6 WCWS APPEARANCES 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013 2 SEC TOURNAMENT TITLES 2006, 2011 25 NFCA ALL-AMERICAN SELECTIONS 6 WCWS APPEARANCES IN LAST 9 YEARS » 2 SEC TOURNAMENT CROWNS » RALPH WEEKLY: 2011 NFCA HALL OF FAME » 2 USA SOFTBALL COACHES
EAGLE ROUND ROBIN » FEB. 7-9 » EAGLE FIELD AT GS SOFTBALL COMPLEX UT’S EAGLE ROUND ROBIN SCHEDULE (All times Eastern) GAME 1: #1 Tennessee vs. Northern Colorado - 3 p.m. GAME 4: # Tennessee vs. Northern Colorado - 12 p.m. GAME 5: #1 Tennessee vs. Georgia Southern - 2 p.m. GAME 8: #1 Tennesssee vs. Oakland - 11:30 a.m.
NOTEWORHY NOTES STARTING THE SEASON: #1 TENNESSEE
SERIES HISTORIES NORTHERN COLORADO All-Time Series: UT, 2-0 3/4/05 UT W, 12-0 (6) 2/5/09 UT W, 10-0 (5)
OAKLAND All-Time: UT, 1-0 3/2/07 UT W, 7-0
GEORGIA SOUTHERN All-Tim Series: UT, 8-0 3/6/11 UT W, 10-2 (5) 3/13/12 UT W, 7-0 3/13/12 UT W, 9-0 (5)
SCOUTING NORTHERN COLORADO ¢ Tennessee and Northern Colorado have played just twice in the history of both teams with UT taking both games by a combined score of 22-0. ¢ Northern Colorado went 16-30-1 in 2013 and enter this season without both its top hitter in Lindsey Smith (.338 BA, four homers, 18 doubles, 36 RBIs) and its top pitcher in Kelci Cheney (8-10, 4.69 ERA, 76 Ks) from a year ago. ¢ The Bears’ top returning hitter is junior infielder Melissa Marcoveccchio, who hit .301 with seven doubles, six triples, one homer and 14 RBIs in 2013. Northern Colorado’s most experienced returning pitcher is senior Megan Wilkinson, who went 8-15 with a 5.03 ERA and 39 strikeouts.
SCOUTING GEORGIA SOUTHERN ¢ Tennessee and Georgia Southern have played eight times with UT winning each contest. The teams have played twice before in Statesboro with the Lady Vols winning, 2-0, on Feb. 26, 2000, and taking a 5-0 win on Feb. 19, 2005. UT has outscored the Eagles by a combined score of 56-4 in those eight meetings. ¢ Georgia Southern returns its top two hitters from 2013 in Shelby Morrill (.340 BA, seven homers, 33 RBIs, 12 doubles, 26 runs) and Kourtny Thomas (.254 BA, 12 homers, seven doubles, 23 RBIs, 29 runs). GS also returns its ace in the circle in Sarah Purvis (18-16, 1.83 ERA, 207 strikeouts).
SCOUTING OAKLAND ¢ Tennessee has face Oakland just once before, defeating the Golden Grizzlies, 7-0, on March 2, 2007 in Chattanooga, Tenn. UT was also ranked No. 1 in the NFCA poll the last time the two teams played. ¢ Oakland returns both its top hitter in Erika Polidori (.306 BA, five doubles, two homers, two triples, 12 RBIs, 16 runs) and its top pitcher in Erin Kownacki (2.66 ERA, 5-10, 80 Ks).
¢ Tennessee opens its 2014 season this weekend with games against Northern Colorado, Georgia Southern and Oakland in the Eagle Round Robin Tournament in Statesboro, Ga. UT’s season opener is against Northern Colorado on Friday, Feb. 7, at 3 p.m. ET. ¢ Tennessee starts the season at No. 1 in both the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll and the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 Poll for the first time in program history. ¢ The Lady Vols enjoyed one of their finest seasons in program history in 2013, finishing as the national runnerup, making their sixth Women’s College World Series appearance in nine years and posting their eighth 50-win season with a final record of 52-12. Several Lady Vols garnered prestigious conference and national honors during the team’s record-breaking run to Oklahoma City. ¢ UT returns five positional starters and three pitchers from last year’s staff, including a 2013 ace in Ellen Renfroe. The 2014 team’s talent and depth across the board point to another successful campaign and several new faces are expected make an immediate impact at the plate, in the batter’s box and in the circle. ¢ In 2014, Tennessee returns 11 talented veterans from its Championship Series squad, including AllAmerican seniors Ellen Renfroe (2011, 2012) and Madison Shipman (2012, 2013). Both Renfroe and Shipman were named to the “Watch List” for the 2014 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award and the Preseason All-SEC Team. The team also welcomes seven exciting newcomers who will help bolster a roster built for a postseason run. ¢ SEC coaches picked Tennessee to finish second in the conference in the league’s annual preseason poll. Tennessee is 11-7 all-time in season openers and 9-3 under the direction of the Weeklys in the first game of the year. ¢ UT previously played Northern Colorado in the 2009 season opener, winning 10-5 (5) at the Red Desert Classic in St. George, Utah. ¢ Tennessee had its biggest season-opening win ever in 2013, defeating Southern Utah, 18-3 (5).
