Luke Combs performed a pre-race show at the DAYTONA 500 this past weekend, it was the first time he sang in front of a crowd in a year.
Luke shared, “One year ago…we were playing the 4th show on the What You See Is What You Get Tour with over 25 shows left. The band and I had worked so hard to bring y’all this show. Little did I know then, it would be the next to last show on the tour in 2020. Even though it’s in a different context, guess my line ‘stop takin’ me for granted like I’ll always be around’ in ‘Dear Today’ really rings true looking back on it.”
Luke adds, “I miss y’all and shows more than you know.”
But on Sunday after the set, Luke said “We got to play a show in front of real people for the first time in a YEAR! What a day.”
Of course it was on Valentine’s day and he got to share the experience with his wife Nicole — Luke says, “This woman makes me a better man every single day.”
But on his way home, he got stranded because of the snow and ice storm covering the Nashville area, so he hasn’t made it back yet…and if you’re Luke Combs and you have time on your hands, what do you do? You share a new song of course!
Luke posted, “Haven’t been able to get home from Daytona yet because of the weather, so we’re just hanging out and I figured I’d share a new song I’ve been working on with Channing Wilson and Rob Snyder. It’s called ‘Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old.’ What do y’all think?”
While he got a taste of performing live again this weekend, Luke is bringing a concert experience to his fans this Thursday!
It’s a little twist on the virtual events we’ve become used to over the past year.
Luke is going to replay the full recording of his concert from Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY — This was the next to last show that he played last year on the What You See Is What You Get Tour.
The set list from the show includes…
“When It Rains It Pours”
“Must’ve Never Met You”
“1, 2 Many”
“Refrigerator Door”
“Does to Me”
“New Every Day”
“One Number Away”
“Without You”
“Dear Today”
“Blue Collar Boys”
“She Got the Best of Me”
“All Over Again”
“Memories Are Made Of”
“Even Though I’m Leaving”
“Beautiful Crazy”
“Honky Tonk Highway”
“Lovin’ on You”
“Angels Workin’ Overtime”
“Beer Never Broke My Heart”
“Better Together”
“Brand New Man” (Brooks & Dunn cover)
“Hurricane”
Head to Luke’s Facebook page for more details and a link to the livestream event.
Of course while he thought “Better Together” would do well, Luke Combs might not have predicted it would have done this well — it’s once again the number-one song on the Billboard airplay charts, and it’s the longest reigning number-one of 2021 so far!
Eric Church‘s new musical project Heart & Soul was an uncomfortable recording process…and he wanted it that way.
He wanted to shake up things in the way he’s been making music — even to the point of recording the 3 albums Heart, &, Soul, not in a studio…but a restaurant in North Carolina.
Listen to Eric talk about the making of the albums, and why he wanted this process to be so different…
Cole Swindell is no stranger to making music videos, but the process to create one for his song “Single Saturday Night” was a bit different due to quarantining and social distancing.
Cole shares the basic instructions he got going into the video shoot, “It was pretty much, ‘Hey, get in front of a green screen and have fun.’”
Talking about the concept of the video Cole says, “We turned it into pretty much, me falling asleep on the couch, and kind of like going into this weird dream, which is what it was. A lot of the places…and it turned out to be, and we didn’t even plan it but a lot of places were my favorite places – the golf course, Braves game, Preds game…whatever it is. Just having those memories at the beginning of the video with the fans and all that, I just think it represented everybody’s 2020, just wanting to escape a little bit. Then I wake up at the end like ‘What in the world just happened’…maybe that’s kind of…when this is over, that’s what we’re all gonna do.”
If you’ve seen the video you know Cole is wearing some interesting clothing choices…well, he admits that wasn’t a wardrobe department, that stuff just came out of his own closet.
Yup–everything he wears in the video…he owns.
But in the end Cole, his band and his team created one of the most fun music videos of the year with “Single Saturday Night,” and Cole says “We did have a good time.”
