it. The inside linebackers are ultra-thin at this point. The guys that we have in there have been pushing. I told Coach (Brian Jean-Mary) a day ago I literally can see the improvements. We’re not where we want to be yet. We know it’s a long road to go but ultimately, we just want to see some daily improvements. We want guys to invest and get a return in that investment. If they continue to work the way that they’re working, they will like the results in the end. That can be said for the outside linebackers as well.”
On the motivation for this game …
“They’re all important. That’s not coach cliché. When you’re a new team or a new staff, we understand how valuable every single rep is, how valuable every practice is. Our kids understand that. They understand that there’s a lot of work that still needs to be done for us to go where we want to go. That’s the motivation that they have. These guys are hungry. They want to get better. They want to get coached. I’ll be extremely disappointed if they didn’t come out excited for an opportunity to get in Neyland and tee this thing up.”
On the physicality of his unit …
“From a physicality perspective, we’ve gotten better. We’re more physical than we were on day one. As a coach, that’s what we’re looking for. Have we made strides? So, we have. Are we as physical as we want to be? Not at all. The kids understand that, and we’re working our tails off to get there. For the priority in the summer, it’s just those daily deposits. We want to make sure that we’re constantly going throughout the summer. There are no days off in terms of our mental aspect and approach. We’ll have cutups at this point. These guys will be able to evaluate themselves. Not just what we say schematically but what they see on video. Getting in the playbooks, studying on their own, so by the time that we hit the fall, we can install extremely fast. We can continue to put even more of the playbook in at a faster pace.”
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The 17th-ranked Lady Vol softball team returns home this weekend as they host No. 21 Georgia at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
The series is Friday-Sunday with first pitch Friday set for 6 p.m. ET and first pitch coming at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
BROADCAST INFO
Game one of the series can be streamed on SEC Network+ with Will Boling on the call. Game two and three will air nationally on ESPN2 with Courtney Lyle (play-by-play) and Kayla Braud (color) describing the action.
Fans can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate or online at UTsports.com to hear VFL Brian Rice calling each game on the radio.
QUICK HITS LAST TIME OUT
Tennessee picked up its second SEC series win of the season as it defeated South Carolina on the road in games two and three. After dropping game one 3-2, the Lady Vols bounced back with an 11-0 victory in the second game and a 4-2 win in the rubber match.
WE’RE GOING TO STEAL AND YOU CAN’T STOP US
Heading into its fifth SEC series of the year, Tennessee retains its position as the SEC leader in stolen bases per game this season with 1.95. The Lady Vols are 17-for-19 on stolen base attempts in SEC play and 72-for-78 overall this season.
DOUBLE SEC AWARDS Kiki Milloy was named the league’s Player of the Week for the second time this season, and junior pitcher Ashley Rogers took home her third Pitcher of the Week honor of the year following Tennessee’s series victory over South Carolina and a pair of wins Tennessee State.
Milloy was consistent at the plate and dominant on the base paths in UT’s five games last week, helping lead the Lady Vols to a 4-1 record during the week. The Woodinville, Washington, native went 7-for-15 at the dish with three runs scored, a pair of RBI and six stolen bases.
Rogers was stellar in the circle, grabbing two wins and a save while fanning 35 batters over four games – including two 10-plus strikeout outings – to run her strikeout total to a SEC-best 210 on the year.
Along the way, Rogers threw two complete games and also captured her 19th win this season and fifth in league play.
PITCHING BY COMMITTEE
Through 40 games, Tennessee softball has combined to toss a trio of no-hitters. Callie Turner has both a solo and combined no-no – teaming with Anna Hazlewood to no-hit Bellarmine – while Samantha Bender tossed a no-hitter against Northern Kentucky.
The Lady Vol pitching staff has also been stellar on all fronts, boasting a 1.48 team ERA and having given up one or zero runs on 17 different occasions this season. All four pitchers who have made at least one start this year have tossed at least one complete game shutout (Rogers, Turner, Bender and Bailey McCachren).
Last Meeting: A run-rule 8-0 victory for Georgia in Athens on April 21, 2019.
Key Player/Stat: Georgia comes to Knoxville with a 28-12 record and two SEC series wins against Missouri and Kentucky. The Bulldogs hosted No. 1 Oklahoma in a Tuesday doubleheader this week, ending the Sooners’ 40-game win streak by taking the first game 7-6 in nine innings, before falling in game two, 12-3. Georgia averages 1.58 home runs per contest, good for second most in the SEC, while they are 11th among SEC teams with an on-base percentage of .366.
UP NEXT
Tennessee will hit the road for its final non-conference matchup of the season, heading into the mountains to take on Western Carolina in doubleheader action on Tuesday, April 27.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — University of Tennessee women’s basketball head coach Kellie Harper confirmed Thursday that graduate transfer Alexus Dye has signed an athletics scholarship and an SEC Grant-In-Aid agreement to join the Lady Vol program for the 2021-22 campaign.
