Matt Stell announced his Everywhere But Home tour — which will see him playing 15 shows over the next 4 months across 6 states, and it starts this weekend!
Matt posted, “It’s official—the boys and I are saddling up and hitting the road again. I’ve been waiting a long time to say that. Real talk y’all better be ready to 100% full send blow out every minute of every one of these dates because I promise you we are gonna be. 2020 knocked us on our asses. In 2021 we fight back by having all the fun we didn’t get to have and then some. I typed this out in all caps first because that’s how I feel right now, but it was hard to read and looked annoying. But I mean it that hard. Be ready. The future’s coming and it’s looking BRIGHT.”
Matt added, “Can’t wait to play a few and raise one (more than one) up in Florida this weekend. Thankful we can get back out there and safely bring the music to y’all!”
Tickets go on sale tomorrow, Friday February 26th at noon local time, more info at mattstell.com.
Along with his two number-one hits, “Prayed For You” and “Everywhere But On” (which inspired the tour name), Matt is sure to play his brand new single, “That Ain’t Me No More.”
Talking about the song, Matt says, “I love all kinds of music. Uptempo country songs about heartbreak are probably my favorite, especially when a song has a fresh take on the subject. ‘That Ain’t Me No More’ is all of these things and it’s a rocker to boot”
Listen to the song here, and remember to head to mattstell.com for ticket info about the Everywhere But Home tour.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 16 Tennessee (5-0) continued its hot hitting by scoring eight runs in the first inning and never looking back in a 14-6 win over Arkansas Pine-Bluff on Wednesday evening at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Liam Spence set the tone with a double to open the game and Jake Rucker drove in the first two runs of the game with a triple two batters later. Luc Lipcius followed with his first home run of the year and before you could blink UT had a 4-0 lead.
Five different Vols has two or more runs batted in on the day, with senior outfielder Evan Russell leading the way. The Lexington, Tennessee, native made his first start of the year after dealing with soreness in his wrist and went 2-for-3 with three runs and three RBI. All three of the runs Russell drove in came on a no-doubt home run in the fourth inning that cleared the porches in left field.
Rucker, Lipcius, Christian Scott and Kyle Booker all drove in two runs apiece, as well, while Trey Lipscomb led the team in hits with a 3-for-5 performance.
Sophomore right hander Mark McLaughlin got the start on the mound and was nearly unhittable in three innings of work. The Georgia native allowed just one base runner and had six strikeouts in his 2021 debut.
Drew Gilbert made his first pitching appearance of the season and got the win after tossing two shutout innings of relief, finishing with three strikeouts. Freshmen Hollis Fanning, Shawn Scott and Brock Lucas also made their collegiate pitching debuts on Wednesday.
Nick Kreutzer led Arkansas-Pine Bluff (0-2) with two hits, two runs and an RBI while Timothy Martin also drove in a pair of runs for the Golden Lions.
Tennessee continues homestand with a four-game weekend series against Indiana State, which is scheduled to begin on Friday at 4:30 p.m. All four games will be streamed on Watch ESPN.
NOTABLE
WELCOME BACK RUSS: Senior outfielder Evan Russell was back in the starting lineup on Wednesday after dealing with some wrist soreness that prevented him from playing much over the first four games. Russell didn’t miss a beat, finishing with two hits, two runs, a home run and three RBI.
WASTING NO TIME: The Vols ended any hope of an upset for the Golden Lions with an 8-run first inning. The Vols had six hits in the inning and three extra-base hits. The eight runs in the most in the first inning of a game under Tony Vitello, besting the previous high of seven in a 10-1 win over James Madison on March 6, 2018.
MIDWEEK MASTERS: After Wednesday’s victory, Tennessee is now 30-5 in midweek games since Vitello took over as head coach in 2018.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A career pitching night by junior ace Ashley Rogers lifted No. RV/23/24 Tennessee past a determined Illinois State team, 3-0, on Wednesday night at Sherri Parker Lee.
Rogers fanned 17 batters, which ties for the second-best performance in the nation this season, as she worked her way through a no-hitter through 5.0 innings. The hallmark was one strikeout shy of tying for the eighth-best single-game performance in program history – achieved on six occasions and only by Monica Abbott.