When it comes to the song, Cole knew it was one that he had to sing because not only could he relate to it, but he thought everyone else could too, “I knew the first time I heard ‘Single Saturday Night’ that I had to record it. It could be for anybody. For anybody in a relationship…already had their last single Saturday night, or maybe for somebody looking for that special someone, heading out on the weekend looking to change it all”
If you haven’t seen it yet, check out Cole Swindell’s music video for “Single Saturday Night” right here…
Gabby Barrett is climbing the country music airplay charts with her song “The Good Ones,” and last year, she achieved major success with her number-one hit “I Hope.”
One’s a love song, and one is definitely not.
So, is it easier to write a love song, or one about heartbreak? Gabby thanks that the key is…if the emotion of “love” is triggered, whatever direction it goes in, it can create powerful results.
She says, “I mean, I think you could be a good songwriter either way, because there’s emotions in both…very strong emotions in both, because love is the strongest of everything, the strongest emotion possible…that can change everything for you. So, falling in, or out, in my opinion, it would be even because there’s experiences in both.”
There’s plenty of love in Gabby’s life these days as she’s at home with her husband Cade Foehner, and their baby daughter who arrived last month.
Hopefully you found yourself a “good one” like Gabby Barrett did…check out her music video for “The Good Ones”…
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 21/21 Tennessee (12-5, 6-3 SEC) is happily back at home on Thursday following an adventure-filled road trip to Texas. The Lady Vols will play host to No. 2/3 South Carolina (17-2/12-0) at 7:02 p.m. ET in Thompson-Boling Arena.
Thursday’s contest is the annual Live Pink, Bleed Orange game, which brings attention to the fight against breast cancer and provides recognition to the fighters and survivors of the disease.
UT is in the midst of a rigorous stretch of facing four ranked opponents in a span of 11 days, including three on the road. The Lady Vols played at No. 20/18 Kentucky on Thursday, drove home on icy roads and played at No. 6/5 Texas A&M on Sunday. They were slated to play at Mississippi State on Tuesday night in a make-up game, but a Winter Storm Uri stranded the UT travel party in Houston following the game in College Station, and Starkville itself was shut down by winter precipitation from the same storm system. Making the schedule even more challenging was the fact that UK and A&M had open dates prior to playing Tennessee. MSU would have had the same edge.
UT (6-3) is tied for third place in the league standings in winning percentage (.667) with Georgia (8-4) and Kentucky (8-4) and is one of only three SEC teams with three losses or fewer in conference play (along with first-place South Carolina [12-0] and second-place Texas A&M [10-1]).
Tennessee enters Thursday’s contest on the heels of an 80-70 loss at No. 6/5 Texas A&M on Sunday afternoon. It was a one-point game with 2:11 to go, but the Aggies were able to draw fouls and close out the game by making their free throws. The Aggies hit 17 of 22 charity tries alone in the fourth quarter and 25 of 34 for the game.
The Gamecocks suffered a 63-59 overtime loss at UConn on Feb. 8, but they have responded with back-to-back SEC wins over Missouri (77-62) and LSU (63-59) on Feb. 11 and 14 to get back on track. South Carolina’s only other loss came on Dec. 3 in a 54-46 setback to No. 8/6 NC State.
USC has ranked wins over No. 21/20 Gonzaga, No. 23/18 Iowa State, No. 10/8 Kentucky, No. 15/16 Arkansas, No. 22/23 Georgia and No. 21/19 Mississippi State.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Thursday night’s game will be televised by SEC Network with Courtney Lyle (PxP) and Carolyn Peck (Analyst) on the call. 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.
Institutions also 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.
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.
The game also will be carried on SiriusXM SEC Radio (Channel 374).
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.
RESERVE LIVE PINK/FIGHTER CUTOUTS
During the pandemic, it is understandable that many of those who are battling or have battled cancer are unable to attend this year’s Live Pink, Bleed Orange game. The Lady Vols want to continue to honor fighters, survivors, and remember those who fought to the end.
This year, fans can nominate a survivor or fighter to receive their very own “Fighter CutOut” for the Lady Vols’ Live Pink, Bleed Orange game.
Fighter CutOuts will be placed courtside with recognition during a timeout. One lucky nominee also will win a game-worn, pink Lady Vols jersey. CutOuts will be available for socially distant pick-up at a later date.
