Lady Vols to Host Blue Raiders and Blue Devils

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee softball continues its Fall Ball pursuits with a pair of notable contests against Middle Tennessee State and Duke this weekend at Sherri Parker Lee.

The Lady Vols host the Blue Raiders on Friday at 7 p.m. (ET) and close the weekend against the Blue Devils on Sunday at 1 p.m. Admission is free and gates will open to the public beginning one hour prior to each game of the day. Normal concession stands will not be open; however, fans will be allowed and are encouraged to bring their own food and drinks (alcohol is not permitted).

Last season, MTSU finished with a 29-30 overall record and earned a bid to the National Invitational Softball Championship where it went 1-1. The Lady Vols and Blue Raiders last faced off during the 2017 regular season when a 15th-ranked UT shutout MTSU 4-0 in Statesboro, Ga., after both squads were scoreless until the sixth inning.

Still in its infancy, Duke prepares for its third year in extant in 2020. The Blue Devils are coming off of a 25-31, 2019 season, seeing their share of top-25 opponents throughout the year. It will be the first-ever outing between the programs.

Last season, the Lady Vols finished 43-17 and were one-run shy of returning to the Women's College World Series after a closely-contested showing with the Florida Gators in the Gainesville Super Regional. The Lady Vols forced a rubber match into extra-innings before the Gators singled for the walk-off win.

UT returns ace Ashley Rogers who finished 2019 with a 1.94 ERA and 21-7 record in the circle and the bulk of its offensive fire power. Despite the loss of All-American Aubrey Leach who was the lone player to start all 60 games, the Lady Vols are poised for a strong season at the plate bringing back 70 percent of their scoring and eight starters.

Fans will also have a chance to get a glimpse of the 2020 squad, which is highlighted by Softball America's sixth-ranked recruiting class.

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Players Mentioned

Aubrey Leach

Ashley Rogers

University of Tennessee Athletics