“Ashley was the story tonight,” said co-head coach Karen Weekly of the Athens, Tenn., native. “It’s good to come off a weekend like we had with so many games for her to get some rest and come out incredibly strong like she did today.”
Rogers, who sat out all of the 2020 season due to a temporary injury, leads the Lady Vols pitching corps with a 0.50 ERA and 4-1 record. The righthander has recorded 52 strikeouts, which is the second most in the country at the moment.
While UT relied on Rogers’ stuff, the Redbirds ace Morgan Day was impressive in her own right making it difficult for the Lady Vols to get on base. She retired five batters at the plate in 5.0 innings and gave up just two walks.
“That’s a really good team with Day on the mound,” said Weekly. “We knew tonight was going to be a pitcher’s duel. We have faced some really good pitchers. It doesn’t matter what the name is on your chest.”
After two scoreless innings, the Lady Vols brought in the first run on an RBI single from senior shortstop Ivy Davis (2-for-2), who has reached base each of the nine games this season, to get Kaitlin Parsons (1-for-3) across the plate.
Sophomore Kiki Milloy (1-for-3) led off the third with a no-doubter to double the score quickly and give UT some insurance and then Davis came home off the bat of junior catcher Ally Shipman (1-for-3) in the bottom of the fifth to round out scoring.
“I was pretty pleased with what we did at the plate,” Weekly added. “We knew tonight was going to tough.”
The Lady Vols tallied eight hits, but left seven runners on base.
Up Next: UT opens its slate of the Tennessee Invitational tomorrow evening at 5 p.m. ET, facing UT-Martin. The Lady Vols will also see Northern Kentucky (12:30 p.m.) and Central Michigan (3 p.m.) on Saturday, before concluding the four-day tournament against the Chippewas at noon.
All contests that include Tennessee will be broadcast on the SECN+, except for Wednesday’s solo matchup with Illinois State. Thursday’s outing will be called by Michael Wottreng (PxP). Saturday’s games will be covered by Madison Shipman (Analysis) and Will Boling (PxP) and Sunday’s contest will pair up Shipman and Wottreng.
A couple of weeks ago Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood announced they were going into quarantine because one of their team members tested positive for COVID.
As fans expected to the see the super star couple resume their public events, news comes that their isolation will last a bit longer as Trisha has now also tested positive. Garth is testing negative as of now.
Speaking on the matter, Garth says “The Queen and I have now tested twice.” In regards to Trisha’s diagnosis, Garth shares, “Officially, she’s diagnosed as ‘on her way out of the tunnel’ now, though, which I’m extremely thankful for.”
The snow and ice storm that the Nashville area experienced last week prevented the couple from getting tested until almost a week after their initial exposure; once they did, they continued to quarantine together.
Garth shared “Anyone who knows me knows my world begins and ends with Miss Yearwood, so she and I will ride through this together, and anyone who knows her knows she’s a fighter and she’s been doing everything right, so I know we’ll walk out the other side of this thing together.” Garth fully admits, “She’s tough. She’s stronger than me.”
Garth says, though he welcomes any prayers and good thoughts anyone wants to send Trisha’s way. “If anyone asks, that’s what you can do for her. That’s what I’m doing. Living with her, I sometimes take it for granted she’s one of the greatest voices in all of music, so the possible long-term effects on her concern me as her husband and as a fan,” Garth continues. “We’re very lucky she is currently under the greatest care in the best city for treating and healing singers.”
Blake Shelton shared a little treat for fans who are getting ready for the return of The Voice next week.
Blake, and fellow judges, Kelly Clarkson, John Legend and Nick Jonas all contribute to a fantasy rendition of Rick Astley‘s “Together Forever” – with the tag, “Here’s a little treat to get y’all excited for the premiere of The Voice next week! #TeamBlake”
You can see the promo here…
Blake, Kelly, John and Nick did a great job…but it’s Blake going solo on his current country single — “Minimum Wage.” Watch the music video for it right here…
Reba McEntire shared on social media that she is making a return appearance to the hit CBS show Young Sheldon.
With the message “June’s back! Don’t miss her return to Young Sheldon (Thursday) night at 8/7c on CBS!”
Reba first appeared on the show last season as “June” — the ex-wife of “Meemaw”‘s (Annie Potts) boyfriend “Dale” (Craig T Nelson).