LADY VOLS A NO. 4 SEED IN FIRST NCAA COMMITTEE REVEAL
The first Women’s NCAA Selection Committee Top 16 Reveal of 2020-21 was announced during ESPN’s Big Monday game on Feb. 15, and Tennessee was listed as the No. 13 overall seed.
In that position, the Lady Vols would stand as one of four No. 4 seeds at this point in the season.
BRACKETOLOGY
The Lady Vols reached their highest position in Charlie Creme’s Bracketology, holding down a projected No. 4 seed for the 2021 NCAA Tournament as of Feb. 8 and are back at No. 4 as of Feb. 16.
UT was slotted in Region 1, with a projected first-round match-up vs. No. 13 Delaware and a potential second-round encounter with No. 5 Georgia Tech or No. 12 Bowling Green.
UConn is the No. 1 seed in that region, with Arizona and Baylor filling the two and three seeds.
QUICK GLANCE AT THE LADY VOLS
Tennessee has posted three victories over ranked teams (No. 13/13 Arkansas, No. 15/15 Indiana, No. 12/12 Kentucky), marking the most by the program in a season since 2017-18 when it had seven.
UT also suffered setbacks to three squads ranked at the time it played them: No. 3/5 UConn (67-61), No. 20/18 Kentucky (71-56) and No. 6/5 Texas A&M (80-70), 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: No. 19/24 West Virginia (79-73 OT) and No. 22/23 Georgia (67-66).
Due to injuries and illness, the Lady Vols have sent three different starting lineups out to the jump circle in three of their last four games vs. Ole Miss, Florida and Kentucky after having the same quintet in games five through 14.
The line-up of Key, Kushkituah, Davis, Burrell and Horston returned for the Texas A&M game for that quintet’s 15th start together and pushed the one-loss Aggies to the brink before coming up short.
Junior guard Rae Burrell is the only Lady Vol to start in every game this season.
UT is paced in scoring in all games by Burrell (17.2 ppg.) and senior forward Rennia Davis (15.1 ppg.), with sophomore center Tamari Key chipping in 9.5 ppg. and 5.4 rpg., and sophomore point guard Jordan Horston contributing 8.1 ppg. and 4.2 apg.
In SEC play, three Tennessee players are scoring in double figures, including Davis (18.1 ppg.), Burrell (17.7) and Key (12.3).
Against ranked foes, Burrell and Davis are putting up 19.2 ppg.
Burrell tallied 22 points vs. Kentucky last Thursday night, marking her team-best eighth time leading UT in scoring in 2020-21 and fifth game this season with 20 or more points. It was the eighth 20+ game of her career.
Davis had 25 vs. Texas A&M, marking her fourth 20+ scoring game of the season and 17th of her career, which ranks her seventh all-time at UT.
UT has had 20+ scorers in its last four 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).
Davis now stands 15th on UT’s all-time scoring list with 1,642 points and is 16th on the rebounding list with 873.
Sophomore Tamari Key needs one blocked shot to move into a tie with Isabelle Harrison in Tennessee’s career top 10 with 131 swats.
Kasiyahna Kushkituah has posted double-figure rebounding totals in two of her last three games, including 12 vs. Florida and 10 vs. Texas A&M.
Over her last three games, Jordan Horston has dished out 14 assists compared to only three turnovers.
For the season, Horston has 71 assists vs. 46 turnovers, with her ratio there also much improved.
RECAPPING UT’S LAST GAME
No. 16/19 Tennessee pulled within one late in the fourth but couldn’t overcome a No. 6/5 Texas A&M team that shot 63 percent from the floor in the final quarter and also hit 17 of 22 free throws in that period, falling 80-70 in Reed Arena on Sunday afternoon.
Senior Rennia Davis led Tennessee (12-5, 6-3 SEC) with 25 points and added four rebounds, marking her fourth game this season and 17th of her career with 20 or more points. Sophomore Tamari Key turned in her second double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Junior Rae Burrell was also in double figures in points with 18 and had five rebounds, while Kasiyahna Kushkituah added 10 boards and eight points.
Destiny Pitts was the high scorer for Texas A&M (19-1, 10-1 SEC) with 18 points, and Jordan Nixon was close behind with 15. Aaliyah Wilson and Kayla Wells turned in 13 points apiece, and Ciera Johnson added 10.