TENNESSEE: LAST 10 SEASON OPENERS
¢ Feb. 7, 2013: #6 UT 18, Southern Utah 3 (5 in) ¢ Feb. 9, 2012: #14 UT 7, UCSB 0 ¢ Feb. 11, 2011: #4 UT 11, Michigan State 2 (5 in) ¢ Feb. 13, 2010: #8 UCLA 11, #16 UT 1 (6 in) ¢ Feb. 5, 2009: #12 UT 10, Northern Colorado 0 (5 in) ¢ Feb. 8, 2008: #6 UT 8, Utah State 0 (5 in) ¢ Feb. 9, 2007: #2 UT 8, Coastal Carolina 0 (5 in) ¢ Feb. 10, 2006: #3 UT 1, Illinois State 0 (8 in) ¢ Feb. 4, 2005: #14 UT 4, UCF 0 ¢ Feb. 5, 2004: UT 8, Saint Mary’s 0 (6 in)
2013 » SCHEDULE & RECORD OVERALL RECORD:
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THE SCHEDULE DATE OPPONENT TIME Feb. 7 Northern Colorado! 3 p.m. Feb. 8 Northern Colorado! 12 p.m. Feb. 8 at Georgia Southern! 2 p.m. Feb. 9 Oakland! 11:30 a.m. Feb. 14 Pittsburgh# 6:15 p.m. Feb. 14 Binghamton# 8:30 p.m. Feb. 15 at USF# 4 p.m. Feb. 15 Illinois# 8:30 p.m. Feb. 16 Wright State# 11:15 a.m. Feb. 22 Nebraska$ 8 p.m. Feb. 22 Oregon State$ 10:30 p.m. Feb. 23 Stanford$ 5 p.m. Feb. 23 Fresno State$ 7:30 p.m. Feb. 25 at Cal State Fullerton 9 p.m. Feb. 27 BYU% 4 p.m. Feb. 27 at San Diego State% 9 p.m. Feb. 28 Colorado State% 2:30 p.m. March 1 Fresno State% 12 p.m. March 1 Utah% 5 p.m. March 5 WRIGHT STATE 5 p.m. March 5 WRIGHT STATE 7 p.m. March 7 HOLY CROSS& 3:30 p.m. March 7 CAMPBELL& 6 p.m. March 8 WESTERN KENTUCKY& 2 p.m. March 9 GEORGIA SOUTHERN& 2 p.m. March 9 CHARLESTON& 4:30 p.m. March 11 WESTERN CAROLINA 5 p.m. March 14 l at Arkansas 7 p.m. March 15 l at Arkansas 2 p.m. March 16 l at Arkansas 2 p.m. March 18 MTSU 7 p.m. March 21 l SOUTH CAROLINA 6 p.m. March 22 l SOUTH CAROLINA 2 p.m. March 23 l SOUTH CAROLINA 1:30 p.m. March 28 l FLORIDA 6 p.m. March 29 l FLORIDA 2 p.m. March 30 l FLORIDA 1:30 p.m. April 1 APPALACHIAN STATE 6 p.m. April 4 l at LSU 7 p.m. April 5 l at LSU 7 p.m. April 6 l at LSU 2 p.m. April 8 TENNESSEE TECH 6 p.m. April 11 l at Texas A&M 8 p.m. April 12 l at Texas A&M 5 p.m. April 13 l at Texas A&M 1 p.m. April 15 EASTERN KENTUCKY 6 p.m. April 18 l MISS. STATE 6 p.m. April 19 l MISS. STATE 2 p.m. April 20 l MISS. STATE 1:30 p.m. April 22 FURMAN 6 p.m. April 25 l at Kentucky 6 p.m. April 26 l at Kentucky 3 p.m. April 27 l at Kentucky 1 p.m. May 2 l OLE MISS 6 p.m. May 3 l OLE MISS 2 p.m. May 4 l OLE MISS 1:30 p.m. May 7-10 SEC Tournament^ Columbia, S.C. May 15-18 NCAA Regionals May 22-25 NCAA Super Regionals May 29- WCWS in Oklahoma City, Okla. June 4 HOME GAMES BOLDED IN ALL CAPS l Indicates SEC games All times listed are Eastern ^ = SEC Tourney: May 7-10 in Columbia, S.C. ! = Eagle Round Robin; # = USF Tournament; $ = Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic; % = San Diego Classic & = Tennessee Tournament