Thursday February, 25th, on the episode titled “Crappy Frozen Ice Cream and an Organ Grinder’s Monkey” (no, seriously, that’s the title of the episode) Reba returns, as “June” and “Dale” try to convince “Meemaw” to attend their son’s wedding.
You can see what happens on Young Sheldon on Thursday, February 25th, on CBS.
Headline Photo Credit: Robby Klein
Additional Image Courtesy of Reba McEntire
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Ten different players recorded a hit and Tennessee’s pitching staff struck out 16 batters in a dominating 21-1 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Tuesday’s home opener at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The 16th-ranked Vols (4-0) scored runs in six different innings, including an 11-run outburst in the bottom of the eighth to win their third straight home opener.
Max Ferguson hit his first home run of the year and led the team with four RBI while Jordan Beck had another solid game, going 2-for-3 with a double, a triple and three RBI to pace the offensive onslaught. Pete Derkay added a home run for the Vols, as well.
Seven players made their Tennessee debuts in the win, including redshirt junior pitcher Jason Rackers, who got the starting nod and pitched two solid innings for the Vols after returning from Tommy John surgery.
Senior left hander Will Heflin got the win for UT, striking out eight consecutive batters at one point in his relief appearance. The Morristown native pitched 3.1 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and one walk. The foursome of Will Mabrey, Connor Housley, Zander Sechrist and Kirby Connell combined to pitch the final 3.2 innings and allowed just one hit.
Another player that shined in his collegiate debut was freshman outfielder Kyle Booker. The Mississippi native got the start in center field and finished with a run and three RBI while also making a couple nice defensive plays.
A solo home run by Humberto Maldonado in the second inning accounted for the only run for the Golden Lions (0-1).
Tennessee and UAPB face off again tomorrow with first pitch slated for 4:30 p.m. The game can be seen on WatchESPN.com and the ESPN app.
UT also had a handful of players record their first career hits in Booker, Lawson, Payne and Logan Steenstra.
TAKE A SEAT: Tennessee’s pitchers combined for 16 strikeouts and walked just one batter on the day. Senior lefty Will Heflin, making his first appearance since 2019 after undergoing knee surgery prior to the 2020 season, struck out eight batters in 3.1 innings of work. Connor Housley was also impressive, striking out the side in his one inning of work.
BIG EIGHTH INNING: The Vols exploded for 11 runs in the eighth inning, cranking out nine hits in the frame. Six different players recorded a base hit in the inning and six of the nine total hits went for extra bases.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 20/21 Tennessee (13-6, 7-4 SEC) embarks on the final road trip and last week of the 2020-21 regular season, traveling to Columbia for a Thursday evening battle with Missouri (8-9/4-8 SEC). The Lady Vols and Tigers will tip it off at 7:02 p.m. CT (8:02 ET) at Mizzou Arena.
After facing ranked teams in its last four games, UT will play against a pair of unranked Tiger teams at MU on Thursday and vs. Auburn on Sunday to wrap things up prior to the SEC Tournament.
UT is holding down fourth place in the SEC standings and is trying to seize one of the double byes for the league tourney after being predicted to finish sixth in the preseason coaches and media polls. Mizzou, meanwhile, was picked to finish 10th and 11th in the league polls. The Tigers are currently occupying 10th, but they have been in a number of close SEC games that narrowly escaped their grasp.
Kellie Harper‘s squad, no doubt, is benefiting from having the normal break between Sunday and Thursday games, allowing her team to get its legs back and have two full practices and a shoot-around prior to facing Missouri. It also is glad to see its opponents on equal footing, as three of the last four UT foes (UK, A&M and UGA) had enjoyed open dates prior to facing the Lady Vols and, of course, Tennessee had endured its 77-hour road trip/ordeal to Texas A&M/Houston, thanks to Winter Storm Uri.
UT enters having lost three of its last four, but the one victory was over No. 2/3 South Carolina, 75-67, on Feb. 18. UT then fell to No. 22/23 Georgia on Sunday, 57-55, with Rennia Davis having a game-winning three-point attempt knocked off course by a Bulldog defender.
MU has split its last four contests and comes off a 96-80 home victory vs. Florida on Sunday.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Thursday’s game will be streamed by SECN+, with Nate Gatter (PxP) and former Mizzou Tiger Jordan Roundtree (Analyst) on the call.