Senior Rennia Davis moved her career points total to 1,642. She now ranks 15th all-time on the Lady Vols scoring list and is just one point shy of catching No. 14 Glory Johnson.
Sophomore Tamari Key carded her second double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds against Texas A&M. After opening the season with eight games in single digits, she has now scored in double figures in seven of the last nine games.
The Lady Vols outrebounded the Aggies 40-29 and turned those boards into 19 second-chance points. They have now outworked every opponent this season on the glass, with an overall margin of +17.5 rpg.
Sophomore Jordan Horston doled out seven assists against Texas A&M. Her current career average of 4.46 apg. would stand fourth all-time among Lady Vols.
ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA
The Gamecocks are balanced but led by the trio of Zia Cooke (15.7 ppg.), Aliyah Boston (13.6 ppg., 11.6 rpg.) and Destanni Henderson (12.0, 5.5 apg.).
South Carolina is undefeated in SEC play, but it won a close call at LSU, 69-65, on Jan. 24 and beat the Tigers by seven, 66-59, on Feb. 14.
USC’s only losses were to No. 8/6 NC State, 54-46, on Dec. 3, and at No. 2/5 UConn, 63-59, on Feb. 8.
UT-USC SERIES NOTES
UT enters Thursday’s contest with a 50-9 advantage in the series, including 21-3 in Columbia, 22-3 in Knoxville and 7-3 at neutral sites.
Tennessee is 5-3 vs. USC during the postseason and is 1-0 in overtime, taking a 79-73 extra-frame decision over the Gamecocks in the Palmetto State on Feb. 15, 1996. UT is 3-2 vs. USC in the SEC Tourney.
Since 2012, the series has been very streaky. UT won three straight, then USC took three in a row. After the Lady Vols claimed three consecutive wins, South Carolina made it three in a row. To continue the trend, it’s UT’s time to claim a “W.”
Kellie Harper has a 1-4 record vs. South Carolina as a head coach. She was 0-1 while at Western Carolina, and 1-2 while at NC State, beating the Gamecocks, 55-53, in Raleigh on Dec. 4, 2011. Round one as UT’s coach saw the decision go to Dawn Staley.
In the other two contests, both on the road, NC State suffered a 74-71 setback on Dec. 13, 2009, and a 77-63 loss on Dec. 12, 2010.
Harper was 5-0 vs. USC as a player, participating in the only overtime game between these schools in 1996.
Since 2010, USC has won five and UT four SEC regular-season titles, with UT winning or sharing in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2015 and USC doing so in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2020.
After defeating South Carolina, the regular season SEC champs at 14-2, the 13-3 Lady Vols went on to claim the 2014 SEC Tournament title in Duluth, Ga.
Tennessee lost to South Carolina, 64-60, on Feb. 2, 2012, in Knoxville, but rebounded to defeat USC in the 2012 SEC Tournament semifinals in Nashville, 74-58, en route to its 16th SEC postseason championship.
RECAPPING THE GAMECOCKS’ LAST GAME
Destanni Henderson scored 19 points and Aliyah Boston added 12 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks, as No. 1 South Carolina beat LSU 66-59 on Sunday for its 31st straight Southeastern Conference victory.
The Gamecocks (17-2, 12-0 SEC) haven’t lost in league play since falling to Arkansas in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals in March 2019.
Boston finished with her 10th double-double this season and 23rd of her career as South Carolina won its 12th straight over LSU. Zia Cooke added 13 points for the Gamecocks
THE LAST TIME THESE TEAMS MET
The No. 22/22 Lady Vols couldn’t overcome the high-powered offense of No. 1/2 South Carolina, falling, 69-48, in Colonial Life Arena on Feb. 2, 2020.
Tennessee (17-5, 7-2 SEC) was led by junior Rennia Davis, who posted a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while freshman Tamari Key blocked a career-high nine shots to set a new Lady Vol freshman single-game record.
Zia Cooke led USC (21-1, 8-1 SEC) with 20 points. Destanni Henderson and Aliyah Boston were also in double figures, finishing with 12 and 10, respectively.
