University of Tennessee Athletics
SB Preview: 2026 NFCA Leadoff Classic
February 04, 2026 | Softball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The fourth-ranked Lady Vols will open their 2026 campaign in Clearwater, Florida, as they play in the NFCA Leadoff Classic at the Eddie C. Moore Complex Feb. 5-7.
Tennessee will face BYU, No. 21 Liberty, Rutgers, Boston College and No. 5 Oregon during UT's three-day stay at the tournament. The Leadoff Classic has become familiar territory for the Lady Vols, as they opened their 2023 and 2025 seasons at the NFCA event.
BROADCAST INFO
All five games will be available to stream on the GameChanger App. Fans can also listen to Charley Collier call the action via a free audio stream on UTSports.com and the Tennessee Athletics Gameday App.
Streaming, live stats and radio links can be found by visiting the Tennessee softball schedule page at UTSports.com.
NOTABLE
PRESEASON RANKINGS
Tennessee enters the 2026 season ranked in the top four in all four major polls – coming in at No. 4 across the board. NFCA, USA Softball, D1Softball and Softball America.
FRESH FACES
Tennessee welcomed nine fresh faces to Rocky Top over the summer with six freshmen and three transfers joining the program.
Makenzie Butt (Boise State), Sophia Knight (Boise State), and Maddi Rutan (Eastern Kentucky) make up the transfer class. Butt (sophomore) and Knight (junior) played together at Boise State and both captured Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year honors. Rutan (junior) won ASUN Pitcher and Freshman of the Year in 2024 and is a two-time First Team All-ASUN honoree.
Meredith Barnhart (INF), Peyton Hardenburger (P), Taelyn Holley (OF), Elsa Morrison (C), Kailey Plumlee (LHP) and McCall Sims (OF) make up the freshman class that On3 named No. 2 nationally.
Four players were featured in the top 25 player rankings for the class of 2025. Hardenburger and Holley came in at fourth and seventh, respectively, while Morrison and Plumlee ranked 11th and 22nd.
Hardenburger (Kansas), Morrison (Tennessee) and Plumlee (Tennessee) all earned Softball Gatorade Player of the Year honors for their respective states.
PRESEASON HONORS
Nine Lady Vols garnered preseason award honors from various outlets during the month of January.
Senior pitcher Karlyn Pickens led the group with six honors. A two-time consensus first team All-American, Pickens was named to D1Softball and Softball America's preseason All-America squads. The Weaverville, North Carolina, native was also tabbed to USA Softball's Top 50 Watch List for Collegiate Player of the Year and was named the No. 3 player in the nation by D1Softball and Softball America. Her final preseason recognition came from the SEC as it named her to its preseason All-SEC team.
Junior Sophia Knight was named the nation's No. 18 outfielder by D1Softball and No. 22 according to Softball America.
Makenzie Butt landed as the No. 9 first basemen in the nation in Softball America's preseason watch list.
Two-way player Maddi Rutan was named the No. 13 utility by Softball America.
Freshmen Meredith Barnhart, Peyton Hardenburger, Taelyn Holley, Elsa Morrison and Kailey Plumlee were recognized on D1Softball and Softball America's Freshmen Watch List.
LADY VOLS TRAVEL TO CLEARWATER FOR OPENING WEEKEND
For the third time over the past four seasons, the Lady Vols will take part in the NFCA Leadoff Classic. Tennessee opened its 2023 and 2025 campaigns at the opening weekend tournament, going 8-1 over its nine games with five run-rule victories.
ROAD WARRIORS
Over the past three seasons, the Lady Vols have gone 38-10 in true road games and 33-14 at neutral sites. That run includes three conference sweeps at No. 10 LSU (2023), at No. 16 Kentucky (2023) and at No. 23 South Carolina (2024).
MAGIC NUMBER
Since the beginning of the 2023 season, the Lady Vols' magic number has been three (3). Tennessee is 132-9 when scoring three or more runs over that span.
OPENING WEEKEND
Tennessee has been strong on opening weekends since 2022, holding a record of 15-1 and outscoring opponents 131-25.
Entering the 2026 season, UT has made opening in Florida a habit as it has played on opening weekend in the Sunshine State in 2022, 2023, 2025 and 2026.
SCOUTING BYU
Head Coach (Record at BYU): Gordon Eakin (863-412)
2025 Record: 32-17
Series Record: Tennessee leads 10-1
Last Meeting: W, 10-3, on 2/24/22
SCOUTING LIBERTY
Head Coach (Record at Liberty): Dot Richardson (432-272)
2025 Record: 50-15
Series Record: Tennessee leads 22-1
Last Meeting: W, 5-1, on 2/18/23
SCOUTING RUTGERS
Head Coach (Record at Rutgers): Kristen Butler (157-189)
2025 Record: 20-36
Series Record: Tennessee leads 1-0
Last Meeting: W, 10-1 (5), on 2/21/25
SCOUTING BOSTON COLLEGE
Head Coach (Record at Boston College): Beth Krysiak (1st season)
2025 Record: 22-29
Series Record: Tennessee leads 3-0
Last Meeting: W, 8-0 (5), on 2/13/25
SCOUTING OREGON
Head Coach (Record at Oregon): Melyssa Lombardi (239-116)
2025 Record: 54-10
Series Record: Series tied 3-3
Last Meeting: L, 1-0, on 2/20/25
DUE UP
Tennessee will be back in Clearwater next weekend, Feb. 13-15, as it takes part in the Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational. The Lady Vols will battle Nebraska, James Madison, Florida Atlantic, UCLA and Florida State during its upcoming stint in the Sunshine State.
