BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – For the first time this season, the No. 17 Lady Vol softball team earned multiple SEC weekly awards. Sophomore 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.
Milloy was consistent at the plate and dominant on the base paths in UT’s five games this week, helping lead the Lady Vols to a pair of wins over both in-state foe Tennessee State and SEC rival South Carolina.
The Woodinville, Washington native went 7-for-15 at the dish with three runs scored, a pair of RBI and six stolen bases. With her stolen base total, Milloy extended her league lead to 30 – eight more than the No. 2 base stealer in the league.
Rogers was stellar in the circle, grabbing two wins and a save while helping Tennessee go 4-1 in its five contests this week.
Rogers fanned 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, won her 19th game this season and fifth in league play.
The Athens, Tennessee, native’s performance also increased her scoreless innings total in mid-week contests to 39.2 consecutive innings. She currently has more appearances (8) and wins (7) in mid-week affairs than hits allowed (6).
Milloy, Rogers and the 17th-ranked Lady Vols return to action with a weekend series against SEC foe Georgia. Game 1 is set for Friday, April 23 at 6 p.m. ET from Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. –Evan Russell has garnered some national recognition this week after his record-setting performance in last Saturday’s victory over No. 2 Vanderbilt.
The senior outfielder was named one of national players of the week by Collegiate Baseball News on Monday. Russell also earned the Golden Spikes Award National Performance of the Week honor on Tuesday for the second time this season.
The Lexington, Tennessee, native tied the single-game program record with three homers and drove in six of the Vols’ eight runs in their win over the Commodores. It was the second three-homer game of the year for Russell, who hit solo shots in the fourth and seventh innings before blasting an eighth-inning grand slam that proved to be the game-winning hit.
The Lexington, Tennessee, native finished the game a perfect 3-for-3 with a walk while setting or tying career highs in hits, runs (three), RBI (six) and total bases (12). With his three long balls on Saturday, Russell became the first player in program history with multiple games of three home runs.
Russell leads Tennessee with 10 home runs this season, eight of which have come during SEC play, which leads the conference. Ten of his 21 total hits this season have left the yard.
Tennessee forward John Fulkerson met with the media on Tuesday morning to recap his decision to return to Rocky Top for a sixth season of eligibility.
On if he would have come back for another year if his season had not ended in injury:
“I think I would now be considering other options. I think that was really a big key factor that played into my decision-making to come back to Tennessee. I think that it was really God showing me that I had the opportunity and chance to do it one more time.”
On what went through his mind during the process of deciding to come back to Tennessee:
“There was a lot that was going through my head and really I was just weighing out my options to see what the best decision was for me and just making sure that I was going to make the right decision for myself. After a lot of prayer and consideration and talking with my parents, talking with some mentors and people I really look up to, I decided to come back. It wasn’t really all about me personally, but really for me to help this team that we’re going to have next year, and to mentor some of the guys coming in. I really think that this team is going to be special and we can really accomplish something.”
On how instrumental his family was in making his decision and if he sees himself now as a “player-coach”:
“My parents were so supportive in this decision, as they have been my whole life. They were giving me some great guidance, some great tips and advice. Ultimately though, they did not want me to do this or do that, they just wanted me to do what I wanted to do and they were going to support me either way. I think that’s what the best parents do, they let you make your own decisions, especially at my age. They were going to support me either way, they were going to love me either way so credit to them for supporting me and helping me through all of that.
“I do see myself as a player-coach because I’ve played for coach Barnes for awhile now and I think that I know what he’s wanting and know his system and I think that it’s great to have a voice out there that can help the guys.”
On the two-week stretch of Senior Day, getting injured and Tennessee’s season-ending:
“That was a busy and jam-packed two weeks. Really, after the season after we got back, I went home for about a week and just kind of decompressed and hung out with my family. I wasn’t able to play basketball still, so I was just hanging out with my family and spending time with them. That’s when I really had the opportunity to think about what I wanted my next steps to look like and what I wanted my future to look like as well.”
On his current health status as it pertains to playing basketball:
“Of course. This is our fourth week of spring practice, so I’ve been going for four weeks now and I feel fine. Everything is great and I’m so excited to get out here in the summer with my new teammates.”
On if the addition of several new members to the team swayed his decision:
“I pretty much had my decision made before we started bringing in all of those recruits, but when we were getting all of those recruits it really made me want to let you guys know and let this next team know that I was going to be on the team and I was going to do whatever I could do to help this team and how excited I was to play on this team. So I had my decision made up, but once we started getting all of these recruits, it made me so much more excited to let them know.”