LAST TIME IN KNOXVILLE
A combined 18 second-half points from the sophomore duo of Rennia Davis and Evina Westbrook was not enough for the Lady Vols to complete a frantic comeback against No. 13-ranked South Carolina, which notched an 82-67 win at Thompson-Boling Arena on Feb. 24, 2019.
Tennessee (17-10, 6-8 SEC) cut the Gamecocks’ lead down to seven points twice in the second half despite a 16-point deficit at the half.
In the loss, four Lady Vols recorded double-digit points on the afternoon: Davis (15), Zaay Green (12), Cheridene Green (11) and Westbrook (10).
WHAT’S NEXT
After facing South Carolina, Tennessee hits the road for the third time in four games with a noon contest on Sunday at Georgia (SEC Network). It marks UT’s fourth straight ranked foe and a chance to avenge a one-point home loss to the Bulldogs on Jan. 14.
South Carolina, meanwhile, plays host to Kentucky on Sunday at 3 p.m. on ESPN.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The 2021 baseball season is just three days away and leading up to opening day, UTSports.com is previewing each position group for this year’s team.
The final installment of the series will focus on Tennessee’s pitching staff. Read up on UT’s outfielders HERE and infielders/catchers HERE.
The Vols bring back the majority of their pitching staff from last season, returning 81% of their total innings pitched and 79% of their strikeouts from last year. Returners also accounted for 14 of Tennessee’s 15 victories in 2020.
The Big Orange will have to replace three players that are now in the professional ranks. Hard-throwing lefty Garrett Crochet was selected with the 11th overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox and went on to have an immediate impact for the franchise, becoming the first player to go from the draft to the big leagues without playing in the minors since Mike Leake in 2010. Crochet made six appearances for the White Sox during the 2020 season, including one postseason outing. In those six games, he did not allow a single run and gave up just three hits while racking up 10 strikeouts in 6.2 innings of relief.
UT will also have to replace right handers Chase Wallace and Kody Davidson, who signed free agent contracts with the Royals and Mets, respectively.
A two-way player for the Vols who is likely to be one of the team’s starting outfielders, as well, Gilbert proved to be an effective relief option for UT as a true freshman. The lefty allowed just one run in his first three outings, including an impressive performance against No. 25 Stanford at the Round Rock Classic. Gilbert gave up just one run and had three strikeouts in 4.1 innings of relief to earn his first-career win and help the Vols cap a perfect 3-0 weekend at the tournament. The Stillwater, Minnesota, native will look to be a reliable option out of the bullpen this season.
Heflin returns for his final season with the Vols after missing all of last year while rehabbing from an offseason knee injury. The local product from Morristown was set to make his return when the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Heflin was coming off the best season of his career in 2019, posting a 4-1 record with a 2.20 ERA in 26 appearances. He was one of the Vols’ top relief pitchers during that season and could be one of the Vols’ top options out of the bullpen this year if he’s able to regain his 2019 form. The experienced left hander has also started six games during his career and can be used in a number of different roles.
Sewell had a great debut season in 2019 with a 4-1 record and 2.18 ERA, which was the lowest by a true freshman in program history. The Cleveland, Tennessee, native made just one appearance in 2020 after missing the first month of the season with a minor injury. Sewell returned and made his lone appearance in what turned out to be the Vols’ final game of the season, getting the start in UT’s 17-5 win over ETSU on March 10.
Now healthy, Sewell will have a chance to earn a starting spot for the Big Orange and could also be a valuable asset to the Vols’ bullpen. Either way, the talented right hander should have a significant role on Tennessee’s staff this season.
Housley will look to log his first action at the collegiate level in 2021 after not making any appearances as a true freshman last season. The Georgia native was a 17th round pick by the Texas Rangers out of high school, but decided to forgo a professional career and join the Vols. Housley was rated as a Top 500 recruit nationally by Perfect Game and was named to the site’s 2019 Preseason All-America and All-Region teams. The hard-throwing right hander tossed four complete games and had 65 strikeouts in just 41.0 innings of work as a senior at Sandy Creek High School in 2019.