Tennessee will face BYU, No. 21 Liberty, Rutgers, Boston College and No. 5 Oregon during UT's three-day stay at the tournament. The Leadoff Classic has become familiar territory for the Lady Vols, as they opened their 2023 and 2025 seasons at the NFCA event.
BROADCAST INFO
All five games will be available to stream on the GameChanger App. Fans can also listen to Charley Collier call the action via a free audio stream on UTSports.com and the Tennessee Athletics Gameday App.
Streaming, live stats and radio links can be found by visiting the Tennessee softball schedule page at UTSports.com.
NOTABLE
PRESEASON RANKINGS
Tennessee enters the 2026 season ranked in the top four in all four major polls – coming in at No. 4 across the board. NFCA, USA Softball, D1Softball and Softball America.
FRESH FACES
Tennessee welcomed nine fresh faces to Rocky Top over the summer with six freshmen and three transfers joining the program.
Makenzie Butt (Boise State), Sophia Knight (Boise State), and Maddi Rutan (Eastern Kentucky) make up the transfer class. Butt (sophomore) and Knight (junior) played together at Boise State and both captured Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year honors. Rutan (junior) won ASUN Pitcher and Freshman of the Year in 2024 and is a two-time First Team All-ASUN honoree.
Meredith Barnhart (INF), Peyton Hardenburger (P), Taelyn Holley (OF), Elsa Morrison (C), Kailey Plumlee (LHP) and McCall Sims (OF) make up the freshman class that On3 named No. 2 nationally.
Four players were featured in the top 25 player rankings for the class of 2025. Hardenburger and Holley came in at fourth and seventh, respectively, while Morrison and Plumlee ranked 11th and 22nd.
Hardenburger (Kansas), Morrison (Tennessee) and Plumlee (Tennessee) all earned Softball Gatorade Player of the Year honors for their respective states.
PRESEASON HONORS
Nine Lady Vols garnered preseason award honors from various outlets during the month of January.
Senior pitcher Karlyn Pickens led the group with six honors. A two-time consensus first team All-American, Pickens was named to D1Softball and Softball America's preseason All-America squads. The Weaverville, North Carolina, native was also tabbed to USA Softball's Top 50 Watch List for Collegiate Player of the Year and was named the No. 3 player in the nation by D1Softball and Softball America. Her final preseason recognition came from the SEC as it named her to its preseason All-SEC team.
Junior Sophia Knight was named the nation's No. 18 outfielder by D1Softball and No. 22 according to Softball America.
Makenzie Butt landed as the No. 9 first basemen in the nation in Softball America's preseason watch list.
Two-way player Maddi Rutan was named the No. 13 utility by Softball America.
Freshmen Meredith Barnhart, Peyton Hardenburger, Taelyn Holley, Elsa Morrison and Kailey Plumlee were recognized on D1Softball and Softball America's Freshmen Watch List.
LADY VOLS TRAVEL TO CLEARWATER FOR OPENING WEEKEND
For the third time over the past four seasons, the Lady Vols will take part in the NFCA Leadoff Classic. Tennessee opened its 2023 and 2025 campaigns at the opening weekend tournament, going 8-1 over its nine games with five run-rule victories.
ROAD WARRIORS
Over the past three seasons, the Lady Vols have gone 38-10 in true road games and 33-14 at neutral sites. That run includes three conference sweeps at No. 10 LSU (2023), at No. 16 Kentucky (2023) and at No. 23 South Carolina (2024).
MAGIC NUMBER
Since the beginning of the 2023 season, the Lady Vols' magic number has been three (3). Tennessee is 132-9 when scoring three or more runs over that span.
OPENING WEEKEND
Tennessee has been strong on opening weekends since 2022, holding a record of 15-1 and outscoring opponents 131-25.
Entering the 2026 season, UT has made opening in Florida a habit as it has played on opening weekend in the Sunshine State in 2022, 2023, 2025 and 2026.
SCOUTING BYU
Head Coach (Record at BYU): Gordon Eakin (863-412)
2025 Record: 32-17
Series Record: Tennessee leads 10-1
Last Meeting: W, 10-3, on 2/24/22
SCOUTING LIBERTY
Head Coach (Record at Liberty): Dot Richardson (432-272)
2025 Record: 50-15
Series Record: Tennessee leads 22-1
Last Meeting: W, 5-1, on 2/18/23
SCOUTING RUTGERS
Head Coach (Record at Rutgers): Kristen Butler (157-189)
2025 Record: 20-36
Series Record: Tennessee leads 1-0
Last Meeting: W, 10-1 (5), on 2/21/25
SCOUTING BOSTON COLLEGE
Head Coach (Record at Boston College): Beth Krysiak (1st season)
2025 Record: 22-29
Series Record: Tennessee leads 3-0
Last Meeting: W, 8-0 (5), on 2/13/25
SCOUTING OREGON
Head Coach (Record at Oregon): Melyssa Lombardi (239-116)
2025 Record: 54-10
Series Record: Series tied 3-3
Last Meeting: L, 1-0, on 2/20/25
DUE UP
Tennessee will be back in Clearwater next weekend, Feb. 13-15, as it takes part in the Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational. The Lady Vols will battle Nebraska, James Madison, Florida Atlantic, UCLA and Florida State during its upcoming stint in the Sunshine State.
Players Mentioned
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