On when exactly he made the decision to come back and if he researched any other options before making his final decision:
“The more I thought about it, the more I thought about the way that I ended here at Tennessee. I was talking to Bob Kesling last night and I told him just my love for this university and when I put on a Tennessee jersey for this community, for the city of Knoxville. I just didn’t want to end it the way that I did, especially if I had the chance to do it again and finish on my terms, then I would love to do that and I would love to go out how I want to go out. So the more I thought about that, the more it got me excited to have the ability to return. During that week I just talked with my parents and some mentors of mine and kind of entertained the idea that I could come back and after lots of talking and consideration, I decided to.”
On Tennessee’s preseason ranking jumping from No. 25 to No. 15 after his decision was announced:
“I thought we should have been ranked No. 1. I’m just kidding. Honestly, I didn’t see that, I probably won’t see it. I don’t really look at preseason rankings or rankings in general. But I guess that’s a good compliment. Like I said though, I don’t really look at preseason rankings or rankings in general.”
On if he had COVID-19 and if it affected his play this past season:
“I did have COVID, and I think that COVID affected a lot more than my play. COVID affected a lot of people and a lot of different programs, and I think it can go as far as having the fans in the arenas affected a lot of different programs, people, and players. One of things for me is, you guys know how much of an energy player I am and how much I love the fans, and I really like playing off the fans and their energy. With them not being there, every team in this country had to create their own energy. Not only for me, but for every team out there, COVID affected them, whether they had it or not personally as far as their stamina, their conditioning, the energy, and things like that. I think all around it affected this whole program and that’s what makes me so excited for next year is it to be more of a normal year. I heard Danny White talk about last night, that he wants Neyland Stadium packed full, so I hope he can say the same about Thompson-Boling Arena. It makes me just so excited about next year and seeing what we can do.”
On if he was leaning one way or another when the NCAA first presented the year of added eligibility and how much it weighed on him throughout the season:
“Whenever this rule for eligibility came out about staying one more year and this year not counting, I was actually quarantined and coach Barnes called me with one of our assistants and asked me I was coming back. I said, ‘no I’ve been here long enough, and this is going to be a great year.’ I did not think for a single second that I would come back or that I was going to return, but then at the end of the season with all the factors that played in, I guess that was the complete change of events.”
On the mentors he spoke with, and what the feedback he got from them was:
“My biggest mentor other than my parents would be my AAU coach, and he’s really like my second dad. I played for him for four years, and since I quit playing for him and I’ve been at Tennessee, our relationship has just grown over the years and we’ve become closer. We go out to eat all the time, I go to his practices, he comes to the games, and things like that. Really with everyone I talked to, they were like my parents. They did not tell me a decision to make, and they gave me the pros and cons of each decision. They supported me, whichever one I was going to pick, and wanted me to do whatever made me the happiest and what I wanted to do.”
On what are the changes on the roster for this year that excites him most and the potential of that team:
“I think the biggest thing I’m excited for about this team, is our team chemistry and team-bonding opportunities just because I felt like last year COVID really inhibited us for hanging out as a team and creating our team chemistry and team-bonding experiences. I think hanging out off the court, and things such as team meals, movies, events, and things like that, help you just as much off the court getting to know each other, as it does on the court. So, that’s something that makes me excited about this team, and I talked to a lot of players and they’re all in and they are so excited to get here and work. So, I’m just excited for them to get here and for us to come together as one team.”
On if he is required to live on campus his senior year:
“Yes, they are making me live on campus. They said I’m the only one that does. Freshman, sophomores, juniors, senior, fifth-years don’t. Only sixth-years are living on campus. Actually no, this will be the first time in seven years that I haven’t lived in the dorm. I’m excited about that because I lived in the dorm in high school for two years and then five years at Tennessee. That’s another thing I’m very excited about is not living in a dorm.”
On Tennessee’s current roster and the turnover it has experienced:
“We are missing a lot, you’re right. Our walk-ons are there as well. I think with everybody we have about nine maybe. We’ve been doing the most we can, the best we can and really competing and getting better. Yesterday we had some VFLs in the gym. I’m not sure if I’m allowed to mention their names but we had some former players in the gym. They really competed with us too and it was great to see them as well. It has definitely been different with not having a full team there. Like you said, just half a team. We’ve been still getting our work in and competing and getting better.”
“First of all, I really already miss coach English and coach Oliver. I think I’ll be seeing coach Oliver for a little bit. I think we’ll go to Pal’s when I get home, I hope he’s there already. I’ve talked to coach English at least five, six or seven times since he’s left. We’re still building our relationship and keeping it very fine-tuned and in-touch a lot. I’m going to miss them a lot because they brought so much to our program. I really like—we call him RC—coach Rod Clark, he does not want to be called coach Clark. We call him RC and I really like him. He reminds me of coach English. He is a younger coach and really knows the game, really knows how to help us. Coach Gainey is very active. He is going to be a great addition to our program as well. I’m excited to get to know those guys and I think they’re going to help our team a ton.”
