OVERLAND PARK, KAN. – Tennessee outfielder Evan Russell has been named one of 10 finalists for the 2021 Senior CLASS Award, as announced by the award committee on Monday.

The Senior CLASS Award recognizes student-athletes who excel both on and off the field. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.

After a slow start to the season, Russell has been one of the top hitters in the SEC during league play. The senior outfielder leads the conference with 29 RBI in SEC games and also ranks third in home runs (10) and fourth in slugging percentage (.721) during league play. He has had two three-homer games this season, becoming the only player in program history to have multiple three-homer games in their career.

Russell is the first player in program history to be named a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award. The Lexington, Tennessee, native is a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll recipient and, in 2019, became the eighth player in program history to earn CoSIDA Academic All-America honors.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

The finalists were chosen by a selection committee from the list of 30 candidates announced earlier in the season. Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to help select the winner. Fans are encouraged to vote on the Senior CLASS Award website through June 7. Fan votes will be combined with media and Division I head coaches’ votes to determine the winner.

The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2021 College World Series® in June.

The complete list of 2021 Senior CLASS Award candidates can be seen HERE.

-UT Athletics