University of Tennessee Athletics
Lady Vol Softball Position Preview: Infield
February 03, 2020 | Softball
The Lady Vols infield will be a mixed bag of experience. With four returners expected to be placed around the horn and freshman talent expected to fill in the gaps, Tennessee is going to have a combination of sustained momentum and new energy.
Familiar faces include senior Chelsea Seggern (Thrall, Texas), who was named to the Preseason All-SEC team and recently ranked 67th on Softball America's Top 100 List. Seggern is the top offensive returner for the Tennessee after completing 2019 with a .366 batting average. She added 56 hits, including a team-high 16 doubles, and 46 RBI. The lone senior in the infield will have a new role this year along with added leadership responsibilities.
"The move (of Chelsea) from third to short was not a difficult move for her because she has good lateral movement," said co-head coach Ralph Weekly. "She is just a fantastic all-around player. She can hit, throw, run – she can do everything. She'll also bat in the top of our batting order and I look for her to be a team leader on defense."
Sophomores Kaitlin Parsons (Long Beach, Calif.) and Kaili Phillips (Ooltewah, Tenn.) and junior Ashley Morgan (Douglasville, Ga.) comprise the remaining key returnees.
Left-handed hitter Parsons will continue at second base and proved to be a threat around the bags, stealing 12 bases on 15 attempts last season. She sits behind Seggern with a .340 hitting clip and added 26 runs and 33 hits last season
.
"Kaitlin played a lot there last year and made three spectacular plays against North Carolina in the regional tournament that helped us proceed to the Super Regional," Weekly recalled. "She's a speedster at the bat, but does have pop and can hit away. Her strong points in the infield are her speed and her tangibles are she just gets to the ball where it is."
Morgan (.264) and Phillips (.246) combined for 44 runs, 71 hits and 67 RBI a season ago. Phillips, who belted 10 homers in her freshman campaign, has played a utility role for the Lady Vols, while Morgan has been the mainstay at first base.
"Kaili's strong point is her offense, and she has the ability to take it out of the park every time she's up, but she's also a very good hitter, and has a good eye and a good on-base percentage," said Weekly. "We used her to back up Ally Shipman at the catcher and she caught for a large portion of the season after Shipman was injured. Last year she started four different positions.
"Ashley Morgan is a very solid all-around player. She's got a good, solid bat. A good RBI person, great glove, great arm, but more important has a great attitude and is a great leader."
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The freshmen infielders all hail from Tennessee and will likely make appearances around the horn throughout the season including Anna Fox (Columbia, Tenn.), KK McCrary (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), Madison Webber (Sevierville, Tenn.) and Josie Willingham (Medon, Tenn.).
Fox, who is a left-handed hitter, was named the Softball Player of the Year and Female Athlete of the Year in 2018 by the Columbia Daily-Herald and was a leadoff hitter on a top summer team from Alabama, a role she is threatening to play with the Lady Vols.
"Anna moves well laterally, has a good glove, good arm and quick release," Weekly said. "She slaps primarily but can hit away."
Willingham, who was also a volleyball player, has impressed early on with her strength.
"Josie probably has the strongest arm on the team," Weekly said. "She is a very good baserunner, very fast on the bases, just needs a little more experience."
Webber and McCrary could be seen in multiple roles. McCrary was named the 7AAA District MVP after winning the district and finishing as the state runner-up in 2019. She was also named the Female Athlete of the Year by Daily News Journal and the Tennessean Softball Player of the Year.Â
"KK is one of the best players to come out of Tennessee in the last several years," Weekly said. "She's a power hitter and also hit for a very good average."
Webber comes in as a two-time state champion from and was named the all-district and all-county player of the year in 2018.
"Webber can play outfield also and plays a very good first base," Weekly said. "I'd say her strong point is hitting in an RBI situation. She's really good with the game on the line and we look for big things out of her."
Tennessee heads into the season No. 12/11/14 on the three major polls and will face four top-25 teams in the opening two weekends. The Lady Vols were voted to finish second in the Preseason All-SEC Coaches Poll, where the team finished to close the 2019 campaign behind a 14-10 conference showing. As the team gears up to spend the first four weeks on the road and to celebrate the program's 25th year, the Lady Vols infield is stout with explosiveness and balanced energy.