On throwing the first pitch at Tennessee’s baseball game against Vanderbilt:
“Yes, you’re right. It has been a crazy weekend, but it was a fun weekend. I could talk for a long time about our baseball team. I told their coach last night that I am one of their biggest fans. I just love the way that his team plays. They play with so much heart, competitiveness, togetherness, and energy. I really enjoyed watching them play. It was so fun to throw that first pitch just because I wanted to really get everybody hyped for them and really get them going. I really did not want the spotlight to be on me. It was so fun. I was there when Evan Russell hit the grand slam, and man that place went crazy. That weekend was so fun. We as a team went on Sunday to the baseball game and were hanging out as a team. I think it’s great to see other student-athletes at Tennessee support your teammates and other people on other teams. It just shows that everybody is for Tennessee and supports one another. It was just a really fun experience.”
On if he is wearing a protective mask during practice from previous injury:
“No.”
On steps to be more consistent than last year:
“I think that it starts in practice and my everyday work. I think a lot of it is on the mental side and just getting mentally prepared. That you’ve got to play your best and work your hardest every single day because teams are going to continually get better. Individuals are continually going to get better. I think that you have to approach it to where you tell yourself, you have to continue to get better.”
Tennessee forward John Fulkerson confirmed Tuesday morning what many people suspected for weeks if not months: He had Covid-19 this past season.
Fulkerson, who averaged 18.3 points in the last 10 games of the 2019-20 season and made first-team All-SEC, was not the same player his senior season. His scoring average dipped from 13.7 points to 9.5. His rebound average dropped from 5.9 to 5.5. His field-goal percentage decreased from 61.2% to 52.7%.
And his energy level wasn’t the same.
I asked Fulkerson during a zoom media conference this morning if he had Covid and if it impacted his play.
“I did,’’ he said. “I think if affected a lot of people.’’
Fulkerson noted it impacted fans in the stands. Usually raucous Thompson-Boling Arena (capacity 21,678) was reduced to less than 4,000 fans per home game. Fulkerson missed the rowdies.
“I love playing for the fans,’’ Fulkerson said, adding that he drew energy from spectators. “Them not being there, every team had to create its own energy.’’
Fulkerson, who announced recently he is returning for a sixth year at Tennessee, also said Covid impacted players’ stamina and conditioning.
“It affected this whole program,’’ Fulkerson said. “That’s what makes me so excited for next year, it will be more of a normal year.’’
We can only hope.
Fulkerson said he was encouraged by athletic director Danny White saying UT hopes to play home football games at full capacity at Neyland Stadium this fall.
Fulkerson hopes for the same thing at Thompson-Boling.
Fulkerson said Covid had another negative effect on the basketball squad: Team chemistry.
“I felt like last year Covid impacted us in terms of hanging out as a team and creating team chemistry and bonding experiences,’’ Fulkerson said, noting the team wasn’t able to have meals or watch movies or attend events together.
“That helps you just as much off the court as on the court,’’ he said.
Fulkerson said he already decided to return to UT before the Vols assembled the No. 2 recruiting class in the country – including two big men that can help Fulkerson inside.
“But when we got them,’’ he said, “it made me want to let you guys know and this team know I would be on the team and I would do whatever I could to help this team.’’
Fulkerson did admit he didn’t want his career to end with him sitting on the bench in the NCAA tournament and not remembering his last contest as a Vol – his memory jogged by the elbow of Florida’s Omar Payne during the SEC Tournament.
“I didn’t want it to end that way,’’ Fulkerson said. “I wanted to finish on my terms. The more I thought about it, the more I got excited to return.’’
Fulkerson said he thinks he can be sort of a player-coach to the newcomers, given this is his sixth year in coach Rick Barnes’ program.
Fulkerson thinks the Vols could be “special’’ this upcoming season and “accomplish something.’’
A new CBS Sports preseason poll jumped Tennessee from No. 25 to 15 when Fulkerson announced he was returning.
What did Fulkerson think of that?
“I thought we should have been ranked No. 1,’’ he joked.
Fulkerson said he doesn’t usually look at preseason rankings but he said the ratings jump was a “good compliment’’ to him.
Fulkerson said he has practiced with teammates for about four weeks, without wearing a mask.
Asked what he needs to do to be more consistent next season, Fulkerson said: “I think it starts in practice, working every day.’’
He said a lot of it is being prepared mentally to play your best.
Fulkerson isn’t just excited about basketball. He’s excited about his living arrangements for next season.
For the first time in eight years, he won’t have to live in a dorm. He did his last two years of high school and first five at UT.
The second of Eric Church‘s 3 album project Heart & Soul to be released in 8 days is out now — but only to his fan club, the Church Choir.
&, is the middle album containing 6 tracks…“Through My Ray-Bans,” “Doing Life With Me,” “Do Side,” “Kiss Her Goodbye,” “Mad Man,” and “Lone Wolf.”