Delashmit was off to a fantastic start to his collegiate career in 2020, posting a 3-0 record and 0.77 ERA in five appearances. He was one of UT’s primarily midweek pitchers as a true freshman, making four relief appearances and one start. In that start, Delashmit threw 4.2 scoreless innings and struck out seven in a 15-1 victory over Northern Kentucky. The Covington, Tennessee, native did not allow a single run and issued just two walks over his final four appearances (10.2 innings).
#26 Jason Rackers – RS-Junior – RHP – 6-7 / 225 – Jefferson City, Mo.
Rackers is set to make his Tennessee debut in 2021 after undergoing Tommy John surgery and missing the 2020 season. The imposing right hander joined the Vols after two impressive seasons at JUCO powerhouse Jefferson College, where he helped lead the Vikings to 101 wins during his stint with the program. Rackers went 8-3 with a 3.97 ERA, two complete games and 82 strikeouts in 65.2 innings pitched in 2019. He earned NJCAA All-Region XVI second team honors after an impressive freshman campaign in 2018. The Missouri native was 11-1 on the year with a 2.63 ERA and tossed four complete games to help Jefferson College reach the NJCAA Division I College World Series. He also racked up 103 strikeouts and issued just 23 walks in 82.0 innings of work. A healthy Rackers could play an important role as a starter or reliever for the Vols this season.
Pleasants will look to take the next step in his progression this season after showing flashes of his potential during his first two years on Rocky Top. The lanky right hander is one of a handful of pitchers battling for spots in the Vols’ weekend rotation this season. Pleasants was off to a solid start in 2020, going 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA in seven appearances (two starts). The junior from Clarksville will look to carry his momentum from a solid offseason into the 2021 campaign.
With Crochet sidelined for the majority of the year, Leath was arguably Tennessee’s top pitcher during the shortened 2020 season. The powerful right hander split time as a starter and reliever but led the team with a 4-0 record and 29 strikeouts. His four wins ranked first in the SEC and tied for second in the nation while his 13.98 strikeouts per nine innings ranked sixth in the conference.
Leath was named to the Round Rock Classic All-Tournament Team thanks to an eight-strikeout performance over 4.2 innings of relief in a win over Houston. The Texas native enters his senior season with some lofty expectations after being named a preseason second-team All-American by Baseball America. Leath’s versatility will be a valuable weapon for UT this season, as he possesses the ability to start or fill multiple roles out of the bullpen.
Since stepping on campus as a freshman in 2018, Hunley has been one of Tennessee’s most valuable and effective pitchers. The Mount Juliet native enters the 2021 season as the team’s active leader in games started, victories and innings pitched. He is one of just three pitchers in the SEC that enters this season with a sub-3.00 ERA and more than 100 innings pitched. Described as a swiss army knife by UT’s coaching staff, Hunley has proven to be effective in any role he’s been asked to perform during his career.
Hunley was a Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Freshman All-American in 2018 after starting 14 games and posting a 7-3 record and 2.64 ERA. As a sophomore, Hunley served more in a relief role, but was just as effective with a perfect 4-0 record and 2.60 ERA in 45.0 innings of work. The senior right hander was nearly unhittable in six appearances (one start) last year, posting a 0.54 ERA and a team-leading three saves in 16.2 innings. Whatever role he’s asked to fill, there’s no doubt that Hunley will be a key factor for Tennessee’s pitching staff once again in 2021.
#33 Mark McLaughlin – Sophomore – RHP – 6-3 / 220 – Johns Creek, Ga. Career Stats (1 Season): 1-0, 1.80 ERA, 5 APP, 1 GS, 10.0 IP, 12 K, 1 BB, 0.60 WHIP, .147 OPP AVG
McLaughlin was another freshman that shined during the shortened 2020 season. Similar to Delashmit, the majority of McLaughlin’s work came during midweek action. The Georgia native posted an impressive strikeout to walk ratio of 12-to-1 and did not allow a run in four of his five appearances. In his most impressive outing of the year, McLaughlin allowed just one hit and struck out five over five scoreless innings against UNC Asheville to earn his first-career win.
Aside from one bad outing, Connell was very effective in his limited opportunities out of the bullpen last season. He allowed just two hits and did not give up a single run in his first three appearances. In his first-career game, Connell pitched two shutout innings and had two strikeouts against Northern Kentucky. The South Carolina native will look to carve out a role in the Vols’ bullpen this season.