Institutions can produce for SEC Network+ (SECN+) any conference and non-conference games that are not otherwise televised. Those are available on the ESPN app and SECSports.com.
All of the games included in the ESPN package (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU) and the SEC Network will be available through WatchESPN, accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 or Xbox One to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.
The contest also can be heard on Lady Vol Network radio stations and by audio stream, with Mickey Dearstone behind the microphone. Now calling the action for his 22nd season, Dearstone is joined by studio host Bobby Rader.
A link to the live audio stream can be found on each game’s Hoops Central page or the Lady Vol schedule on UTSports.com.
For a list of Lady Vol Network affiliates, please click on the Fans tab at the top of UTSports.com, select Vol Network and then click on Vol Network Affiliates in the black bar at the top of the page.
Air time for games on the Lady Vol Radio Network generally occurs 30 minutes prior to tip-off.
LADY VOL STATUS UPDATE
With two regular-season games to go, Tennessee is vying for a top-four seeding in the SEC Tournament, which earns the all-important double bye.
If Kellie Harper‘s squad can pull that off, it would mark UT’s first Friday debut at the tournament since 2015, when the Lady Vols were seeded fourth and advanced to the finals before falling to South Carolina.
UT tied for third in the SEC standings a year ago but was relegated to the No. 6 seed by virtue of tie breakers.
The Lady Vols are in play for a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament and helped their cause with an eight-point win over No. 2/3 South Carolina on Feb. 18.
Tennessee has posted four victories over ranked teams (No. 13/13 Arkansas, No. 15/15 Indiana, No. 12/12 Kentucky, No. 2/3 South Carolina), marking the most in a season since 2017-18 when it had seven.
UT also suffered setbacks to four squads ranked at the time it played them: No. 3/5 UConn (67-61), No. 20/18 Kentucky (71-56), No. 6/5 Texas A&M (80-70) and No. 22/23 Georgia (57-55), with Rennia Davis missing the UK game due to medical reasons.
Tennessee’s other two losses are to a pair of teams who are now ranked but weren’t at the time: No. 18/22 West Virginia (79-73 OT) and No. 17/18 Georgia (67-66).
BIG ORANGE SLICES
UT is paced in scoring in all games by junior guard Rae Burrell (16.9 ppg.) and senior forward Rennia Davis (16.0 ppg., 8.7 rpg.), with sophomore center Tamari Key chipping in 9.2 ppg. and 5.4 rpg., and sophomore point guard Jordan Horston contributing 8.2 ppg. and 4.0 apg.
In SEC play, three Tennessee players are scoring in double figures, including Davis (19.1 ppg.), Burrell (17.1) and Key (11.4). Davis ranks No. 6 in the SEC, while Burrell is 11th.
Against ranked foes, Davis and Burrell are putting up 20.3 and 18.0 ppg., respectively.
Davis has seven double-doubles this season and 36 for her career, tying Glory Johnson for fourth all-time at Tennessee.
UT has had 20+ scorers in its last six games, including Rennia Davis vs. Ole Miss (21), Tamari Key vs. Florida (23), Rae Burrell vs. Kentucky (22) and Rennia Davis vs. Texas A&M (25), South Carolina (24) and Georgia (22).
For the season, Davis has six 20-point games, Burrell five and Key 1. Davis has 19 for her career now and is one shy of tying Meighan Simmons for sixth all-time at Tennessee.
Davis stands 13th on UT’s all-time scoring list with 1,688 points and is 14th on the rebounding list with 891 boards.
Sophomore Tamari Key, who is one of the SEC’s top shot blockers along with Jenna Staiti (UGA) and Aliyah Boston (USC), averages 2.8 bpg. in all games to rank third and is tied for second in SEC contests at 3.4 bpg.
Key has broken into the Lady Vol career blocks top 10 as a sophomore and stands eighth with 139 in 50 career games for an average of 2.78 that ranks No. 1 in Tennessee history. Candace Parker is second (2.50).
Another sophomore, Jordan Horston, is tied for fifth at Tennessee in career assists average at 4.38 apg. through 50 games.
WHAT’VE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY
Rennia Davis dropped 20+ points in her last three games, all against ranked foes, and averaged 23.7 ppg.
