KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee softball will host its 19th straight NCAA Tournament Regional round this weekend.
The Lady Vols are the fourth overall seed in the tournament, which is the highest in program history. They will play host to Northern Kentucky, Louisville and Indiana.
TENNESSEE
The Lady Vols are coming off a season where they won the SEC regular season and SEC Tournament championship.
They are 44-8 overall heading into the NCAA Tournament.
The Lady Vols rank second in the nation in scoring offense averaging 6.98 runs per game. They rank fourth in the nation in earned run average too, averaging 1.52 in that statistic. Oklahoma is the only other team that ranks top five nationally in both categories.
Tennessee's Karen Weekly was named SEC Coach of the Year. Pitcher Ashley Rogers, outfielder Kiki Milloy, first baseman McKenna Gibson and third baseman Zaida Puni were named first-team All-SEC. Karlyn Pickens made the second team and was named Freshman of the Year.
NORTHERN KENTUCKY
The Norse made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history this season.
They finished with a 23-30 record but won the Horizon League Tournament over Oakland to get an automatic bid.
Northern Kentucky has gone 0-2 against SEC teams this season with losses to Texas A&M and Kentucky.
Their head coach Kathryn Gleason was named Horizon League Co-Coach of the Year. Catcher Maddie Lacer was named Defensive Player of the Year. Her pitcher Lauryn Hicks and outfielder Ella LeMonier were named to the conference's first team.
Outfielder Jena Rhoads made the second team. Rhoads and third baseman Brielle DiMemmo made the All-League Freshman Team.
LOUISVILLE
The Cardinals finished the season 35-18 and went 16-7 in the ACC.
They went 1-2 against SEC teams this season. The lone win came against Missouri, who finished at the bottom of the conference. Kentucky, who ended the regular season right outside the D1 Softball top 25 rankings, beat the Cardinals twice.
Louisville ranks 23rd in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 5.98 runs per game.
Catcher Sarah Gordon was selected for the All-ACC First Team and also was named Freshman of the Year. Outfielder Korbe Otis and designated hitter Taylor Roby also made the first team.
Shortstop Daisy Hess was All-SEC second team. Second baseman Easton Lotus and pitcher Alyssa Zabala made the third team.
Gordon and Zabala were also Al-lACC Freshman Team selections.
INDIANA
The Hoosiers finished the season 42-16 and were 18-5 in Big 10 conference play.
They finished second in the Big 10 behind Northwestern.
Indiana has gone 0-4 against SEC teams this season. They lost to Auburn, Mississippi State, Arkansas and Alabama.
The Hoosiers' second baseman Taryn Kern was chosen as Big 10 Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year and she was an All-Big 10 First Team selection. Designated Player Taylor Minnick also made the first team.
Indiana's outfielder Cora Bassett, outfielder Avery Parker and first baseman
Sarah Stone made the second team.
Kern, Parker and outfielder Cassidy Kettleman made the third team.
GAME INFO
Tennessee plays Northern Kentucky first in the NCAA Tournament Regional. That game is at 5:30 p.m. on Friday inside Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
