Tennessee
Tony Vitello Provides Tennessee Fall Ball Injury Updates Ahead Of Weekend Exhibitions | Rocky Top Insider
Tennessee baseball heads west on Interstate-40 to play a pair of fall exhibitions this weekend. The Vols face Western Kentucky in Nashville on Friday night before facing Troy in Jackson on Sunday afternoon.
The exhibitions will provide a chance for Tennessee to get some work against an opponent other than themselves while also providing fans to get a look at Vitello’s eighth Tennessee squad with an abundance of new faces.
A few of the noticeable returning faces from Tennessee’s 2024 National Championship team won’t be available for the Vols this weekend against the Hilltoppers or Trojans according to Tony Vitello. Both utility man Dalton Bargo and infielder Ariel Antigua will be out after suffering injuries.
Bargo has been out the last week with a hand injury and Vitello noted that “he’s a little banged up right now” and that he doesn’t expect him to play this weekend.
The former Missouri transfer played in 50 games and started 27 a season ago for Tennessee, hitting .280 with eight home runs, four doubles and 27 RBIs. Bargo can play a number of different positions but will be thick in the competition to start at both first base and left field.
More From RTI: Everything Tony Vitello Said As Tennessee Baseball Works Through Fall Practice
Sophomore infielder Ariel Antigua has also been out as of late with a finger injury. He’s played in the field a little bit the last week but hasn’t been hitting or throwing overhanded.
“It’s frustrating because he really loves to play and therefore plays at a hundred miles an hour all the time and you’d much rather have that as a coach and you gotta rear it in, but it definitely still needs to be reared in,” Vitello said. “So that’s my preface to a story where he slides into first base, a crazy play, defensively, not sliding in as a base runner and jammed his finger.”
A similar injury sidelined Antigua to begin last season and hampered his offensive development as a freshman where he hit .217 with two doubles and four RBIs. Antigua earned a role as a late inning defensive replacement at shortstop last season. But while he’s worked there some this fall, he’s spending more time at second base and has worked at third base.
Another player worth monitoring their availability this weekend is Louisville infield transfer Gavin Kilen. The star transfer has missed some time in recent weeks and since returning this week has only served as designated hitter and hasn’t played in the field.
The Vols will play 14 innings against Western Kentucky on Friday. The number of innings are not yet set for the exhibition against Troy on Sunday. First pitch on Friday is at 7 p.m. ET at First Horizon Park while first pitch on Sunday is at 1 p.m. ET at Jackson Baseball Stadium.
PRESS RELEASE FROM THE OFFICE OF TENNESSEE GOVERNOR BILL LEE:
Gov. Lee Signs Executive Order to Lead the Nation in Workforce Development
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Governor Bill Lee signed Executive Order 109, ensuring Tennessee continues to lead the nation in workforce development by demonstrating an innovative strategy to meet the needs of the state’s dynamic and growing labor market. The Order strengthens the State Workforce Development Board’s work by requiring a unified, results-driven approach that aligns education and training with the evolving needs of employers and high-growth industries.
“The state with the workers will win the future, and that’s why workforce development has been one of my top priorities since day one,” said Gov. Lee. “As companies continue to invest in Tennessee and create high-quality jobs, continued coordination across state government and public-private partnerships will be necessary to unlock our full economic potential and create greater opportunity for all Tennesseans to thrive.”
The Governor signed the Order alongside students enrolled in the Tennessee Youth Employment Program (TYEP) in Knoxville, which engages youth across rural and urban communities, providing hands-on training to achieve full-time employment and meet the needs of Tennessee businesses. In partnership with the General Assembly, the FY25-26 budget invested an additional $7 million into the program to double its participation and establish year-round operations.
The Order elevates the State Workforce Development Board as the central strategic leadership body guiding Tennessee’s broader workforce agenda by leveraging technology and employer partners to personalize career pathways, drive continuous innovation, and maximize public return on investment. By ensuring the state’s programs are effective, every Tennessean will have the opportunity to succeed, no matter what path they choose beyond high school graduation.
