Tennessee

Vols pull off comeback effort to walk it off over Florida State

Published

2 years ago

June 15, 2024

Vols pull off comeback effort to walk it off over Florida State

OMAHA, Neb. (WATE) – Florida State was just three outs away from a day one win in the College World Series when a four-run comeback effort in the bottom of the ninth flipped the script in the Vols favor. With Tennessee’s 12-11 walk-off win, the Vols will now face North Carolina on Sunday.

Florida State got two runners on early in the first with no outs. Max Williams started things off with a single and then Cam Smith drew a four-pitch walk. After James Tibbs advanced to third on a fielder’s choice, Tony Vitello decided Chris Stamos’ day was done.

AJ Causey took over on the mound with runners on the corners and one out. Causey struck out the next batter he faced but Williams scored from third on a wild pitch to give the Seminoles the early 1-0 lead. Daniel Cantu then drew another walk as FSU loaded the bases. Causey got Alex Lodise swinging to leave all three runners stranded.

Christian Moore started things off in the bottom of the inning with a bang, hitting a ball back to the center field wall that was good enough for a triple. Blake Burke then brought Moore home on a single to left to tie the game at one. Billy Amick drew a walk to put two runners on with no outs.

The Vols then took their first lead of the game on a Dylan Dreiling RBI single. Blake Burke slid home from second for the 2-1 advantage with still no outs in the inning. However, the Seminoles got a quick three outs as Hunter Ensley grounded out into a double play and Kavares Tears grounded out to third to end the inning.

FSU threatened in the second with runners on the corners and one out, but Cam Smith grounded out into an inning-ending double play to leave the Vols with the lead.

Tennessee added to its lead in the bottom of the frame. After Dean Curley and Dalton Bargo both struck out for the first two outs, Cal Stark reached first on a walk. Moore followed up with a double and Stark was sent to home from first. FSU catcher Jaxson West had Stark beat, but West dropped the ball and Stark scored to make it 3-1. Moore then scored on a throwing error to extend Tennessee’s lead to 4-1.

The Seminoles answered right back in the third. After back-to-back singles, a Jaime Ferrer 2-RBI double pulled FSU within a run. Things then went from bad to worse as Florida State quickly loaded the bases with no outs, sparking a pitching change for the Vols. Causey’s day was done after just 1.2 innings of work, his second shortest outing of the season.

Kirby Connell took over on the mound and struck out the first batter he faced, but then walked West as FSU tied the game at four. Things went downhill quickly as the Seminoles put up a six-spot in the inning to take a 7-4 lead into the bottom of the inning.

FSU extended its lead to 9-4 in the fourth on a two-run homer from Jaime Ferrer.

The Vols had a prime opportunity to cut the deficit in the fourth, loading the bases with two outs. However, a Billy Amick fly out to center left all three runners stranded and the Vols trailing by five.

Tennessee pulled back within three runs thanks to a two-run shot into the right field stands from Kavares Tears. It marked the junior’s first ever hit in the College World Series after two trips to Omaha.

Christian Moore then brought the Vols within two, thanks to a solo shot in the sixth. After a single, double and triple, that home run made it official. Moore is the just the second player in the history of the College World Series to hit for the cycle. Jerry Kendell accomplished the feat all the way back in 1956. To make matters more impressive, he did in just four at-bats.

The Seminoles then took back their four-run lead in the seventh. Andrew Behnke walked two batters before Marco Dinges hit a two-RBI double to take a 11-7 advantage with two outs. Nate Snead replaced Behnke on the mound and forced a groundout to end the inning.

Tennessee added a run in the eighth on Dylan Dreiling’s third hit of the night. After back-to-back singles from Burke and Amick, Dreiling got one to drop in left to bring home Burke. However, Hunter Ensley grounded out to leave two runners stranded and the Vols trailing by three.

Kavares Tears started off a ninth inning rally with a triple. Dean Curley brought him home on a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to two runs with two outs.

Florida State put together two outs with the Vols still down two runs. Even though Moore already hit for the cycle, his night wasn’t done. A double from the junior put Cannon Peebles in scoring position, and Moore on base. Burke followed Moore in the order, drilling one straight up center field, scoring both Peebles and Moore to tie the game up at 11. A hit from Amick but Burke on second and a single from Dreiling brought the junior in for the walk-off win, 12-11.

The Vols roll on to face North Carolina at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday.

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Tennessee

Trump touted gas prices under $2.30. Tennessee gas prices say otherwise

Published

8 minutes ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Trump touted gas prices under .30. Tennessee gas prices say otherwise

Gas prices are much higher than Trump claimed in Tennessee.

President Donald Trump bragged about low gas prices for drivers during State of the Union address.
Only 8 out of 150,000 gas stations are selling gas below $2 a gallon. TN gas prices are much higher.

President Donald Trump bragged about low gas prices during his State of the Union address Feb. 24, but prices are considerably higher than he claimed — even in Tennessee, where gas usually costs less than the national average.

