University of Tennessee Athletics
SOFTBALL CENTRAL: Troy Cox Classic
February 16, 2017 | Softball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- No. 15/14 Tennessee will look to build off its 5-0 start to the season this weekend at the Troy Cox Classic in Las Cruces, N.M. The Volunteers will play five games over the weekend at the New Mexico State Softball Complex.
MORE INFO
2017 Troy Cox Classic
- Teams: Tennessee, Bradley, DePaul, New Mexico State, Northern Colorado, Oregon State
- Dates: Saturday, Feb. 18 -- Monday, Feb. 20
- Venue: New Mexico Softball Complex (Las Cruces, N.M.)
- Watch: Aggie Access (For Monday's game only)
- Listen: KRUX 91.5 FM
No. 15/14 Tennessee
Roster Schedule StatsBradley
Roster Schedule StatsDePaul
Roster Schedule StatsNew Mexico State
Roster Schedule StatsNorthern Colorado
Roster Schedule StatsRV/RV Oregon State
Roster Schedule StatsUT will take on DePaul, Bradley, Northern Colorado, Oregon State and host New Mexico State before heading further west to California for the Marry Nutter Classic from Feb. 23-25 in Cathedral City.
Tournament Schedule/Media & Broadcast Info
The only Tennessee game that will feature a live stream and radio for the tournament is Monday's matchup against New Mexico State. Fans can watch Monday's game on Aggie Access by clicking HERE. A subscription is required to watch. A free audio broadcast is also available for Monday's game against the Aggies HERE.
View UT's full weekend schedule below.
Saturday
Tennessee vs. DePaul | 4 p.m. ET
Tennessee vs. Bradley | 8 p.m. ET
Sunday
Tennessee vs. Northern Colorado | 1 p.m. ET
Tennessee vs. Oregon State | 3 p.m. ET
Monday
Tennessee vs. New Mexico State | 8 p.m. ET | Stream: Aggie Access | Radio: KRUX 91.5 FM
Need to Know
The Vols went a perfect 5-0 to open the season last week at the Eagle Round Robin in Statesboro, Ga., outscoring their five opponents by a 47-4 margin. UT is a combined 16-4 all-time against the five teams they'll face at this weekend's tournament with all four of those losses coming at the hands of Oregon State.
The Big Orange are batting .388 as a team, led by senior outfielder Megan Geer who went 8-for-13 last week with nine runs and seven RBIs. Geer's .615 batting average is tied for second in the SEC and her nine runs lead the league. Tennessee was also stellar in the circle last week, surrendering just one earned run and four total runs for a team ERA of 0.23. Sophomore ace Matty Moss went 3-0 while freshman Caylan Arnold won her first two career starts to start the year 2-0.
Non-Conference Success
UT went 27-9 in non-conference games last season and is off to a 5-0 start this year. The Vols outscored opponents 275-86 and posted a team ERA of 1.92 against non-conference foes in 2016. The Orange and White are 159-36 (.815) against non-conference opponents over the past six seasons.
The Megs
Tennessee's dynamic duo of Megan Geer and Meghan Gregg is off to a hot start at the plate. Geer and Gregg rank first and second on the team in batting average and RBIs and are tied for first with eight hits apiece. Geer's nine runs lead the SEC as do Gregg's 12 RBIs after one week of play. Both players were named to the All-SEC preseason team this year.
Preseason Rankings and Honors
The Vols began the season ranked in both the NFCA Preseason Coaches' Poll and the USA Softball Preseason Top 25 for the 14th straight season, checking in at No. 15 in both polls.
Gregg and Geer both garnered some preseason recognition this year. Gregg was named to the All-SEC preseason team and to the College Sports Madness Preseason All-America team. Geer was also named to the All-SEC preseason team and was included on the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 50 "Watch List".
Scouting Report
DePaul Blue Demons (2-3)
DePaul went 2-3 over opening weekend with a pair of victories over Iowa State at the 31st Annual Louisiana Classic. The Blue Demons returned three BIG EAST All-Conference picks from a year ago in Dylan Christensen, Nicole Pihl and Megan Leyva and were picked to finish second in the league's preseason poll. Leyva leads the team with a homer and three RBIs while Jessica Cothern tops the team in batting average (.385) and hits (five) so far this season.
UT's All-Time Record vs. DePaul: 3-0
The Vols have never lost to the Blue Demons and defeated them 16-4 in five innings down in Clearwater, Fla., last season. All three wins for UT have come at neutral sites.
Bradley Braves (1-4)
Bradley went 1-4 at the Grand Canyon Kickoff Tournament last week. The Braves were picked to finish eighth in the Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Poll and are led by MVC preseason all-conference selection Kelly Kapp.
UT's All-Time Record vs. Bradley: 1-0
Tennessee defeated Bradley 12-2 in five innings in the only previous meeting between the two programs. The win came in 2010 at the Troy Cox Classic.
Northern Colorado Bears (1-4)
Northern Colorado also went 1-4 at the Grand Canyon Kickoff Tournament last week. The Bears were chosen to finish eighth in the Big Sky Conference Preseason Poll after a 9-33 (4-14 Big Sky) finish in 2016. They do return nine of their top 11 hitters and all five pitchers that saw action last season. Senior infielder Erica Dick leads the team in batting average, runs, hits, home runs, slugging percentage and on-base percentage this year.
UT's All-Time Record vs. Northern Colorado: 4-0
UT has outscored UNC 38-3 all-time and defeated the Bears twice back in 2014, the last time the two programs met.
RV/RV Oregon State Beavers (3-0)
Oregon State enters the weekend unbeaten after defeating UAB, Sacramento State and Hawai'i at the Paradise Classic last week and is receiving votes in both national polls. The Beavers are coming off an NCAA tournament appearance last season and were picked to finish seventh in the Pac-12 Preseason Poll. They return six starters and two pitchers from last year's squad and are led by senior infielder Natalie Hampton, who is batting .556 on the year. Freshman pitcher Nerissa Eason is off to a 2-0 start and has a 0.00 ERA with 12 strikeouts after one week of play.
UT's All-Time Record vs. Oregon State: 5-4
Oregon State is the only team this weekend that has ever beaten the Volunteers, doing so four times. However, Tennessee has dominated the series as of late with four straight victories over the Beavers. The last meeting between the two programs was a 5-1 UT win back in 2014.
New Mexico State Aggies (2-1)
New Mexico State went 2-1 in a three-game series with UTSA last weekend at home. For the fourth consecutive year, the Aggies were picked as the preseason favorite to win the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). They boast the WAC Preseason Player of the Year in Kelsey Horton. The sophomore leads the team with a .667 batting average, two home runs and four RBIs.
UT's All-Time Record vs. New Mexico State: 3-0
All three meetings between the two programs have come in Las Cruces with the Vols winning all three by comfortable margins. UT won the last contest between the two teams, 10-1 in five innings, back in 2010.
What's Next?
Tennessee will remain out west to attend the prestigious Marry Nutter Classic in Cathedral City, Calif. The Vols will open the tournament on Thursday, Feb. 23 against defending national champion No. 4/6 Oklahoma. The Big Orange will also face UC Santa Barbara, Nebraska, No. 16/15 Utah and RV/RV Texas at the tournament.
