Tennessee

Tennessee baseball powers past Rice to notch 10-0 start to 2025 season

Published

1 year ago

March 1, 2025

Press Room

Tennessee baseball powers past Rice to notch 10-0 start to 2025 season

Tennessee baseball continued its excellent showing in the Astros Foundation Classic in Houston.

The Vols powered past Rice 13-3
to mark its second win in the event in as many days.

This came after Tennessee (10-0) downed Oklahoma State on Friday in the event. This time, it was the Owls (2-7) who were on the tracks for the Vols’ dominant start on the mound and at the plate resulting in 10 uncontested wins to open the year.

TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM

Getting the ball to start was Marcus Phillips. He allowed a run in the first inning off a wild pitch with the bases loaded, but settled in nicely afterward. Phillips went 4.2 innings while giving up five hits and a run while striking out eight.

After Phillips, Brayden Sharp entered. He went 1.1 innings issuing one walk, no hits and striking out two.

Nic Abraham, Michael Sharman, Austin Breedlove, Tanner Wiggins and Brayden Krenzel followed to round out the game.

At the plate, it was another healthy dose of power. Levi Clark ripped his fifth home run of his young freshman season despite still battling for consistent plate appearances given the depth of the roster.

Gavin Kilen also continued his hot streak. After roping two home runs in Friday’s win over the Cowboys, Kilen found the outfield seats again with a solo shot.

That wasn’t it for him, either. He hit his fourth home run in two days with another home run in the seventh. He also smacked a two-RBI triple. He also decided a double to finish 4-for-5 with four RBI, five runs and a walk.

WHAT HAPPENED

Tennessee got its offense rolling early, but without necessarily using its bats. The Vols put up three runs in the first inning without a single hit.

Instead, Tennessee used a double steal and error, throwing error and sacrifice fly to go along with four walks to put the trio of runs on the board.

In the bottom of the frame, Phillips got the ball. He allowed a run to score by tossing a wild pitch with one out and the bases loaded. He stopped the bleeding there, though.

The Vols would have his back in the top of the second. The bats finally woke up with two outs in the inning. After Kilen doubled, Hunter Ensley singled to push him home. Then, with two on, Clark hit a home run to make it a 7-1 game.

Tennessee and Rice would trade 1-2-3 innings before the bats sparked back up in the top of the fourth. It was Kilen who went yard for a solo shot to make it a seven-run game.

Phillips was pulled for Sharp who got out of the fifth. Kilen would add to the lead in the sixth with another home run.

In the seventh, Rice found some success and put up two runs on the Vols’ bullpen. Tennessee fired back with a Kilen triple to score two.

Ensley singled for another RBI, as well. To make it a nine-run game in the middle of the eighth.

In the ninth, Tennessee got another boost to make it a 10-run advantage. Stone Lawless doubled off the wall to push across one more.

UP NEXT

Tennessee has one final game remaining in its trip to Houston. Sunday morning, at 11:05 a.m. ET, the Vols will face Arizona.

You can watch the game on Astros.com.

Tennessee returns to Knoxville on Tuesday to face Radford. The Vols will turn around to play Xavier the following day. That’s before St. Bonaventure comes to town for a weekend slate of games.

Next week is the last full week of out-of-conference games. Tennessee opens its SEC slate at home against Florida from March 14-16.

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Tennessee

Memphis voters file federal lawsuit against new congressional map, claiming discrimination: ‘White control over Tennessee politics’

Published

3 hours ago

May 12, 2026

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Memphis voters file federal lawsuit against new congressional map, claiming discrimination: ‘White control over Tennessee politics’

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WSMV) – Three Memphis voters, through the American Civil Liberties Union, have filed a federal lawsuit against Tennessee leaders, claiming the state’s new congressional maps are discriminating against Black voters.

The ACLU announced the lawsuit on Monday, saying that three organizations — the Black Clergy Collaborative of Memphis, the Memphis A. Philip Randolph Institute and the Equity Alliance, are also part of the lawsuit that was filed against Sec. of State Tre Hargett, Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins and several others.

“In May 2026, over the course of mere days, a White-dominated supermajority of the Tennessee General Assembly redrew Tennessee’s congressional map to crack the predominantly Black city of Memphis into three pieces and destroy the only district in which Black voters are able to elect representatives of their choice, shutting Black voters completely out of power in federal elections in Tennessee,” the filing states.

