University of Tennessee Athletics
Lady Vol Softball Retires Sarah Fekete Bailey’s Jersey; Ceremony Set For April 16
March 28, 2022 | Softball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee softball head coach Karen Weekly and vice chancellor/director of athletics Danny White have announced that two-time NFCA All-American and 2006 NCAA batting champion Sarah (Fekete) Bailey's jersey will be retired by the program. The Maryville, Tennessee, native was a four-year starter on Rocky Top from 2003-06 and helped lead the Lady Vols to their first two appearances at the Women's College World Series in 2005 and 2006.
Bailey's jersey retirement ceremony will take place Saturday, April 16, prior to the Lady Vols' series opener against Texas A&M.
"Sarah Fekete-Bailey is one of the great stories in the history of Tennessee athletics," Weekly said. "She arrived in the fall of 2002 determined to prove she could compete at the highest level of college softball. She did that, and so much more. She began her freshman year as a right-handed hitter and finished her senior year as a left-handed slapper and the best hitter in the nation. People have no idea the level of trust that required and the hours of work she put in to make that transformation. She is one of the most competitive young women Ralph and I have ever coached. Sarah showed up to every practice and game with one goal — to give her all for Tennessee. Ralph and I are thrilled she is getting the recognition she has long deserved and are so grateful to have had the privilege of coaching Sarah."
Bailey becomes the second player in Tennessee softball history to have her jersey retired, joining her former teammate Monica Abbott (2004-07) as the only Lady Vols to receive the prestigious recognition.
"Learning about Sarah's contributions and legacy as a Lady Vol during our jersey retirement discussions was eye-opening," White said. "She clearly helped establish an incredibly high standard for the women in our softball program and is extremely deserving of this elite recognition."
Over the course of her four seasons in Knoxville, Bailey played in 280 games and amassed a staggering 296 hits, 189 runs, 85 stolen bases and 55 sacrifice hits. Her .398 career batting average and .456 career on-base percentage rank third and eighth in UT history, respectively.
"I'm both humbled and incredibly honored to receive this recognition," Bailey said. "I gave my all for the University of Tennessee and the Lady Vols every time I stepped on the field. This day would never have been possible without my coaches, teammates, family and support staff. Thank you for believing in the hometown girl and supporting my career on Rocky Top."
After two years as a valuable underclassman contributor, Bailey broke out as a junior in 2005 and became the second Lady Vol to garner first-team All-America honors from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA). She led UT with a .414 batting clip and .467 OB%, racking up 79 hits in 68 games played.
Bailey had a historic senior campaign for the Lady Vols in 2006, hitting .500 on the year to claim the NCAA batting title. She established a new Southeastern Conference single-season record with 110 hits and also led the league in on-base percentage (.553) while ranking third in runs scored (61). Her 110 hits and .500 batting average still stand as single-season Tennessee program records.
She received Louisville Slugger/NFCA first-team All-America and first-team All-SEC honors for the second year in a row and was instrumental in a monumental postseason run for the Big Orange in 2006. Bailey led the Lady Vols to an SEC Tournament title and third-place finish at the Women's College World Series, hitting .489 (23-for-47) in postseason play with an on-base percentage of .529. She was recognized as a finalist for the Honda Award and USA Softball Collegiate National Player of the Year and was tabbed by Alpha Omicron Pi as the 2006 Lady Vol Athlete of the Year.
The Lady Vol outfielder was selected 10th overall by the Philadelphia Force in the 2006 National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) Draft. She also represented Team USA and won a gold medal at the 2006 World University Games in Taiwan.
A 2007 University of Tennessee graduate, Bailey resides in her native Blount County and serves as an assistant principal at Alcoa High School. She is in her fourth year as the head softball coach for the Lady Tornadoes after an eight-year stint in the same role at Knoxville Catholic High School.
Bailey's jersey retirement ceremony will take place Saturday, April 16, prior to the Lady Vols' series opener against Texas A&M.
"Sarah Fekete-Bailey is one of the great stories in the history of Tennessee athletics," Weekly said. "She arrived in the fall of 2002 determined to prove she could compete at the highest level of college softball. She did that, and so much more. She began her freshman year as a right-handed hitter and finished her senior year as a left-handed slapper and the best hitter in the nation. People have no idea the level of trust that required and the hours of work she put in to make that transformation. She is one of the most competitive young women Ralph and I have ever coached. Sarah showed up to every practice and game with one goal — to give her all for Tennessee. Ralph and I are thrilled she is getting the recognition she has long deserved and are so grateful to have had the privilege of coaching Sarah."
Bailey becomes the second player in Tennessee softball history to have her jersey retired, joining her former teammate Monica Abbott (2004-07) as the only Lady Vols to receive the prestigious recognition.
"Learning about Sarah's contributions and legacy as a Lady Vol during our jersey retirement discussions was eye-opening," White said. "She clearly helped establish an incredibly high standard for the women in our softball program and is extremely deserving of this elite recognition."
Over the course of her four seasons in Knoxville, Bailey played in 280 games and amassed a staggering 296 hits, 189 runs, 85 stolen bases and 55 sacrifice hits. Her .398 career batting average and .456 career on-base percentage rank third and eighth in UT history, respectively.
"I'm both humbled and incredibly honored to receive this recognition," Bailey said. "I gave my all for the University of Tennessee and the Lady Vols every time I stepped on the field. This day would never have been possible without my coaches, teammates, family and support staff. Thank you for believing in the hometown girl and supporting my career on Rocky Top."
After two years as a valuable underclassman contributor, Bailey broke out as a junior in 2005 and became the second Lady Vol to garner first-team All-America honors from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA). She led UT with a .414 batting clip and .467 OB%, racking up 79 hits in 68 games played.
Bailey had a historic senior campaign for the Lady Vols in 2006, hitting .500 on the year to claim the NCAA batting title. She established a new Southeastern Conference single-season record with 110 hits and also led the league in on-base percentage (.553) while ranking third in runs scored (61). Her 110 hits and .500 batting average still stand as single-season Tennessee program records.
She received Louisville Slugger/NFCA first-team All-America and first-team All-SEC honors for the second year in a row and was instrumental in a monumental postseason run for the Big Orange in 2006. Bailey led the Lady Vols to an SEC Tournament title and third-place finish at the Women's College World Series, hitting .489 (23-for-47) in postseason play with an on-base percentage of .529. She was recognized as a finalist for the Honda Award and USA Softball Collegiate National Player of the Year and was tabbed by Alpha Omicron Pi as the 2006 Lady Vol Athlete of the Year.
The Lady Vol outfielder was selected 10th overall by the Philadelphia Force in the 2006 National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) Draft. She also represented Team USA and won a gold medal at the 2006 World University Games in Taiwan.
A 2007 University of Tennessee graduate, Bailey resides in her native Blount County and serves as an assistant principal at Alcoa High School. She is in her fourth year as the head softball coach for the Lady Tornadoes after an eight-year stint in the same role at Knoxville Catholic High School.
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