Spring sports are in full swing for Tennessee athletics. Baseball continues its title defense as the season begins while the basketball regular season winds down.
Here’s a look at all the events this week.
Feb. 20: Women’s tennis vs. Tennessee State
The Lady Vols begin the week for Tennessee with the last game of their non-conference slate. No. 10 Tennessee (6-1) has been impressive this season, defeating No. 4 Stanford and No. 15 Pepperdine in its last two matches.
The Lady Vols have only met the Tigers once, with the meeting ending in a 5-0 Tennessee victory in 2013.
Feb. 20: Softball vs. Oregon and Oregon State
Softball continues their road trip, this time heading out west to participate in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in California. The No. 6 Lady Vols (10-1) have allowed just nine runs since their Opening Day loss to Nebraska, where they conceded seven runs.
Oregon comes into the rankings at No. 20, also boasting a 10-1 record. Oregon State comes in unranked and on the other end of the spectrums, posting a measly 3-5 record this season.
Tennessee leads the series over both teams in the limited action they’ve seen against each other. The Lady Vols are 3-2 against the Ducks and 9-7 against the Beavers.
Feb. 20: Women’s basketball vs. Alabama
The Lady Vols continue SEC play, this time hosting Alabama in the Food City Center. The No. 21 Crimson Tide (20-5, 7-4 SEC) have been solid this year, winning their last three games. Tennessee (19-6, 6-6) jumped four spots in the AP Poll this week, coming into the rankings at No. 15.
The Lady Vols have dominated Alabama in the series, winning 55 of the 64 meetings. Seven of the Crimson Tide’s wins have come in the last eight years, but the Lady Vols look to reclaim some of their former dominance.
Feb. 21: Softball vs. Rutgers and UCLA
The Lady Vols face off against Rutgers and UCLA for their next two matchups at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. Rutgers’ season has been subpar to start, sitting at a 5-5 record heading into the tournament. UCLA, on the other hand, has remained dominant. They’re slotted as the No. 4 team in the nation with a 9-1 record.
This will be the first meeting between Tennessee and Rutgers. UCLA and Tennessee have played just 13 teams, with the Bruins coming out on top in nine of those meetings.
Feb. 21-23: Baseball vs. Samford
The Vols host Samford for their second series of the year. The first series went well, as Tennessee decimated Hofstra despite the cold and rainy conditions throughout the weekend. This will be the first game of a three-game series that will run into Sunday afternoon.
The Vols are 32-7 against the Bulldogs and have won the last 10 games dating back to 2015.
Feb. 22: Women’s tennis at Kentucky
SEC play begins for the Lady Vols, and they’ll face Kentucky in Lexington. Although the Wildcats are ranked, they’re 6-2 to start the year. Tennessee has been great to start this year and will need to carry that momentum over to win this match on the road.
The Lady Vols are 30-19 against Kentucky, winning the last four matches dating to 2022.
Feb. 21: Men’s basketball at Texas A&M
The Vols travel to Texas A&M for a top-10 showdown in College Station, Texas. The No. 6 Vols (21-5, 8-5 SEC) looked shaky last week, losing to Kentucky and pulling off a 16-point comeback against Vanderbilt at home to avoid being swept. The No. 8 Aggies (20-5, 9-3) are on a five-game win streak and look to improve to their 12-1 home record this season.
The Vols are 12-8 against the Aggies, winning seven of the last 10 games.
Feb. 21: Men’s tennis vs. Mississippi State
The Vols begin SEC play at home against the Bulldogs. No. 16 Tennessee (9-2) had a good indoor season, but they missed the cut for the ITA Indoor National Championships. They still have a long season ahead, and it starts with the No. 13 ranked Bulldogs (10-1).
The Vols are 40-26 against Mississippi State, including a current five-game win streak.
Feb. 21: Softball vs. Minnesota
The Lady Vols close out their road trip against Minnesota. The Golden Gophers have been nothing short of bad this year, winning only two of their nine games this season.
Tennessee is 1-1 against Minnesota, winning the last matchup 4-2 in 2019.
Feb. 23: Women’s golf at the Daniel Island Invitational
The Lady Vols will take part in the Daniel Island Invitational in Daniel Island, South Carolina. This will be their last action until March 17, when they travel to Austin, Texas.
Feb. 23: Women’s basketball at Florida
The Lady Vols head down to Gainesville to take on the Florida Gators. The Gators (13-13, 4-8 SEC) haven’t been able to keep it close against the top teams, losing by double-digits against every ranked opponent they’ve played this year.
Tennessee is an astounding 57-5 against Florida, winning nine of the last 10 matchups to extend their lead.
Feb. 24: Men’s tennis at Georgia
The Vols take to the road for their first SEC road match of the year. They’ll head to Athens, Georgia to face the unranked Bulldogs (5-4). Georgia hasn’t beaten a ranked opponent this year, but its match with No. 4 Wake Forest came down to a 3-4 decision, unlike the Vols who lost 4-0.
Tennessee is 37-67-1 against the Bulldogs, but the series has been split as of late. Six of the last 10 matches have gone Tennessee’s way as they try to chip away from Georgia’s series lead.
Feb. 25: Baseball vs. North Alabama
The Vols host North Alabama for another warm-up game. The Lions are 2-1 this season, winning the last two games to clinch the series over Army to start their year.
This will be the first meeting between these two teams.
Feb. 25: Men’s basketball at LSU
The Vols head to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to face the Tigers. The Vols are going to have their work cut out for them, as the Tigers (13-12, 2-10 SEC) haven’t gotten anything to fall their way in conference play.
Tennessee is 68-50 over the Tigers, winning the last three games. Despite the recent win streak, the Vols are 1-4 in their last trips to Baton Rouge.
Feb. 26: Softball vs. Radford
The Lady Vols make their home debut 17 games into the season. They’ll host Radford, who sits at a 5-5 record thus far. The Lady Vols will be home for a while, as they play their next six games in Knoxville as they head into SEC play.
Tennessee is 7-0 against Radford and averaging nine runs a game.