She had 25 vs. #6/5 Texas A&M, 24 vs. #2/3 South Carolina and 22 vs. #22/23 Georgia.
Davis was named SEC Player of the Week on Feb. 23 for averaging 23.0 ppg. and 9.0 rpg. last week in games vs. #2/3 South Carolina and No. 22/23 Georgia.
Kasiyahna Kushkituah has pulled down an average of 10.0 rebounds over the past five contests, including a career-high-tying 13 vs. Georgia on Feb. 21.
Tamari Key has blocked 26 shots over her last five games, averaging 5.2 per contest. She has as many or more blocks than Mississippi State (26), Missouri (26), Auburn (23) and Florida (23) have recorded during the entire SEC schedule.
Rennia Davis is 20 of 23 and Tamari Key is 10 of 12 at the free-throw line the past three games.
RECAPPING UT’S LAST GAME
No. 21/21 Tennessee pulled within one in the final seconds at No. 22/23 Georgia but couldn’t overcome a tough day offensively, falling 57-55 in Stegeman Coliseum on Feb. 21.
Senior Rennia Davis led Tennessee (13-6, 7-4 SEC) with 22 points and six rebounds. Junior Rae Burrell turned in 10 points and five rebounds, and senior Kasiyahna Kushkituah pulled down 13 rebounds to tie her career high.
Gabby Connally was the high scorer for Georgia (17-4, 9-4 SEC), finishing with 24 points. Que Morrison was also in double figures with 11 points, and Jenna Staiti grabbed 12 boards.
UT-MIZZOU SERIES NOTES
The Lady Vols hold a 11-3 all-time record vs. Missouri, dating back to Jan. 14, 1978, with Tennessee winning the past three meetings.
Against Mizzou, the Lady Vols are 5-1 in games played in Knoxville, 2-0 at neutral sites, and 4-2 in Columbia.
UT owns an 8-3 mark against Missouri since the Tigers joined the SEC. Robin Pingeton has been the head coach in Columbia that entire time, and this is Kellie Harper‘s second season.
Tennessee beat MU, 84-39, in Knoxville on Jan. 10, 2013, in their first-ever SEC meeting. Later that season Mizzou evened the score, defeating UT, 80-63, in Columbia.
Prior to 2013, the Lady Vols defeated Missouri as a non-conference foe three times, most recently at the 2010 Paradise Jam tournament in the U.S. Virgin Islands, 82-44.
Three of the past five meetings between these schools have resulted in a four-point game in Columbia in 2018 (MU, 77-73) and two-point differentials in Knoxville (MU, 66-64) and Columbia (UT, 62-60) in 2019.
Kellie Harper‘s first two games vs. the Tigers while leading the Lady Vols included a 10-point home win and a 13-point neutral site triumph at the SEC Tournament that came after her squad overturned a 13-point deficit.
Tennessee’s Kellie Harper is 4-4 vs. Missouri, with the first two wins coming while leading Missouri State (2-4 vs. MU) from 2013-19 and the most recent two coming on Jan. 2, 2020, in Knoxville (77-66) and March 5, 2020, in the SEC Tournament at Greenville, S.C. (64-51), as UT’s head coach (2-0).
Harper is 2-2 in home games, 0-2 away and 2-0 at neutral sites vs. the Tigers.
Missouri State won its first two vs. Mizzou under Harper’s tutelage in 2013 and 2014 and lost a four-point decision to the Tigers in 2018-19 at Columbia, 65-61, before the Bears got their train rolling toward a berth in the NCAA Sweet 16.
Tennessee’s Marta Suárez and Missouri’s Mama Dembele were schoolmates at Joaquim Blume Institute and teammates in Spain’s LF2 League with Segle XXI Barcelona.
ABOUT MISSOURI
The Tigers feature four players averaging double figures in points, with Ladazhia Williams (14.5), Aijha Blackwell (14.0), Hayley Frank (13.1) and Shug Dickson (10.2) providing a balanced offensive arsenal.
Missouri has made 120 three-pointers this season and hits at a 38.1 percent clip, led by Hayley Frank’s 46.9 percent marksmanship.
Mizzou has close losses to Arkansas (twice), LSU, Texas A&M and Kentucky.