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Familiar faces include senior Chelsea Seggern (Thrall, Texas), who was named to the Preseason All-SEC team and recently ranked 67th on Softball America's Top 100 List. Seggern is the top offensive returner for the Tennessee after completing 2019 with a .366 batting average. She added 56 hits, including a team-high 16 doubles, and 46 RBI. The lone senior in the infield will have a new role this year along with added leadership responsibilities.
"The move (of Chelsea) from third to short was not a difficult move for her because she has good lateral movement," said co-head coach Ralph Weekly. "She is just a fantastic all-around player. She can hit, throw, run – she can do everything. She'll also bat in the top of our batting order and I look for her to be a team leader on defense."
Sophomores Kaitlin Parsons (Long Beach, Calif.) and Kaili Phillips (Ooltewah, Tenn.) and junior Ashley Morgan (Douglasville, Ga.) comprise the remaining key returnees.
Left-handed hitter Parsons will continue at second base and proved to be a threat around the bags, stealing 12 bases on 15 attempts last season. She sits behind Seggern with a .340 hitting clip and added 26 runs and 33 hits last season
.
"Kaitlin played a lot there last year and made three spectacular plays against North Carolina in the regional tournament that helped us proceed to the Super Regional," Weekly recalled. "She's a speedster at the bat, but does have pop and can hit away. Her strong points in the infield are her speed and her tangibles are she just gets to the ball where it is."
Morgan (.264) and Phillips (.246) combined for 44 runs, 71 hits and 67 RBI a season ago. Phillips, who belted 10 homers in her freshman campaign, has played a utility role for the Lady Vols, while Morgan has been the mainstay at first base.
"Kaili's strong point is her offense, and she has the ability to take it out of the park every time she's up, but she's also a very good hitter, and has a good eye and a good on-base percentage," said Weekly. "We used her to back up Ally Shipman at the catcher and she caught for a large portion of the season after Shipman was injured. Last year she started four different positions.
"Ashley Morgan is a very solid all-around player. She's got a good, solid bat. A good RBI person, great glove, great arm, but more important has a great attitude and is a great leader."
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The freshmen infielders all hail from Tennessee and will likely make appearances around the horn throughout the season including Anna Fox (Columbia, Tenn.), KK McCrary (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), Madison Webber (Sevierville, Tenn.) and Josie Willingham (Medon, Tenn.).
Fox, who is a left-handed hitter, was named the Softball Player of the Year and Female Athlete of the Year in 2018 by the Columbia Daily-Herald and was a leadoff hitter on a top summer team from Alabama, a role she is threatening to play with the Lady Vols.
"Anna moves well laterally, has a good glove, good arm and quick release," Weekly said. "She slaps primarily but can hit away."
Willingham, who was also a volleyball player, has impressed early on with her strength.
"Josie probably has the strongest arm on the team," Weekly said. "She is a very good baserunner, very fast on the bases, just needs a little more experience."
Webber and McCrary could be seen in multiple roles. McCrary was named the 7AAA District MVP after winning the district and finishing as the state runner-up in 2019. She was also named the Female Athlete of the Year by Daily News Journal and the Tennessean Softball Player of the Year.Â
"KK is one of the best players to come out of Tennessee in the last several years," Weekly said. "She's a power hitter and also hit for a very good average."
Webber comes in as a two-time state champion from and was named the all-district and all-county player of the year in 2018.
"Webber can play outfield also and plays a very good first base," Weekly said. "I'd say her strong point is hitting in an RBI situation. She's really good with the game on the line and we look for big things out of her."
Tennessee heads into the season No. 12/11/14 on the three major polls and will face four top-25 teams in the opening two weekends. The Lady Vols were voted to finish second in the Preseason All-SEC Coaches Poll, where the team finished to close the 2019 campaign behind a 14-10 conference showing. As the team gears up to spend the first four weeks on the road and to celebrate the program's 25th year, the Lady Vols infield is stout with explosiveness and balanced energy.
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Players Mentioned
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IF
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