Weekly: ‘Everybody’s good’ as Tennessee opens regional play
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee softball is playing host to an NCAA Regional for the 21st consecutive year.
The Lady Vols earned the No. 7 national seed with a 42-10 overall record, but none of that matters now. It may sound cliché, but everyone is 0-0.
“I told the team, it’s a brand-new season,” Tennessee head coach Karen Weekly said. “Nothing we’ve done to this point matters.”
The Lady Vols will be favored to win their regional as they welcome Indiana, Virginia and Northern Kentucky to Sherri Parker Lee Stadium, but upsets do happen.
“A lot of people are packing up to go home,” Weekly said. “64 teams that are in this playoff are in it because they’re good. Everybody’s good. The game doesn’t know who’s supposed to win, and doesn’t care, and you got to go out there and play it one game at a time in order to survive and advance.”
Tennessee was hit with that reality in its last two games. The Lady Vols lost the regular-season finale at Missouri. Then they faced a Southeastern Conference Tournament exit via a loss to Ole Miss in the opener.
Now, they will take those lessons and focus on one game at a time, starting with Friday’s contest against the Northern Kentucky Norse. This draw in Knoxville is sneaky good and will not be a cakewalk for the home team.
(1) Tennessee Record: 42-10 overall, 16-8 SEC
The Lady Vols enter the postseason with one of the deepest pedigrees in the field and one of the most dominant arms in the country.
Alannah Leach hit .330 overall and .339 in SEC play, leading the team with 12 home runs (seven in conference action). Leach was named First Team All-SEC after setting career highs in nearly every offensive category.
Sophia Knight sets the table tremendously. She leads the team with a .420 batting average, .475 on-base percentage, and 60 hits with just nine strikeouts in 143 at-bats. Knight also leads the team with 13-of-16 bases stolen.
Right-hander Sage Mardjetko has been dominant this season. She owns a 0.96 ERA with 150 strikeouts to 36 walks and a .144 opponent batting average in 109.1 innings across 26 appearances.
Senior right-hander Karlyn Pickens posted a 1.52 ERA and 157 strikeouts in 115.1 innings across 28 appearances, holding opponents to a .132 batting average. The two-time SEC Pitcher of the Year was the No. 1 overall selection in the 2026 AUSL Draft on May 4.
(2) Virginia Record: 38-13 overall, 13-10 ACC
The Cavaliers are one of the surprises of the 2026 season under head coach Joanna Hardin, racking up series wins over North Carolina, Georgia Tech and Syracuse on their way to a top-two regional seed.
Junior infielder Macee Eaton is locked in at the plate, hitting .443 with 12 home runs, 61 RBI and a team-leading 70 hits.
Bella Cabral is hitting .376 with 13 home runs and 47 RBI. Cabral earned both ACC Player of the Week and Louisville Slugger/NFCA D1 National Player of the Week honors during the regular season.
Senior left-hander Courtney Layne has a 2.31 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 96 strikeouts and a .221 opponent batting average in 103 innings. Senior right-hander Eden Bigham has also logged 106.2 innings with a 3.28 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, .227 opponent batting average and 102 strikeouts.
(3) Indiana Record: 42-14 overall, 17-7 Big Ten
The Hoosiers won seven of their eight Big Ten series, earned the No. 4 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and advanced to the semifinals before falling to top-seeded Nebraska. Indiana picked up an at-large bid and will open NCAA play against Virginia.
Aly VanBrandt leads the regulars with a .399 average, 75 hits, 15 home runs and 61 RBI. Avery Parker provides more power, leading the team with 19 home runs and 65 RBI.
Freshman right-hander Aubree Hooks owns the team’s lowest ERA among qualifiers at 2.36 across 29 appearances and 18 starts. Sophomore Ella Troutt sits just behind at 2.80 across a team-high 37 appearances.
(4) Northern Kentucky Record: 26-23 overall, 11-7 Horizon League
The Norse punched their ticket on May 9 with a 4-3 win over Robert Morris in the Horizon League title game, the program’s second conference championship. NKU was picked tied for third in the league’s preseason poll and finished as one of the hottest teams in the country down the stretch.
Jena Rhoads was named Horizon League Tournament MVP after going 3-for-3 with the go-ahead RBI double in the championship game. Brielle DiMemmo and Peyton Mueller-Stenz also produced key RBI in the title-clinching win.
Alicia Flores and Makaree Chapman split the workload in the circle, combining to allow just three earned runs in the championship game. The duo will be asked to shoulder the load again in Knoxville.
Tennessee hosts the NCAA Knoxville Regional for a 21st straight year, opening Friday night against Northern Kentucky with Indiana and Virginia rounding out a sneaky-tough field.
Weekend Schedule (All Times Eastern)
Friday, May 15 gates open 4:30 p.m.
Game 1: Northern Kentucky vs. Tennessee, 5:30 p.m.
Game 2: Indiana vs. Virginia, 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 16 gates open 2:00 p.m.
Game 3: 3:00 p.m.
Game 4: 5:30 p.m.
Game 5: 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 17 gates open 1:00 p.m.
Game 6: 2:00 p.m.
Game 7: 4:30 p.m. (if necessary)
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