Eric didn’t plan on releasing 3 separate albums as a part of his Heart & Soul project — he evens admits, that if it wasn’t him doing it, he’d be skeptical about it, “I’m a cynic. I’m a music guy. If you tell me you made three albums, I say well you made one decent one. Just me. That’s not what this is. These are three different feels. These are three different things. They sound the same because they were made in the same moment, but they group up different. And yes, we could have done just Heart and Soul and there would have been six songs that didn’t make it anywhere. But I don’t think that’s right. I think that if you listen to them, they have their own thing. They belong in their own spot. And that’s what ended up at least conceptually with what Heart & Soul is.”
Soul — the final piece to this project arrives this Friday, April 23rd.
Check out the in studio performance of “Through My Ray-Bans” — one of the tracks on Eric Church’s new album titled &.
Chris Stapleton has announced new 2021 dates for his All-American Road Show!
Chris, like every artist and fan, says “I miss touring deeply.”
And now it looks like the long wait to hear his ACM Award winning Album of the Year Starting Over in-person is over.
Starting in Chicago on July 17th, it looks like the All-American Road Show will then be on the road for nearly the next year. Various concerts will include an awesome line of various special guests…including, Caylee Hammack, Dwight Yoakam, Elle King, Jamey Johnson, Kendell Marvel, Margo Price, Mavis Staples, Nikki Lane, Sheryl Crow, The Dirty Knobs with Mike Campbell, The Highwomen, The Marcus King Band, Willie Nelson, and Yola.
Tickets for the newly announced dates for Chris Stapleton’s All-American Road Show begin next Friday – April 30th.
While Chris is very much looking for a return to the road, he does says that the last year at home offered him something that his usually touring life would not have, “The silver lining and the mixed blessing during the pandemic for me is I’ve gotten to spend more time being a dad and being with my children than I’ve ever gotten to do certainly as a touring musician. I have three children under the age of three and I have two older ones that are 12 and 10. When I go in to get the boys in the morning, and I open the door, they say ‘Daddy’ before I even open the door, and I’ve never really had that before. So, that’s kind of a neat thing for me to get to have that, so I’m thankful for that and I’m grateful for that. As much as I look forward to getting back out on the road, I’ll miss a little bit of that.”
One of the songs that fans will be looking forward to seeing Chris perform live (with plenty of tissues in hand), is the track he just sang on this year’s ACM Awards with Miranda Lambert — just in case you missed it…this is “Maggie’s Song.”
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The 16th-ranked Tennessee softball team took down South Carolina, 4-2, Monday night at the Carolina Softball Stadium, earning its second SEC series win of the season.
Tennessee (33-7, 6-6 SEC) opened the scoring in the first inning thanks to a passed ball that scored Cailin Hannon from third. UT added to its lead in the third thanks to a two-out Kiki Milloy double to right center that drove home Hannon from second.
In the fourth, Chelsea Seggern doubled the lead as she smacked her second home run of the weekend over the wall in center for a two-run shot that gave the Lady Vols a 4-0 lead.
South Carolina (23-17, 2-13 SEC) responded in the bottom of the fourth as it put two runners on with nobody out. Ashley Rogers fanned the next two batters, but with two away and runners on first and second, a fielding error allowed USC to score and cut into Tennessee’s lead.
The score remained 3-1 in the Lady Vols favor until the bottom of the seventh when South Carolina made a late push for the win.
Rogers got the first out in the seventh as she recorded her 10th strikeout of the game, but a Kenzi Maguire single in the next at-bat to center put one on for Mackenzie Boesel. The Gamecock second baseman laced a single down the left field line, which was booted in the outfield, and allowed Maguire to come around and score on the play.
With the score 4-2 and Boesel standing on third as a result of the booted ball, Rogers got the next batter to pop out but hit the following hitter to place runners on first and third. The Gamecock’s Jordan Fabian stepped to the plate, representing the winning run.
After running the count to 2-2, Rogers got Fabian to fly out to left to close out the Lady Vol win.
Rogers’ final stat line showed the Alcoa native tossing another complete-game, allowing two runs on six hits, walking two and striking out 10. She picked up her 19th victory of the year and fifth SEC win this season.
For South Carolina, Kelsey Oh took the loss and falls to 3-7 in 2021.
UP NEXT
The Lady Vols will have a shortened week, before taking on Georgia at home April 23-25 at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
Brothers Osborne spent some quality time with CBS’ Anthony Mason this week — first on CBS Sunday Morning, and then CBS This Morning.
The duo were interviewed in their hometown of Deale, Maryland where they shared stories about their family’s connection to music, the beginning of their career, the crisis John faced in 2019 that almost had him quitting music, and TJ’s decision to come out.
Watch the conversation between Brothers Osborne and Anthony Mason to find out what prompted John to say “I have never in my life been more proud to be a part of country music than I am today.”