RECAPPING MIZZOU’S LAST GAME
Missouri (8-9, 4-8 SEC) sank a program-record 18 three-pointers en route to a 96-80 win over Florida (10-11, 3-10 SEC) last Sunday in Columbia.
The Tigers’ 96 points matched a season-best from their opener vs. North Alabama on Nov. 27.
Prior to the game, Mizzou honored its two seniors on the roster, redshirt senior guard Shug Dickson and redshirt senior forward Shannon Dufficy, who contributed to the win in a huge way by scoring 20 and 19 points, respectively.
The sophomore duo of forward Hayley Frank (26) and guard Aijha Blackwell (21) gave MU three players tallying 20 or more points.
THE LAST TIME THESE TEAMS MET
No. 6 seed Tennessee overcame a 13-point second-quarter deficit and ended up winning by 13, in a 64-51 victory over 11th-seeded Missouri in the second round of the SEC Tournament in Greenville, S.C., on March 5, 2020.
UT (21-9), which won its fourth straight game, put three players in double figures. Sophomore Rae Burrell led the team with 16 points, and juniors Rennia Davis and Kasiyahna Kushkituah finished with 15 and 13, respectively.
Missouri (9-22) was led by Aijha Blackwell with 13 and Hannah Schuchts with 11.
LAST TIME IN COLUMBIA
Tennessee earned a hard-fought win over Missouri on Feb. 17, 2019, coming from four points down in the final stanza to claim a 62-60 triumph in front of a crowd of 8,559 at Mizzou Arena.
Sophomore forward Rennia Davis logged her 17th career double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Lady Vols (17-8, 6-6 SEC).
MU (19-8, 8-5 SEC) was led by Amber Smith with 14 points and five rebounds. Sophie Cunningham and Cierra Porter were close behind with 13 apiece.
WHAT’S NEXT
Tennessee has one remaining regular-season contest after Thursday, as Auburn comes to Knoxville for a 2 p.m. ET match-up on Sunday (SEC Network).
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. RV/23/24 Tennessee softball continues an action-packed week with outings against Illinois State on Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET, and a solo matchup with UT-Martin on Thursday at 5 p.m., to kickstart UT’s slate at the four-day Tennessee Invitational at Sherri Parker Lee.
The Lady Vols are coming off a pair of decisive wins against Ohio where they outhit the Bobcats 20-7 including combining for six homers. UT
Tennessee Invitational Schedule Game Date Time (ET) Match Up
Game 1* Wednesday, 2/24 5:00pm Tennessee vs Illinois State
Game 2 Thursday, 2/25 2:30pm UT-Martin vs Illinois State
Game 3 Thursday, 2/25 5:00pm Tennessee vs UT-Martin
Game 4 Friday, 2/26 10:00am N. Kentucky vs Central Michigan
Game 5 Friday, 2/26 12:30pm Illinois State vs UT-Martin
Game 6 Friday, 2/26 3:00pm Illinois State vs N. Kentucky
Game 7 Saturday, 2/27 10:00am N. Kentucky vs UT-Martin
Game 8 Saturday, 2/27 12:30pm Tennessee vs N. Kentucky
Game 9 Saturday, 2/27 3:00pm Tennessee vs C. Michigan
Game 10 Saturday, 2/27 5:30pm Illinois St. vs N. Kentucky
Game 11Sunday, 2/28 9:30am C. Michigan vs N. Kentucky
Game 12Sunday, 2/28 12:00pm Tennessee vs C. Michigan
*- Not a part of the Tennessee Invitational
Broadcast Information
All contests that include Tennessee will be broadcast on the SECN+, except for Wednesday’s solo matchup with Illinois State. Thursday’s outing will be called by Michael Wottreng (PxP). Saturday’s games will be covered by Madison Shipman (Analysis) and Will Boling (PxP) and Sunday’s contest will pair up Shipman and Wottreng.
Fans can also listen to the action, for Lady Vols games only, online at UTsports.com by clicking the listen link on the schedule page or by downloading the Tennessee Gameday App, with Brian Rice calling all of the action.
Live stats will be available for all games.
