Tennessee
Finley Bates commits to Tennessee baseball as San Diego State transfer infielder
Finley Bates has committed to Tennessee baseball as a San Diego State transfer infielder.
Bates is a career .296 hitter in two seasons. He has an almost even strikeout-to-walk ratio in his career with 65 strikeouts and 62 walks. He walked 40 times while striking out 30 times in 2025, while hitting .300. He announced his commitment on social media on July 10.
The 5-foot-10 infielder was named the Mountain West Freshman of the Year in 2024. He played 55 games at second base and 60 at shortstop in his college career. He is from Castle Rock, Colorado.
Bates is the fifth hitter in Tennessee’s transfer class, including the two two-way players among its 12 members.
UT also landed first baseman/outfielder Henry Ford from Virginia and catcher/outfielder Garrett Wright from Bowling Green. It landed former Bowling Green two-way player DJ Newman and ex-Rice two-way player Blaine Brown.
Ford hit .348 with 28 homers and 115 RBIs in two seasons at Virginia.
The right-handed Ford was a second-team All-ACC selection as a sophomore after hitting .362 with 11 home runs and 46 RBIs in 51 games.
Wright is coming off his second straight All-MAC season. He hit .406 with eight homers and 48 RBIs. He also had 20 doubles and four triples to post 32 extra-base hits with a .663 slugging percentage. Wright is a career .396 hitter with 14 homers and 76 RBIs in two seasons at Bowling Green. .
Newman hit .388 with 15 home runs and 64 RBIs in 101 games in three seasons at Bowling Green.
Brown was a unanimous freshman All-American and an All-AAC pick as a designated hitter after hitting .292 with 10 homers and 38 RBIs. He hit 12 doubles among his 61 hits and walked 21 times. The left-handed hitter played some outfield.
Tennessee also has seven pitchers committed.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
Tennessee
Nonprofit rescues 11 ‘emaciated and suffering’ animals from Tennessee property ahead of dangerous cold snap
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – The Animal Rescue Corps (ARC) is asking for donations after rescuing 11 animals Friday.
ARC said it was contacted by law enforcement in an unidentified rural Tennessee area to rescue five dogs and six cats in what the nonprofit is calling “Operation Cold Snap.”
In the rescue, the nonprofit took in two emaciated Great Danes, three Pit Bulls and six cats. ARC said some of the animals are emaciated and suffering from untreated bite wounds and infections.
The nonprofit said the animals were kept without heat or regular care.
ARC shared a video of the rescue. In it, you can see the property s in disarray with trash littering the floor and overturned furniture.
This rescue comes just days before Middle Tennessee is expected to see its coldest temperatures of the season.
Now, ARC is asking for donations to help the 11 animals rescued Operation Cold Snap. Those interested in donating can do so on the nonprofit’s website.
Copyright 2025 WSMV. All rights reserved.
Alex Golesh was introduced as Auburn’s head coach on Dec. 1. He served as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator and tight ends coach from 2021-22.
Golesh announced the hiring of Jacob Bronowski as Auburn’s special teams coordinator. He served as the Vols’ special teams analyst in 2021 under head coach Josh Heupel. Bronowski was also under Heupel at UCF in 2020 as special teams quality control.
“His track record is outstanding,” Golesh said of Bronowski. “He developed multiple national award contenders, including a Lou Groza Award winner, and has led some of the top special teams units in the country.
“I saw up close when we worked together before that coach Bronowski understands that special teams can be a championship difference-maker, and he’s proven he can develop elite specialists. He brings exactly the attention to detail and relentless work ethic we need in our program.”
Auburn will play at Tennessee on Oct. 3, 2026.
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Tennessee football will host Lane Kiffin, Alex Golesh and possibly Arch Manning at Neyland Stadium in the 2026 season.
UT’s opponents for the next four seasons were previously announced. On Dec. 11, the SEC released the dates of every conference game, providing the full picture of the 2026 schedule.
Game times and television designations will be announced later.
Texas will make its first trip ever to Tennessee on Sept. 26. Manning, the Longhorns quarterback, is expected to return for the 2026 season rather than enter the NFL draft. If so, he’ll face the Vols on the home turf of his uncle, legendary quarterback Peyton Manning.
Golesh, the former UT offensive coordinator, is Auburn’s new coach. He will return to Knoxville for an Oct. 3 game.
Alabama will play at Tennessee on Oct. 17, continuing their Third Saturday in October rivalry game.
Kiffin, the polarizing former UT coach, is now coaching LSU after bolting Ole Miss after the regular season ended. He will return to Knoxville for a Nov. 21 game. Three of the five SEC teams visiting Neyland Stadium will have a first-year coach, including Kentucky’s Will Stein on Nov. 7.
Tennessee will play Alabama, Kentucky and Vanderbilt as annual SEC opponents in the league’s new nine-game conference schedule. Its other six opponents will rotate each season. That means each school will play every SEC opponent home and away every four years.
Tennessee will have one open week on Oct. 31 and thus won’t play on Halloween.
Here is Tennessee’s week-to-week schedule for the 2026 season.
Tennessee football 2026 schedule
- Sept. 5: Furman
- Sept. 12: At Georgia Tech
- Sept. 19: Kennesaw State
- Sept. 26: Texas*
- Oct. 3: Auburn*
- Oct. 10: At Arkansas*
- Oct. 17: Alabama*
- Oct. 24: At South Carolina*
- Oct. 31: Open
- Nov. 7: Kentucky*
- Nov. 14: At Texas A&M*
- Nov. 21: LSU*
- Nov. 28: At Vanderbilt*
*SEC game
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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