The ACLU and the other plaintiffs echo arguments made by Democrats while the maps were being debated during last week’s special session: “The cracking of Memphis unlawfully targeted Black voters.”

“The new plan carves through the center of Tennessee’s second largest city, dividing neighborhoods that have voted together for decades, splitting numerous counties and precincts, and cutting the Black population into thirds with suspect precision,” the lawsuit says. “The districts then run hundreds of miles east towards the Nashville suburbs, snaking through predominantly White and rural counties to dilute the voting power of now-divided Black Memphians.”

Gov. Bill Lee signed the new congressional map into law last week. The new map splits Shelby County, home of Memphis, into three districts.

Republicans have said the map modernizes the districting process and removes “racial data from the mapmaking process entirely.” Democrats, on the other hand, say that the move is meant to dismantle the Black-majority district.

Tennessee Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton (R) told WSMV that Republicans “have been very clear” on their intention to secure a ninth Republican seat in the state. He has said the map would help “ensure the state’s representation in Washington reflects its conservative values.”

The lawsuit draws significant attention to the racial makeup of Tennessee lawmakers, describing, “White control over Tennessee politics.” Plaintiffs allege that a white majority “faction” of state leaders “gave bizarre, robotic answers to the most basic questions about the map they were sponsoring.”

“None of the sponsors of the plan would admit who actually drew it, and the lead Senate sponsor—a White legislator with over a decade of service in the Tennessee General Assembly who had attended law school in Memphis — would not say whether Memphis was predominantly Black and claimed not to know that Congressional District 9 was a majority- Black district,” the filing says.

They seem to be referencing Sen. John Stevens (R-Huntingdon), who was asked during the special session if he was aware that the majority of the residents in the ninth district are Black.

“I’m not aware,” he responded. “I know how the map is divided, but I don’t know the racial makeup of the map.”

Stevens got his juris doctorate from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law.

The three Memphis residents who took part in the lawsuit are Amber Sherman, a lifelong resident of Memphis and the lead Tennessee regional organizer for Black Voters Matter Fund, Rachael Spriggs, a Memphis resident for more than 20 years who is the director of Power Building for the Equity Alliance, and Kermit Moore, a nearly lifelong resident of Memphis who is the president of the Memphis A. Philip Randolph Institute.

The lawsuit claims intentional discrimination in violation of the 14th and 15th Amendments, as well as retaliation for protected expression and association in violation of the First Amendment.

Plaintiffs are asking the court to declare that the newly drawn map is unconstitutional and restore district lines before primary elections proceed.

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Tennessee

New Tennessee law allows K9 officers to be transported by helicopter, ambulance to vet

Published

15 hours ago

May 11, 2026

Press Room

New Tennessee law allows K9 officers to be transported by helicopter, ambulance to vet

Tennessee State Senators Michele Reneau of Signal Mountain and Bo Watson of Hixson spoke today about the new law supporting police K-9’s.

The act allows injured dogs to get stabilization services on-site and then be transported via ambulance or helicopter to a vet hospital.

“In the past, officers were basically putting the k9 in their car and transporting them in their in their own vehicle, they didn’t have an ambulance or an air ambulance,” said Senator Watson. “This allows for an air ambulance. It also allows for a educational program for those in EMS, who will be taught how to manage canines emergency medical condition, which is different than a human’s.”

In April, Erlanger flew a K9 officer from Clay County, to North Carolina.

It was the first time the program was used for a live transport after several training runs.

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Tennessee

What You Need to Know About Tennessee Softball’s Path to Another WCWS | Rocky Top Insider

Published

1 day ago

May 11, 2026

Press Room

What You Need to Know About Tennessee Softball’s Path to Another WCWS | Rocky Top Insider

Tennessee softball’s path back to the Women’s College World Series is set. On Sunday night, the Lady Vols were named the No. 7 overall seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament and will host the regional stage in Knoxville as it looks to return to the WCWS in back-to-back seasons.

The Lady Vols are matched up with Virginia, Indiana and Northern Kentucky in the regionals. It would play Georgia, Clemson, UNC Greensboro or Charleston in the super regionals.

Ahead of the tournament, here’s a look at each team in the Knoxville Regional and potential matchups for the ensuing best-of-three super regional if Tennessee advances.