During the 2025 legislative session, the Lee Administration made significant investments in workforce development, including:
- $7 million to expand the Tennessee Youth Employment Program to operate year-round, double its participation, and reach even more underserved communities
- $25 million for FastTrack grants to recruit new business to Tennessee and support workforce development
- $6.3 million to create a statewide Micro-Credentialing Program to develop short-term, targeted certifications that equip Tennesseans with high-demand skills identified by industry and state partners
- $25 million to expand the RevV program to connect private companies with Tennessee’s research institutions to drive research and development and job creation
- $5 million to create TNWORKS, a partnership between Tennessee Economic and Community Development and the Department of Labor and Workforce to create customized workforce training programs tailored to the specific needs of incoming and existing businesses
- $5 million for the Tennessee Entertainment Commission to fund incentive grants to strengthen Tennessee’s music and film industry
- $10 million for the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Matching Funds to match federal funds assisting Tennessee startups in securing competitive research and development grants
- $10 million further investment in Governor’s Investment in Vocational Education (GIVE) to support nuclear workforce education, as recommended by the Nuclear Energy Advisory Council
- $4 million to expand the State Workforce Development Board’s role in planning workforce strategies, identifying high-demand industries, and awarding grants to grow Tennessee’s skilled workforce
- $2 million investment in Tennessee Board of Regents’ Center for Workforce Development to expand workforce training for businesses and industries, including specialized onboarding and apprenticeship programs, in partnership with TN Accelerates
To date, the Lee Administration’s most notable workforce initiatives and accomplishments include:
- Delivered more than $400 million in tax cuts for Tennessee families and businesses through the Tennessee Works Act, one of the largest tax relief measures in state history
- Eliminated the nearly 12,000-person waiting list for Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs) and invested $1 billion to complete the TCAT Master Plan to improve existing TCATs, replace outdated facilities and build new TCATs at strategic locations across Tennessee
- The Tennessee Youth Employment Program surpassed expectations by placing 4,800+ youths in paid positions, each earning up to $4,000 while gaining career‑aligned experience
- Established Governor’s Investment in Vocational Education (GIVE) Act to expand access to vocational and technical training for students
- Through the Governor’s Investment in Vocational Education (GIVE), the Lee Administration has served 15,500 rural students and helped spark 41,500 new jobs as well as almost $19 billion in capital investment across rural Tennessee
- Created the Future Workforce Initiative to prepare students for jobs of the future in science, technology, engineering and math
- First state in the U.S. to establish a Teacher Occupation Apprenticeship, a “Grow Your Own” program for aspiring teachers
- Created the innovative “New Pathways” program to help adults earn a high school diploma equivalency faster and made Tennessee the first state to offer five high‑school‑equivalency test options, already enabling over 1,000 adults to earn diplomas and reenter the workforce within its first year.
- Strengthened the state’s Apprenticeship Agency, now administering 433 active programs and nearly 10,000 apprentices
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WASHINGTON — Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., said Monday that he will resign from Congress after it passes a massive policy bill to advance President Donald Trump’s domestic agenda.
“It is with a heavy heart that I announce my retirement from Congress. Recently, I was offered an opportunity in the private sector that was too exciting to pass up,” Green said in a statement, adding that he notified Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., that he would vacate his seat after the House’s next vote on the legislative package that’s currently in the Senate.
Once Green’s resignation takes effect, the House will have 219 Republicans and 212 Democrats.
The House has experienced significant turnover in recent months with retirements and deaths. Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., died in May, and Democratic Reps. Raul Grijalva of Arizona and Sylvester Turner of Texas died in March, while Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., resigned from his House seat at the beginning of the year to join the Trump administration.
Green, the chair of the Homeland Security Committee, represents a safe Republican district in Tennessee that covers middle and Western parts of the state, including parts of Nashville.
Green, a former Army medic first elected in 2018, had announced his intentions to retire during Congress’ previous session, but he reversed course weeks later. He won re-election in November with 59.5% of the vote.
According to Tennessee law, Republican Gov. Bill Lee must order a special election within 10 days of Green’s resignation, set a date for primary elections to occur within 55 to 60 days from the resignation and schedule a subsequent general election to take place within 100 to 107 days.
As chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, Green oversaw impeachment proceedings against Alejandro Mayorkas, who was former President Joe Biden’s secretary of homeland security. The impeachment vote fell short on the House floor.
In this image taken from June 8, 2025, video by the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office in Rutherford County, Tennessee, shows the airlifting of a zebra named Ed that had evaded capture for several days after it ran away from its owner.
Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office/AP
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Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office/AP
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — A runaway pet zebra that was on the loose for more than a week in Tennessee and became an internet sensation in the process was captured Sunday, authorities said.
Ed the Zebra was captured safely after being located in a pasture near a subdivision in the Christiana community in central Tennessee, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office confirmed. The sheriff’s office said aviation crews captured the zebra.
“Ed was airlifted and flown by helicopter back to a waiting animal trailer,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Video posted by the sheriff’s office shows Ed wrapped in a net with his head sticking out as he is carried by the helicopter to the trailer.
Ed arrived in Christiana on May 30, the sheriff’s office said. His owner reported him missing the next day.
The zebra was spotted and filmed running along Interstate 24, forcing deputies to shut the roadway. But Ed escaped into a wooded area.
There were several sightings posted to social media. Ed was filmed trotting through a neighborhood.
The zebra quickly became the subject of internet memes. One fake posting showed Ed dining at a Waffle House, a southern staple. Others had him visiting other Tennessee cities or panhandling on the side of the road.
The pursuit of Ed came a month after a runway kangaroo shut down a section of Alabama interstate.
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