Softball Preview: #7 Tennessee Opens Carolina Road Swing at Western Carolina

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The seventh-ranked Lady Vols open their Carolina road swing Thursday night against Western Carolina at the Catamounts Softball Complex. First pitch against WCU is set for 6 p.m. ET.

Tennessee (22-4) goes on the road sporting the nation's longest win streak – having won 14 straight. UT's road trip will continue down to Columbia, South Carolina, for a three-game series against the Gamecocks March 23-25.

FOLLOW LIVE
Thursday's contest will be available to stream on ESPN+. Fans can also listen to Charlie Collier call the action from Cullowhee on AM990 or through a free online broadcast on UTSports.com and the Tennessee Athletics app.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Admission to the game is free
Gates open at 5 pm, first pitch is at 6 pm
Fans are encouraged to arrive early as a large crowd is expected
Those on the player pass list will have seats reserved in the bleachers
There will be some bleacher seats reserved for WCU students, on a first-come, first-serve basis
All other bleacher seats are general admission and will be on a first-come, first-serve basis
With seating expected to be at capacity in the bleachers, fans are encouraged to sit on "Hammock Hill" located in left field
Those sitting on Hammock Hill are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs
Parking is free

SEC PITCHER OF THE WEEK x2
For the second week in a row, Karlyn Pickens earned SEC Pitcher of the Week after tossing two shutouts in her two starts against No. 11 Missouri. The Weaverville, North Carolina, native allowed only two walks and five hits in 12 innings - striking out 16.

This award makes the sixth weekly honor of Pickens' career and the third of its kind.

SABERMETRICS CORNER
Kiki Milloy leads Tennessee and ranks third in the SEC and eighth nationally in several advanced statistics – including WRC+ (Weighted Runs Created Plus) at 258 and WOBA (Weighted On-base Average) with a .644 mark.

In the circle, Karlyn Pickens and Payton Gottshall rank among the best in the nation in SIERA (Skill-interactive Earned Run Average) which quantifies a pitcher's performance by trying to eliminate factors the pitcher can't control. The duo are fifth and ninth, respectively, at 1.67 and 2.0.

Pickens leads the league and is eighth nationally in FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) at 0.93. Gottshall is third in the SEC with a mark of 1.09.

CHASING MORE HISTORY
Having already become Tennessee's home run queen, Milloy now has her sights set on breaking more records in her final season on Rocky Top. Below is a listing of the career marks she is chasing down.

- Stolen Bases
1. Raven Chavanne – 143
2. Kiki Milloy – 136

- Runs Scored
1. Aubrey Leach – 255
2. Raven Chavanne – 244
3. Kiki Milloy – 243
4. Lindsay Schutzler – 241

- Total Bases
1. Meghan Gregg - 517
2. Kiki Milloy – 493
3. Tonya Callahan - 492
4. Lindsay Schutzler – 479

SCOUTING WESTERN CAROLINA

Head Coach (Record at WCU): Jim Clift (249-368)

2023 Record: 7-11

Series Record: Tennessee leads 7-0

Last Meeting: W, 9-1 on 4/13/22 in Cullowhee, North Carolina

Key Stat: Seniors Savannah Baldwin and Jeralynn Wells have held down the offense for the Catamounts during the first third of the season. Baldwin has 17 RBIs in 18 hits - seven of which are doubles and three being home runs. Wells has 12 runs scored and 14 hits in 48 at-bats. She also has three home runs. Both players have started every game this season.

UP NEXT: The Lady Vols continue SEC play with a three-game set in Columbia, South Carolina, against the Gamecocks. The series is scheduled to run Saturday-Monday, March 23-25.