Dye, a 6-foot forward, comes to Rocky Top from Troy University after a remarkable season in which she was chosen as the 2021 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and the Sun Belt Conference Tournament Most Outstanding Player. She will graduate in May 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in human services with a minor in psychology. She will have one season of eligibility remaining after student-athletes were granted an additional year as part of the NCAA’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I am really excited to add Alexus Dye to the Lady Vol family,” Harper said. “Alexus has a winning pedigree, playing a key role on teams that captured a national championship, multiple conference championships and four high school state championships. She is an effective scorer and a dominant rebounder with proven results in big games. That combination of skills and experience and her drive to win will make an immediate impact on our program.”
A native of Birmingham, Ala., and a graduate of Wenonah High School, Dye is coming off a season in which she averaged 16.6 points and 12.6 rebounds in 28 games for Troy, leading the NCAA in double-doubles (23) and ranking second in total rebounds (352) and seventh in rebound average. She shot 49.5 percent from the field and 73.7 percent from the free-throw line for the Trojans en route to All-Sun Belt Conference First-Team honors.
Against Power-5/SEC opponents in 2020-21, Dye averaged 23 points and 11 rebounds per contest, including a game-high 26 points along with 11 rebounds in a controversial 84-80 loss to No. 2 seed Texas A&M in the NCAA Tournament First Round. She also had 20 points and 11 boards vs. Mississippi State earlier in the campaign.
As a junior, Dye put up 10.1 ppg. and 9.6 rpg. with nine double-doubles to garner All-Sun Belt Conference Second-Team acclaim. She recorded 12 games of double-digit rebounds and five outings of at least 15 boards, setting a (then) career high in rebounds with 19 against Arkansas State. She topped that number with 20 vs. Appalachian State as a senior.
Dye finished her career at Troy with averages of 13.3 points and 11.1 rebounds, tallying 32 double-doubles in two seasons, including 30 in her last 40 games. She helped the Trojans to a 22-6 overall mark and 15-2 league record in 2020-21, winning the Sun Belt East and capturing the league’s tourney title, and a 25-4/16-2 slate in 2019-20 before the pandemic brought the season to an end just before the league tournament.
Prior to her time at Troy, Dye played two seasons at Gulf Coast State College in Panama City, Florida, from 2017-19. In her final campaign there, she was named a WBCA Two-Year College Coaches’ All-American and an NJCAA Division I Second-Team All-American as well as the MVP of the 2019 NJCAA National Tournament.
Dye averaged 15.3 ppg. and 9.5 rpg. while shooting 55.4 percent from the field in 2018-19 as a sophomore. She helped guide Gulf Coast to a national title and a 27-5 record during that campaign, recording a double-double of 14 points and 15 rebounds in the national title game. She ranked second in the NJCAA in rebounds with 304, fifth in field goal percentage at 55.4 percent and ninth in scoring with 488 points.
As a freshman in 2017-18, she ranked second nationally in field goal percentage at 61.2 percent and averaged 7.0 points and 4.6 rebounds as GCSC finished fourth nationally.
At Wenonah High School, Dye was a three-time all-state selection, the state tournament MVP in 2016 and 2017 and was a three-star prospect, as rated by espnW HoopGurlz. She helped lead WHS to four Alabama Class 5A state championships.
The signing of Dye marks the fifth incoming graduate transfer in Lady Vol history and the third committing to UT during the Kellie Harper era. The most recent players to do so are 6-1 forward Keyen Green (Liberty) and 5-8 guard Jordan Walker (Western Michigan), who will play alongside Dye on the 2021-22 squad. Walker, who arrived with two seasons of eligibility, saw action in all 25 games last season, starting 13. Green started the first four games a year ago before an injury ended her season.
The other two previous grad transfers are Lou Brown, a 6-3 forward from Washington State who played the 2019-20 campaign, and Schaquilla Nunn, a 6-3 forward who came to Tennessee from Winthrop and played on Rocky Top during the 2016-17 season.
Dye is the third player from Alabama on this year’s UT roster, joining freshmen Sara Puckett from Muscle Shoals (Muscle Shoals H.S.) and Karoline Striplin from Hartford (Geneva County H.S.). That trio makes it seven from the southern border state to wear orange, following in the footsteps of Gwen Jackson (Eufaula/Eufaula H.S., 1999-03), Tasheika Morris (Huntsville/Butler H.S., 1999-2000), Sidney Spencer (Hoover/Hoover H.S., 2003-07) and Jasmine Jones (Madison/Bob Jones H.S., 2012-16).
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – No. 5 Tennessee will make just its second-ever trip to Texas A&M this weekend for a three-game series against the Aggies at Blue Bell Park in Bryan-College Station, Texas.
Both teams will be looking to rebound with series wins after dropping their respective series last weekend to No. 2 Vanderbilt and No. 1 Arkansas.
The Vols defeated Tennessee Tech on Tuesday for their 30th win of the season, while the Aggies earned a 9-4 win over Texas Southern.