Dallas was one of Tennessee’s most impressive pitchers during the shortened 2020 season. After being thrust into the starting rotation due to injuries to Crochet and Sewell early in the year, he took full advantage of the opportunity by going 3-0 in his four starts and leading the team in innings pitched. Dallas got the starting nod on opening day and responded by giving up just one hit in five scoreless innings to lead UT to a 3-0 win over Western Illinois. One week later, in his home state of Texas, Dallas was incredible in the Vols’ upset of No. 1 Texas Tech at the Round Rock Classic, striking out a career-high eight batters in five innings of work. The junior right hander will once again be in the mix for a starting spot in Tennessee’s weekend rotation this season.
Mabrey is another one of UT’s plethora of lefty relievers. The Cookeville native fared well in limited action as a true freshman, allowing just two hits and one run in five appearances. Mabrey has had a solid offseason and could see an increased role in the bullpen this season.
One of the most experienced relievers in the SEC, Walsh figures to be a staple at the back end of the Vols’ bullpen once again in 2021. The crafty lefty enters the year tied for fourth in program history with 11 saves, nine of which came during the 2019 season when he took over the role as UT’s primary closer. Walsh looked to be in for another impressive year in 2020, as he led the staff with a 0.00 ERA and had two saves in six appearances while holding opposing batters to a .125 batting average. The Louisville, Tennessee, native will likely see as much action as any pitcher on the Vols’ staff this season.
Newcomers
Tennessee has added a solid crop of newcomers to compliment its experienced group of returning pitchers. Highlighting the group are a pair of talented freshmen in RHP Blade Tidwell and LHP Jake Fitzgibbons. Both Tidwell and Fitzgibbons have been impressive this offseason and have a chance to make an immediate impact this year.
Tidwell was the No. 71 overall recruit in the nation according to Perfect Game and has the potential to be an immediate impact player for the Orange and White. An explosive right hander with a fastball that has been clocked in the upper 90s, Tidwell came in at No. 20 on D1Baseball.com’s preseason list for SEC impact freshmen.
Fitzgibbons was the 19th ranked player in the state of Tennessee out of Mount Juliet High School in the Nashville area. He was a Perfect Game Preseason All-America selection and helped lead his club team to the Perfect Game 18U World Series championship in 2020.
The following pitchers will also join the Vols this season and look to push UT’s returners for innings:
Listed Alphabetically: LHP Colin Ahearn, RHP Charez Butcher, RHP Hollis Fanning, RHP Brock Lucas, LHP Shawn Scott and LHP Zander Sechrist.
“I am excited about the staff we are assembling as we build a program Volunteer fans can be proud of,” Heupel said. “We have an experienced and established group joining us, all of whom are passionate about Tennessee. Together with our coaching staff, they will play a vital role in creating a successful culture and structure for our student-athletes.”
Altizer, Lawson, Brummett, Johnson and High all have previous ties to Tennessee, while Lawson, Brummett and High all served on Heupel’s UCF staff. The group has more than 30 combined years of Southeastern Conference experience.
A 20-year UT veteran, Altizer returns to Knoxville after serving as the Deputy Athletics Director at Chattanooga. Lawson, who worked in the Tennessee recruiting department from 2010-14, was previously the director of player personnel at UCF. Brummett, a 2018 Tennessee graduate, was the Knights’ director of on-campus recruiting.
Breske, the former director of recruiting at Missouri, reunites with Heupel after the two worked together from 2016-17 in Columbia. Smith-Walker joins Rocky Top as the first Black woman lead creative director in the SEC. She spent the last two years as NC State’s director of creative media and was a graphic designer for the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship.
Johnson, a Tennessee graduate and recruiting staff member from 2013-16, most recently served as the director of scouting and recruiting strategy at Southern Cal, a role he was promoted to in 2018 after serving as the assistant director of player personnel. High, a Knoxville native and UT graduate, was a recruiting assistant at UCF the past season.
With more than six years of experience, Stinger comes to Knoxville after stints as the director of recruiting at Colorado State and the director of on-campus recruiting at Nebraska. She owns previous experience at Middle Tennessee, where she earned her master’s degree in 2019.
