The construction on Alcoa Highway next to the Tennessee Softball Complex may serve as a fitting metaphor for rest of the Lady Vols season – reconstruction.
With only six upperclassmen on a team of 19, Lady Vol softball co-head coach Ralph Weekly said the focus for this season should be on rebuilding.
“We have a very young team,” Weekly said. “It’s the kind of situation where you don’t know what team will show up – the explosive team or the one that makes rookie mistakes.”
Starting today, the Lady Vols will play in the Belmont Invitational in Nashville. Weekly said he hopes to see the explosive team show up but isn’t focused on winning.
“We are at a point where we don’t grade ourselves by the score of games,” Weekly said. “We will rate ourselves on how we play, not the scoreboard.”
The second-year coach said he wants to see solid pitching and a good defensive effort this weekend when his team opens the tournament against Lipscomb at 2 p.m. today. Weekly praised senior pitcher Stephanie Humphrey for her consistency, but wants to see more development from his two freshmen pitchers.
Coming off an injury, Christy Anch, a freshman form Ashburn, Va., will have her first opportunity on the pitcher’s mound this season. Stacey Jennings, another freshman, will also start this weekend.
“I am looking forward to getting them out there,” Weekly said. “Stephanie’s experience has been endlessly valuable for us, but she shouldn’t have to pitch almost every game for us like she did last year.”
Weekly said the status of the tournament was uncertain due to predicted rainfall, but the Lady Vols are scheduled to play six games this weekend – four as part of the Belmont tournament and two against Morehead State on Sunday.
Playing multiple games with limited rest time is common for college softball teams, Weekly said.
“It’s the nature of the game,” Weekly said. “Our games aren’t as long as football or basketball, so we can handle more of a load.”
The first SEC game is over a month away for the Lady Vols, but Weekly said his team should still face quality competition in the tournament. Tennessee will face St. Louis on Sunday at 2 p.m.
St. Louis hurler Nicole Bohnenstiehl had 199 strikeouts last season and was named All-Conference USA, and Weekly said she would be a good barometer for SEC pitching.
“She should really test our hitters,” he said. “She’s one of the best we have seen all year.”
Weekly said he wants a strong offensive showing from Kristi Durant, Amber Rhinehart and Angela Brewer.
“We are still improving in all areas, but that is what you expect with a young team,” Weekly said. “Kristi is as solid a hitter as we have, and Angela and Amber are getting there. I am looking forward to seeing how they perform this weekend.”
