KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 16 Tennessee softball team returns from its COVID-19 pause for three games in a three-day stretch against a pair of in-state foes at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
The Lady Vols take on Tennessee Tech in a single game at 6 p.m. ET on Monday night, before returning to action on Wednesday with a doubleheader against Tennessee State at 4 and 6:30 p.m. ET.
BROADCAST INFO
All three games will be streamed on SEC Network+. Fans can access SEC Network+ through the ESPN App, or online at espn.com/watch.
Fans can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate or online at UTsports.com to tune into VFL Brian Rice describing the action.
QUICK HITS
BACK FROM QUARANTINE
Monday’s contest will be Tennessee’s first game since the program was put on pause due to COVID-19 among the program’s tier one personnel. It was UT’s first such pause of the 2021 season.
OUR STATE
In program history, the Lady Vol softball team has put together an impressive record against in-state opponents, holding a mark of 132-4 all-time.
MID-WEEK DOMINATION
Tennessee holds a perfect 8-0 record in mid-week encounters this season, outscoring opponents at a blistering, 67-7 clip. In those eight contests, the Lady Vols have tossed five shutouts as a pitching staff, while giving up two or fewer hits in each of those shutout performances.
SHIPMAN SAILING
Over Tennessee’s last six games, junior catcher Ally Shipman is hitting a team-best .471, going 8-for-17 with two doubles, one home run, nine RBIs and a run scored. The Valencia, California, native is slugging .765 with a .444 on-base percentage over that time span.
ASHLEY ROGERS IS EN FUEGO
Ashley Rogers picked up five wins last week as the Lady Vol pitched UT to victories over Furman, Liberty and Kentucky. Over those five outings, Rogers had an ERA of 0.81 with three starts and three complete games, including a complete game shutout of Liberty. In 26 innings of work, the Athens, Tennessee, native fanned 42 batters, allowed just eight hits and three runs.
SCOUTING TENNESSEE TECH
2021 Record: 15-18 Overall, 9-10 OVC
Series Record: Tennessee Leads – 21-0
Last Outing: A 10-0, run-rule victory in six innings for the Lady Vols in a game played in Statesboro, Georgia.
Key Player/Stat: Tennessee Tech enters Monday’s game fresh off a series victory over Murray State. Nicolle Nysted leads the squad with a .338 batting average, six home runs and is tied with Jessie Lowery and Mackenzi Fitzgerald for the team-lead in RBI with 17. Fitzgerald leads TTU with 13 stolen bases on the season.
SCOUTING TENNESSEE STATE
2021 Record: 8-21 Overall, 4-17 OVC
Series Record: Tennessee Leads – 16-0
Last Outing: A 15-2, five-inning run-rule demolition of the Tigers in Knoxville on April 24, 2019.
Key Player/Stat: Freshman infielder Anayah Baker-Rowell has been the do-it-all player for Tennessee State in her first season in Nashville. The Douglasville, Georgia native leads the Tigers in batting average (.326), runs (12), RBIs (12) and slugging percentage (.523), while starting all 26 games she’s appeared in this season.
UP NEXT
Tennessee returns to SEC play with a weekend series against South Carolina in Columbia April 17-19.
-UT Athletics
