University of Tennessee Athletics
Tennessee Softball Climbs in Both National Rankings
February 14, 2012 | Softball
Feb. 14, 2012
By Brian Davis, Assistant Media Relations Director
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - After posting a 5-1 weekend with a high-profile victory over defending national champion and preseason #1 Arizona State at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz., (Feb. 9-12), the Tennessee Lady Vol softball team found itself on the move up both national rankings.
UT climbed two spots to seventh in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll and rose four positions to 10th according to the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) listing. The Big Orange has now been ranked in the top 25 for the last 121 consecutive polls dating back nine seasons to the Week 1 release of the 2004 campaign.
SEC Eastern Division rival Florida (5-0) received 16 first-place votes in climbing to the top of the NFCA rankings, 17 total points ahead of the second-rated Alabama Crimson Tide (4-0). Unbeaten California (4-0) garnered 10 votes for #1, but came in third, followed by Oklahoma (5-0) and Arizona State (5-2) at Nos. 4 & 5, respectively. Georgia (4-1) at #14, Kentucky (1-3) at #22 and LSU (2-2) in a tie for #24 rounded out the SEC schools in the NFCA poll.
Cal garnered 14 first-place votes in the USA Softball listing to take over the top position in that poll with Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma and Missouri (0-0) completing the top five. Georgia (#14) and Kentucky (#24) finished off a group of five SEC programs in that particular Top 25 as LSU sits just outside as the first of the teams "receiving votes."
Last weekend at the Kajikawa Classic, UT defeated four 2011 NCAA Tournament teams (Texas Tech, San Diego State, #1 Arizona State and Western Michigan) on the way to equaling #7/9 Washington, New Mexico and the home-standing Sun Devils for the most victories (five) in the event.
On her way to SEC Pitcher of the Week honors, sophomore Ellen Renfroe was very impressive, posting a 5-0 record with a 1.13 ERA, four complete-games, three solo shutouts and 48 strikeouts in 31 innings of work. The Jackson, Tenn., product didn't allow a single run over her first 27 innings of work and topped the 10-K plateau in three starts with a high of 14 in the 1-0 victory over Texas Tech.
At the plate sophomore Melissa Davin led the way average-wise by hitting .417 (5-for-12) with a double, two HR's and six RBIs. Fellow sophomore Madison Shipman posted a .381 mark (8-for-21) with a pair of two-baggers, a HR and seven RBIs. The Valencia, Calif., native even posted the big tone-setting, two-run double in the first inning in UT's 3-0 win over top-ranked Arizona State. Senior Ashley Andrews (.368), sophomore Tory Lewis (.364) and junior Melissa Brown each hit over .300. Junior Lauren Gibson blasted a team-high three HR's over six contests, including a solo shot in the seventh inning off All-American Sun Devil hurler Dallas Escobedo.
Tennessee softball returns to action over Feb. 17-19, at the Time-Warner Invitational in Austin, Texas. UT christens its stay at the event with Friday match-ups against Illinois (12:30 p.m. CT) and #13 Texas (6 p.m. CT). The contest versus the home-standing Longhorns will be shown live via The Longhorn Network and can be accessed through the following link: http://espn.go.com/longhornnetwork/index