Quick Hits BOMB-tastic Offense
Through eight games the Lady Vols’ power at the plate has proven to be potent. UT ranks 10th in the nation in home runs per game (2.12); fourth in the SEC. The Tennessee offense has combined for four homers in two games so far this season (Game 1 vs EKU, Feb. 14 & Game 1 vs Ohio, Feb. 22), which ties for seventh in program history for combined homers in a game. That mark has only been reached 17 times in UT annals, including the two this season. Graduate senior Cailin Hannon and sophomore Kiki Milloy co-lead the Lady Vols with four homers each, which ties for 16th in the country. For Hannon, it is a noteworthy accomplishment as the outfielder combined for five home runs through her first four seasons (2017-2020) on Rocky Top.
Hit Makers
UT’s bats have been the loudest in the conversation including during its most recent doubleheader against Ohio (Feb. 22). The Lady Vols outhit the Bobcats 20-7 during the twin bill that resulted in a 7-1 victory and an 11-2, five-inning W. The Orange and White is slugging a .646 mark, which ranks third in the SEC and 15th in the nation. The Lady Vol are more than doubling their opponents in total hits, 60-29 with a season-high 14-hit showing against Ohio in game 2.
Poison Ivy
Transfer senior Ivy Davis has undoubtedly engendered some tension in the circle, batting a team-high .471 clip. The Huntington Beach, Calif., native had recorded eight hits, seven of which have been for extra bases. In addition to her three yard balls, Davis has added four doubles to the ledger which is the 12th most in the nation. She also holds a 1.235 slugging percentage, which ranks sixth in the league. The dynamic shortstop has also been perfect in fielding (1.000) in arguably the most difficult defensive spot on the field.
Fielding Finesse
The Lady Vols defense paces the SEC and ranks 14th nationally in fielding percentage (.990). Twelve members of the UT squad remain perfect in fielding through the opening eight games with just two errors committed so far. Tennessee opened the season as one of the best defenses in the nation after turning 17 doubles (0.74 dpg) which topped the SEC and was No. 2 nationally. UT has turned a trio of double plays so far this season. Redshirt senior Chelsea Seggern opted to return for her extra year granted by the NCAA, benefiting both sides of the ball for UT. Seggern helped turn 14 of the 17 doubles.
SCOUTING REPORT Illinois State 2021 record: 1-1, 0-0 MVC Series record: Tennessee leads 7-0 Last outing: No. 9 Tennessee downed the Redbirds seven-inning shutout, 6-0 in Knoxville on March 10, 2015. Key player/stat: The Redbirds started the 2021 season with a shutout win over North Florida, led by senior pitcher Morgan Day who finished the day with 12 strikeouts. Day’s shutout win of the Ospreys marks the 12th of her career, as the right-hander gave up just one hit while allowing a trio of walks. Traveling to Jacksonville, Fla. for the River City Leadoff, the Redbirds fell to Clemson in a Tigers shutout win, 11-0.
UT-Martin 2021 record: 4-0, 0-0 OVC Series record: Tennessee leads 1-0 Last outing: No. 20 Tennessee defeated the Skyhawks with a walk-off run, 3-2 in Knoxville on Feb. 25, 2020. Key player/stat: The Skyhawks started their season with doubleheader sweeps against Evansville and Alabama A&M at the Black and Gold Tournament. Freshman Kaci Fuller led the Skyhawks’ offensive momentum, going 7-for-8 with a double, two RBI’s and three stolen bases. The UT-Martin squad had a team batting average of .448 on the day, with six extra base hits and 14 RBIs. Pitchers Alexis Groet, Seeley Layne and Erin Gallagher combined for 19 strikeouts.
Central Michigan 2020 record:6-13, 0-0 MAC Series record:Never played each other before Key player/stat:The Chippewas return lead hitters in sophomore Gisele Acuña (.304) and senior Tala Dean (.302) who combined for 30 hits. CMU in total boasts 12 returners, but lost a big-time pinch hitter in Bella Robles who recorded eight hits in nine appearances and held a .421 hitting average.
Northern Kentucky 2020 record: 9-10, 0-0 HL Series record: Tennessee leads 1-0 Last outing:A 15th ranked Tennessee notched a win over Northern Kentucky at the KSU Classic, 15-2 on Feb. 8, 2015. Key player/stat:Last season, Northern Kentucky recorded 124 hits for 57 RBIs, 11 doubles, two triples and 12 home runs, collectively hitting only .239. They led the Horizon League in combined ERA (2.78), but lost ace Taylor Ginther who led the conference with a 1.67 average.
