University of Tennessee Athletics
Tennessee Softball Ranked 16th in NFCA Preseason Poll
January 26, 2010 | Softball
Jan. 26, 2010
By Brian Davis, Assistant Media Relations Director
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Following a 2009 campaign that saw UT post 40 victories and advance to NCAA Regionals for the sixth straight season, the Tennessee Lady Vol softball team has been tabbed at No. 16 according to the release of the 2010 preseason USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Top 25 poll.
The Southeastern Conference is well represented in the ratings as the Big Orange is joined by 2009 Women's College World Series participants Alabama, Florida and Georgia at No. 2, 3 and 7, respectively. LSU holds down the No. 18 position, while Kentucky and Mississippi State sit just out of the poll in the "others receiving votes" category.
Tennessee is slated to play 17 games this season against nine members of the preseason top 18 and six teams that are currently rated in the top 10. Included in that total for the Lady Vols are opening weekend match-ups against No. 4 Michigan, No. 8 UCLA and No. 11 Oklahoma at the NTC Division I Elite Invitational (Feb. 12-14) in Clermont, Fla., contests versus No. 10 Stanford and No. 14 Ohio State at the prestigious Cathedral City Classic over Feb. 25-27 in Cathedral City, Calif., and then regular-season SEC series against top-10 rated Alabama, Florida, Georgia and No. 18 LSU.
The 2010 version of the Tennessee Lady Vol softball team returns nine letter winners, including seven who started at least 37 games last season and a pitcher (sophomore Cat Hosfield) who made 54 appearances in the circle. Co-head coaches Ralph and Karen Weekly also welcome in a promising group of 10 high-profile newcomers. UT returns 74 percent of its runs scored, total hits and doubles, 88 percent of its triples, 84 percent of its home runs, 81 percent of its total RBIs and 73 percent of its pitching victories from the 2009 campaign.
Included among the returnees are Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Second Team All-American Tiffany Huff (Senior, C/1B--.399 avg., 13 doubles, eight HR's, 67 RBIs), NFCA All-South Region selections Kelly Grieve (Junior, OF--.393 avg., 48 runs scored, 39 stolen bases) and Jessica Spigner (Sophomore, 3B/P--.322 avg., 14 doubles, 14 HR's, 48 RBIs) and SEC All-Freshman pitcher Cat Hosfield (43 games started, 28-13 record, 221 K's in 257.1 IP). Hosfield posted high-profile pitching victories last season over No. 6 Oklahoma (two wins), No. 18 LSU (two wins) and No. 23 Massachusetts as part of her 28-win campaign. Spigner displayed her hitting and pitching prowess by breaking a 13-year-old Tennessee freshman record for homers with 14 and downing No. 8 Georgia from the circle behind five innings of one-hit work. Grieve enters this season fresh off hitting .393 in 2009 with 39 thefts and having already broken the UT freshman and sophomore single-season stolen base records. Huff rated fifth in all of NCAA Division I last year in RBIs-per-game and will continue her climb up the top 10 career lists in a majority of offensive categories in Tennessee softball history.
The Lady Vols also welcome back seven position players to a UT defense that finished second in the nation in fielding percentage during the '09 campaign at .978.
Taking a small look at the incoming Lady Vol freshman class shows 2009 EA Sports All-Americans Andi Williamson (P, Harts, W. Va.) and Lauren Gibson (IF, Pasadena, Md.), lauded leadoff hitter and track speedster Raven Chavanne (3B/OF, Thousand Oaks, Calif.) and in-state pitcher Ivy Renfroe, a 6-0 hurler who recorded over 1,000 strikeouts for Trinity Christian Academy in Jackson, Tenn. Those four individuals provide just a small sampling of a 10-member class that brings much accomplishment, speed and power to the UT program.
The Lady Vols open their 2010 campaign with a bang at the NTC Division I Elite Invitational in Clermont, Fla., over Feb. 12-14. Tennessee christens its challenging slate versus No. 4 Michigan on Fri., Feb. 12th, at Noon and will also battle Florida Atlantic, No. 8 UCLA, UCF and No. 11 Oklahoma during its stay in "The Sunshine State."
2010 Preseason USA TODAY/NFCA Poll
RANK TEAM '09 Rec. TOTALS Last Poll
1 Washington (30) 51-12 750 1
2 Alabama 54-11 677 3
3 Florida 63-5 649 2
4 Michigan 47-12 625 6
5 Arizona St. 47-19 613 5
6 Arizona 46-17 597 7
7 Georgia 47-12 569 4
8 UCLA 45-11 558 9
9 Missouri 50-12 536 8
10 Stanford 48-11 433 10
11 Oklahoma 41-16 401 16
12 California 38-20 370 11
13 Georgia Tech 46-15 319 13
14 Ohio St. 47-11 312 12
15 Northwestern 31-15 288 18
16 Tennessee 40-18-1 245 20
17 Baylor 40-22 226 15
18 LSU 34-18-1 219 19
19 North Carolina 47-13 209 17
20 Massachusetts 41-10 199 14
21 DePaul 39-14 178 23
22 Louisville 48-11 166 RV
23 Florida St. 44-16 109 22
24 UL-Lafayette 45-13 88 25
25 Fresno St. 38-20 75 RV
Others Receiving Votes:
North Dakota St. 44, Jacksonville St. 38, Cal Poly 37, Nevada 31, Nebraska 28, Texas 23, Notre Dame 21, Cal St. Fullerton 17, San Diego St. 15, Iowa 11, Kentucky 11, Purdue 10, Hawaii 8, Mississippi St. 7, Southern Illinois 7, Cal St. Northridge 6, Texas A&M 6, Tulsa 6, Creighton 4, BYU 3, Houston 3, Oklahoma St. 3
