Tennessee

Tennessee softball bowing out of SEC tournament early no surprise. Will NCAA regional be any different?

Published

1 year ago

May 9, 2025

Tennessee softball bowing out of SEC tournament early no surprise. Will NCAA regional be any different?

It wasn’t a surprise that Tennessee softball’s offense couldn’t overcome errors that led to unearned runs in its SEC tournament quarterfinal loss.

It felt inevitable that the Lady Vols’ inconsistent offense would catch up to them in the postseason, and it didn’t take long. No. 4 seed Tennessee didn’t have any offensive buffer for two critical errors and six unearned runs in the 6-1 loss to No. 5 seed Arkansas (40-11) at Jack Turner Softball Stadium in Athens, Georgia, on May 8.

It was the fifth loss of the season when junior pitcher Karlyn Pickens (20-8) started and didn’t give up any earned runs. Her ERA went down to 0.92 in the loss.

“Facts are facts. There’s zero earned runs on there,” Tennessee coach Karen Weekly said. “I know (Pickens) is going to probably look at it a little differently, but … we talk about mistakes – we make a couple plays a little cleaner, we’re in a real battle. Who knows, maybe we’re in one of those extra inning ball games.”

Pickens’ performance should have been enough for Tennessee to win. But the Lady Vols’ defense faltered twice and committed errors in crucial moments – ones they couldn’t afford to make with their slow offensive day.

The signs of a postseason loss like this have been there from the season opener on Feb. 6 when Tennessee lost 7-1 to Nebraska. It was the first of five losses this season when Pickens started and didn’t give up a single earned run. The Huskers broke open the game in the fifth inning when multiple fielding errors led to five runs.

The Lady Vols went on to lose 1-0 to Oregon on an unearned run when Pickens struck out 13. Weekly even got strategic with her pitching staff in the Texas series in April so Tennessee wouldn’t lose another pitcher’s duel and waste another excellent performance from Pickens.

The Lady Vols didn’t look like a team playing its best softball in the postseason against Arkansas. But they haven’t looked like a team building toward that for the last few weeks, losing four of their last seven games of the regular season.

A few weeks ago, Tennessee was on track to secure a top-8 seed in the NCAA tournament, which would have given it hosting privileges until Oklahoma City if UT made a run the Women’s College World Series. Now, the Lady Vols are floundering going into the selection show on Sunday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2).

Tennessee should safely host a regional as a top-16 seed, but its place in the top 8 seeds is in question after losing their first game of the SEC tournament.

Weekly pointed to their road series wins over Texas and Oklahoma along with no losses to unranked teams as part of their case for a top-8 seed. Tennessee has also played 28 of its games against ranked opponents. The Lady Vols played every reigning power conference champion from last season (UCLA, Northwestern, Duke and Texas).

“I think we’re either second or third or tied for second in terms of the number of games against top 25,” Weekly said. “I think sometimes people look at wins, but if another team is playing a bunch of teams that are in 26 through 50, and we played a bulk in the top 25, that’s putting yourself out there over and over and over again.”

Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on X @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.

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Tennessee

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

Published

2 hours ago

May 12, 2026

Press Room

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

14 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.