BROADCAST INFO
Friday and Saturday’s contests will be streamed live on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app. Sunday’s series finale will be televised on the SEC Network with Dave Neal (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 (5-1) vs. LHP Dustin Saenz (5-4) Game 2: LHP Will Heflin (2-1) vs. RHP Bryce Miller (2-1) Game 3: RHP Blade Tidwell (4-2) vs. RHP Nathan Dettmer (3-1)
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Texas A&M leads, 9-4
In Knoxville: Texas A&M leads, 6-3
In College Station: Texas A&M leads, 2-1
Neutral Sites: Texas A&M leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: W, 6-4 (April 22, 2018)
The Vols are 4-9 in the all-time series but earned their first series win over Texas A&M during Tony Vitello‘s first season in 2018, taking two of three games from the 14th-ranked Aggies in Knoxville.
NOTABLE
Road Vols
Tennessee has proven to be a tough opponent when playing away from home this season. After a midweek win at Western Carolina last Tuesday night, the Vols are 9-3 on the road this season, including series victories in all three of their weekend road trips, including SEC series wins at Georgia and Alabama.
We Hit Dingers
Tennessee put up some impressive power numbers over its four games last week, blasting 10 home runs, including four homers each on Saturday and Sunday against No. 2 Vanderbilt. Entering this weekend’s series, the Big Orange rank 21st nationally with 45 home runs this season.
Russell on Another Level
Senior outfielder Evan Russell put up another record-setting performance in UT’s 8-4 victory over the Commodores last Saturday. Russell hit three home runs, including the game-winning grand slam in the bottom of the eighth inning with the Vols trailing 4-3. It marked the second three-homer game for Russell this season after also accomplishing the feat in a win over LSU on March 27. The Lexington, Tennessee, native is the only player in program history to have multiple three-homer games in their career. His six RBI on the day were also a career high.
Walk-Off Wins
The Vols recorded their fifth walk-off win of the season on Tuesday night against in-state foe Tennessee Tech, earning a 3-2 victory thanks to an RBI single by Max Ferguson in the bottom of the ninth inning. Tennessee has a pair of walk-off wins in conference play, as well, knocking off then No. 14 LSU in consecutive games in walk-off fashion to sweep the Tigers back in March.
OPPONENT SCOUT
Texas A&M Aggies
2021 Record: 22-17 (4-11 SEC)
Rankings: Not Ranked
2019 Postseason: NCAA Morgantown Regional (2-2)
Head Coach: Rob Childress (16th season) // Has led Texas A&M to 13 straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
Predicted SEC Finish: 5th (Western Division)
Preseason All-SEC Selections: N/A
Stat Leaders:
Batting Avg: Will Frizzell (.352)
Runs: Will Frizzell (32)
Hits: Will Frizzell (51)
Home Runs: Will Frizzell (12)
RBI: Will Frizzell (31)
Stolen Bases: Ray Alejo (11-12)
Wins: Dustin Saenz (5)
ERA (min. 15.0 IP): Alex Magers (2.53)
Innings Pitched: Dustin Saenz (53.0)
Strikeouts: Dustin Saenz (71)
ON DECK
The Vols return to Knoxville for four straight home games next week, hosting Lipscomb on Tuesday, April 27 before a Thursday-Saturday series against Kentucky. Tuesday’s midweek game against the Bisons will begin at 6:30 p.m. and be streamed on SEC Network+.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The University of Tennessee is represented by a department-record 46 student-athletes on the 2021 Winter SEC Academic Honor Roll, which was announced Wednesday by league commissioner Greg Sankey.
The women’s swimming and diving program led the way with 21 making the list. The men’s swimming and diving team followed with 13 members earning academic honors, while the men’s basketball team had seven and women’s basketball saw five members garnering accolades.
UT winter sports teams collectively improved their overall total by eight over the 38 who made the honor roll last year. Men’s basketball saw a jump in four, while women’s swimming and diving improved by three, men’s swimming and diving increased its tally by one and women’s basketball hit the same mark.
A total of 788 student-athletes were named to the 2021 Winter SEC Academic Honor Roll. It includes the sports of basketball, equestrian, gymnastics, and swimming & diving. It is based on grades from the 2020 Spring, Summer and Fall terms.
Any student-athlete who participates in a Southeastern Conference championship sport or a student-athlete who participates in a sport listed on his/her institution’s NCAA Sports Sponsorship Form is eligible for nomination to the SEC Academic Honor Roll.
The following criteria will be followed: (1) A student‐athlete must have a grade point average of 3.00 or above for either the preceding academic year (two semesters or three quarters) or have a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or above at the nominating institution. (2) If a student‐athlete attends summer school, his/her grade point average during the summer academic term must be included in the calculation used to determine eligibility for the Academic Honor Roll. (3) Student‐athletes eligible for the Honor Roll include those receiving an athletics scholarship, recipients of an athletics award (i.e., letter winner), and non‐scholarship student‐athletes who have been on a varsity team for two seasons. (4) Prior to being nominated, a student‐athlete must have successfully completed 24 semester or 36 quarter hours of non‐remedial academic credit toward a baccalaureate degree at the nominating institution. (5) The student‐athlete must have been a member of a varsity team for the sport’s entire NCAA Championship segment.
University of Tennessee 2021 Winter SEC Academic Honor Roll Members