AAA.com’s national average gas price stands at $2.98, almost an entire dollar-per-gallon higher than Trump’s claims of gas costing “$1.99 in some states” based on CNN fact checking. Here’s how Tennessee’s actual gas prices compare to Trump’s claims.

How much does gas cost in Tennessee compared to Trump’s claims?

Tennessee’s current gas price is $2.56 a gallon, according to AAA. That is about 57 cents higher than the prices Trump said gas cost in some states during his State of the Union address. It is also 26 cents higher than the $2.30-per-gallon price Trump claimed was common in most states, according to CNN.

Tennessee is one of the few states selling gas for under $2.60 a gallon. In fact, the Volunteer State has some of the lowest gas prices in the nation as of late February. TN average gas prices are down 24 cents a gallon year-over-year from $2.80 a gallon.

State gas prices have been on the decline in recent weeks. In contrast, some American drivers are paying over $4 a gallon for gas in 2026.

States with the highest gas prices in 2026

State	Gas Price according to AAA
California	$4.63
Hawaii	$4.40
Washington	$4.35
Oregon	$3.92
Nevada	$3.71

States like Oklahoma ($2.43), Kansas ($2.54) and Mississippi ($2.52) boast low gas prices, but the national average remains high.

While Trump touts gas prices under $2, national average is closer to $3

Petroleum analyst Patrick De Haan, released a statement titled, “The Real State of Fuel Prices,” before — and after — Trump’s address, which pointed out that the average price nationally for gas is closer to $3 a gallon.

In his State of the Union speech, Trump said gas “reached a peak of over $6 a gallon in some states under my predecessor,” calling it “a disaster,” and added “it is now below $2.30 a gallon in most states. And in some places, $1.99 a gallon.”

A few weeks ago in Iowa, he claimed he even “saw $1.85 a gallon for gasoline.”

Gas prices, De Hann said, are lower on average than they were a year ago, but sub-$2 gas is “extremely rare.” Moreover, he pointed out that a president — whether to blame or credit — has limited control over the price of gasoline.

What a petroleum analyst says about Trump’s gas price claims

Gas prices did reach $1.85 a gallon in early January in Iowa De Haan said, but prices there “have since risen” and “at this moment, only 8 out of roughly 150,000 gas stations nationwide are selling gasoline below $2 a gallon.”

Of those, four stations are in Texas, one is in Oklahoma and three are in Kansas.

De Haan also said that the lowest statewide average is $2.33 a gallon in Oklahoma, and that for about a month, prices at certain stations in Colorado “fell well below $2 per gallon, with some dropping into the $1.60s.”

But they were “highly localized competitive events.”

Mostly, De Haan pointed out, gas prices are determined by the global oil market, and partly by weather. Lower oil prices now, in contrast to when Biden was in office, means lower gas prices.

In addition, a surge of oil production by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, a cartel of oil-producing countries, has put downward pressure on prices. The freezing weather this winter has, too.

Frank Witsil of The Detroit Free Press contributed to this story.

Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com

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Tennessee

LSU women ride hot third quarter into win over Tennessee in last regular-season home game

Published

12 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

LSU women ride hot third quarter into win over Tennessee in last regular-season home game

Tennessee shifted over toward Mikaylah Williams. So the LSU women’s basketball team’s star junior peered across the lane and roped a pass over the defense and down to Flau’jae Johnson, who buried a 3-pointer from the corner.

That bucket was an important one. It didn’t just give the No. 6 Tigers (25-4, 11-4 SEC) a 12-point lead late in the third quarter. It also marked the point at which they took control of their 89-73 win over the Lady Vols on Thursday — a victory orchestrated by their three-star guards.

Williams tallied 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals. MiLaysia Fulwiley scored 18 points, grabbed six boards, blocked four shots and assisted three others. Johnson, on her senior night, shot only 3 of 10 from the field and 3 of 9 at the free-throw line but still finished with 10 points, becoming one of four LSU contributors to score in double figures.

The Tigers have now clinched a double bye in the SEC Tournament for the fifth year in a row.

“Today it was,” coach Kim Mulkey said, “don’t settle for anything outside the paint until they take charges or they stop you. You just go right to the paint, and you score, and I thought we did that.”

Tennessee runs a unique system. Second-year coach Kim Caldwell makes hockey-style line changes, engages a full-court press for the whole game and encourages the Lady Vols (16-11, 8-7) to let their 3-pointers fly. They’re certainly dangerous. But they did enter Thursday’s matchup with losses in seven of their past nine games.

LSU was in much better shape. It just needed to collect Tennessee’s misses and minimize its turnovers to get the win, which it did, for the most part, in the second half. The Tigers may have allowed the Lady Vols to shoot 11 of 29 from beyond the arc, but they also gave up only seven offensive rebounds and coughed up just four possessions across the third and fourth quarters.

Freshman forward ZaKiyah Johnson added 14 points on 7-of-12 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds, while Grace Knox — another freshman forward — chipped in 13 points and nine boards. Sophomore point guard Jada Richard added nine points.

