6 dates that will make or break softball’s 2023 season

JACK CHURCH Staff Writer

The No. 12 Tennessee softball team looks to build upon a third-placed SEC finish after failing to advance past the regional round of the NCAA tournament.

Pitcher Ashley Rogers and outfielder Kiki Milloy were both selected as second team AllAmericans by Softball America after a successful 2022 campaign.

Tennessee gets the benefit of hosting some of its toughest series in the conference schedule, while the road schedule is heavier in non conference play. These six dates will prove crucial to the Lady Vols’ success this season.

Feb. 10-12: NFCA Leadoff Classic

The Lady Vols will begin their 2023 campaign with a trip to Clearwater, Florida, in the NFCA leadoff classic. The tournament sees Tennessee meeting No. 7 Northwestern and No. 14 Texas among their five matchups in the tournament. Both Texas and Northwestern qualified for the Women’s College World Series last season, with the Longhorns making it all the way to the championship series. Second team All-American pitcher Danielle Williams will lead Northwestern in the circle.

March 10-12: Home Series vs. No. 25 Ole Miss

The Rebels, who finished eighth in the SEC a year ago, open conference play for the Lady Volunteers. Tennessee lost two of its three games in last year’s trip to Oxford. The Rebels return outfielder Tate Whitley, who played in all sixty games last season, recording a .387 batting average. Ole Miss qualified for the NCAA tournament but did not advance past the regional round.

March 24-26: Home Series vs. No. 6 Alabama the Hokies earned the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament last year. They lost to Florida in the super regional round. Junior outfielder Emma Ritter recorded a .400 batting average a year ago, while the Hokies will be led in the circle this season by sophomore pitcher Emma Lemley.

Despite earning the No. 6 seed in the NCAA tournament, the Crimson Tide did not advance past the regional round of the tournament, losing to Stanford in the process. The two sides last met in Tuscaloosa in 2021, where Alabama won the series 2-1. Returning pitcher Montana Fouts started 26 games a year ago, recording a 2.10 earned run average and holding opponents to a batting average of .193.

April 22-24:

Home Series vs. No. 5

Florida

The Lady Vols will meet the SEC preseason favorites at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium this season after winning the series held in Gainesville last year. Preseason second team All American Skylar Wallace posted a .386 batting average and eight home runs in a season that saw the Gators advance to the Women’s College World Series. Kendra Falby also looks to build on a season where she stole 36 bases and recorded a batting average of .392.

May 19: Start of NCAA Softball Tournament

April 11: At No. 13 Virginia Tech

The Lady Vols fell to Virginia Tech 5-2 in the front end of the home-and-home series last year at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. After winning the ACC regular season championship,

While nobody is expecting Tennessee to contend with Oklahoma and win the national championship, Lady Vol fans would like to see improvement over last year’s finish, which saw Tennessee lose its home regional to Oregon State. While harsh, most expectations rest on the performance of the team in the tournament, which can be based on luck, as opposed to the regular season.