The last memory that the Lady Vols softball team has of playing at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium was last May, when they were eliminated by the Texas A&M Aggies from postseason play.

Since that late spring afternoon, Tennessee has not taken the field on its home turf for a real game. That will change Friday afternoon, as the No. 5 Lady Vols will face off against Charleston Southern in game one of the Tennessee Invitational.

“I am so proud of them,” coach Ralph Weekly said. “We played 17 games on the road. We haven’t been home one game. Traveling like they do and doing what they do, it just makes them tougher.”

In addition to the Lady Vols and Buccaneers, this weekend’s slate will also include the Toledo Rockets and the South Alabama Jaguars.

Tennessee (16-1) will come into its home opener riding an eight-game win streak, winning nine of its last 10, with the last six having come at last weekend’s Mary Nutter Classic in California.

It was in California that the Lady Vols put together some of their most dominating performances of the season, outscoring opponents 43-5, posting two shutouts and defeating then-No. 2 Oregon, 1-0.

The impressive showing at the tournament shot Tennessee up in the rankings from 11th to fifth, earning top-five status in just a week, according to the coaches poll.

While the upcoming Tennessee Invitational in Knoxville this weekend will not feature any teams currently ranked in the top 25 — or any teams from a Power 5 conference, for that matter — Weekly and his team understand that they aren’t in the business of overlooking anyone.

“We’re not taking this tournament lightly,” said Weekly. “One thing I pointed out to the team is South Alabama, who is coming in here, beat (No. 7) Florida State just two weeks ago. I asked our kids, ‘What does that indicate?’ And they said that they looked ahead. I don’t want to look ahead on anybody.”

The Lady Vols know what it’s like to get the best shot from each opponent each week. Such was the case in Florida two weeks ago, when the team suffered its first and only loss this season at the hands of a Florida Atlantic program that is currently 9-7 on the year.

The game served as a wake-up call, and Tennessee has managed to rattle off eight straight wins since the loss.

Still, despite its record and its 4-0 mark against the top 25 this season, Weekly believes that his team shouldn’t get comfortable, particularly with a daunting SEC schedule on the horizon.

“I don’t think you’re ever comfortable,” Weekly said. “You got to be ready for things. We mapped out about five innings we need to work hard on this week, but SEC play is a totally different animal.”

The Tennessee pitching staff will look to build off of its last outing, with SEC co-pitcher of the week Caylan Arnold and Matty Moss controlling the circle.

In her last outing against Northwestern, Arnold pitched a complete game, allowing just three hits while striking out 13 batters in the 6-1 win. Arnold’s 13 strikeouts made a career high, and her 73 strikeout count during the 2018 season ranks second in the SEC — a conference with a plethora of talented pitchers.

Moss followed that up with a strong performance of her own, recording six strikeouts and holding Oregon scoreless over six innings.

At the plate, senior shortstop Meghan Gregg continues to lead a Tennessee team that hit lights out in California. Gregg is batting .500 with 27 hits and 24 RBIs. Known as one of the more feared hitters in softball, Gregg doesn’t usually get many good pitches to hit — which makes her success so far this season even more impressive.

“Throughout last year and this year, I’ve learned that I have to be really selective and look for my pitch, have patience and not get myself out,” Gregg said. “I need to keep challenging myself to hit any pitch that’s thrown at me.”

Sophomore Jenna Holcomb has also been a key contributor, with 13 runs scored while hitting .455 this season.

The Lady Vols’ game against the Buccaneers will start on Friday, with first pitch slated to be at 3 p.m. Game two versus Toledo is set for 5:30 p.m.

It’s still somewhat early in the season to gauge how this team is doing, especially without a home game at this point. Weekly has an idea, but he’s going to let it play out.

“I’ve always learned that there are four parts to a season,” Weekly said. “There’s the forming part, the storming part, the norming part and then the performing part. I still think we’re between the storming and norming part.”