Tennessee had three players in double figures. Its leading scorer was Jaida Civil, a freshman guard who finished with 17 points.

“We were moving the ball as a team,” Caldwell said. “ I think we were doing a really good job on the offensive glass. They obviously made the adjustment. That was harder for us coming out (of halftime), and they really picked up their effort at the rim, and we gave up a lot of second-chance points.”

The two teams traded hot shooting stretches in the first half. Tennessee struck first, using a trio of 3-pointers to string together a 9-0 run halfway through the first quarter. LSU then responded in the second by collecting misses and using them to build a 14-0 blitz, but it just couldn’t shake the turnover issues that the Lady Vols both forced and turned into points.

The Tigers led just 43-42 at halftime, but they began the fourth quarter with a much more commanding 70-59 advantage, in large part because they turned the ball over only once in the third. Williams — who became the 17th player in LSU history to eclipse 1,500 career points on Thursday — either scored or assisted seven of the 12 field goals LSU converted in that frame.

“I thought Mikaylah Williams really, really had a good game,” Mulkey said.

According to ESPN, Mulkey is now the first coach in SEC history to lead a team to at least 25 wins in each of the first five seasons of their tenure. Mulkey has eclipsed that number of victories in 23 of the 26 seasons of her head coaching career.

LSU also honored seniors Izzy Besselman and Amiya Joyner on Thursday. Besselman is a former walk-on guard who’s missed the last two seasons while battling a heart condition. She checked in to the game to a loud ovation in the waning seconds of the fourth quarter, making her first appearance in a game since March 24, 2024.

Joyner is a 6-foot-2 forward who joined the Tigers ahead of this season as a transfer from East Carolina. She’s started each of the past four games, and on Thursday, she played eight minutes.

The Tigers will now finish in the top four of the SEC’s regular-season standings for the fifth consecutive year. They won’t start their conference tournament run until the quarterfinal round tips off next Friday in Greenville, South Carolina.

Before then, though, LSU will play one more regular-season game: a road matchup with Mississippi State that will tip off at 3 p.m. Sunday.

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Tennessee Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, a longtime Oak Ridge lawmaker, is retiring

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Tennessee Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, a longtime Oak Ridge lawmaker, is retiring

Randy McNally, the longtime Republican lawmaker from Oak Ridge and leader of the Tennessee Senate since 2017, is retiring, he announced on the Senate floor. He will not seek reelection in 2026.

His retirement marks the end of a 47-year tenure in the state legislature, where he made waves for East Tennessee and rose to the second-highest ranking role in the state as lieutenant governor.

“This is a very difficult thing to do,” McNally told his colleagues Feb. 26. “I’ve decided not to run for reelection in November. My aim each day was to leave my state and my community a little better than I found them. Together, I believe we have done just that. Tennessee’s success is due in no small part to the people I have served alongside every day.”

McNally cited health concerns as the reason for his retirement, adding he wants to make the most of the coming years.

The Anderson County resident was the highest-ranking East Tennessean in the state government, elected by his colleagues to lead the State Senate and manage policy and budget priorities.

McNally, 82, represents the 5th Senate District, which includes all of Anderson and Loudon counties, as well as a sliver of Knox County stretching from downtown up to Sharp’s Ridge north to Powell and in the county’s west side through Karns and Hardin Valley.

“My public service has been a team effort every step of the way,” McNally said on social media. “I offer my deepest thanks to the constituents I have served and to the members and staff with whom I have collaborated.”

That means the Aug. 6 primary election for his seat is wide open. The general election is Nov. 3.

McNally had taken initial steps to run for reelection by pulling a nominating petition. He is the only Republican in the district to have done so.

There’s no clear successor for lieutenant governor. Top contenders include Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, and Commerce Committee Chairman Paul Bailey, R-Sparta. The Senate Republican Caucus will hold elections to select a successor.

Well-wishes for McNally have begun to flow.

“(McNally) has been a trusted friend and a steady conservative leader for Tennessee,” U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty said on social media. “From his time in the House of Representatives to his service as lieutenant governor, Speaker McNally has never wavered in his commitment to the betterment of our state. Thank you for your years of service and wishing you well in your next chapter.”

Randy McNally’s long history in the Tennessee legislature

McNally was elected to the state House of Representatives in 1979 and served there for eight years before moving on to the state Senate. He became Tennessee’s lieutenant governor in 2017.

McNally made a name for himself in the late 1980s through his participation in Operation Rocky Top. He worked undercover with the FBI, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service to expose illegal activities among state officials.

During his time in office, McNally at times went against members of his party by showing reluctance to support bills he feared would cause unnecessary conflict, particularly those that critics said targeted the LGBTQ community.

In 2023, McNally was the was criticized for comments he left on sexual Instagram photos posted by a young man who is gay. McNally stood by his comments, saying he tries to support all constituents.

USA TODAY-Network Tennessee contributed to this report.

Allie Feinberg is the politics reporter for Knox News. Email: allie.feinberg@knoxnews.com; Reddit: u/KnoxNewsAllie

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