University of Tennessee Athletics
Softball History
2025 Season
Record: 47-17
SEC Finish: 15-9 (4th)
Postseason: NCAA WCWS - Oklahoma City - National Semifinals
Coach: Karen Weekly (24th Season)
Tennessee returned to the Women’s College World Series in 2025, marking the program’s ninth trip to Oklahoma City and its second in the last three seasons.
The Lady Vols finished the 2025 campaign ranked No. 4 in all four major polls, compiling a 47-17 overall record. Tennessee made its 22nd all-time NCAA Tournament appearance—its 21st in a row—and hosted a regional for the 20th consecutive season under head coach Karen Weekly.
Tabbed as the No. 7 national seed, UT swept through the Knoxville Regional with a perfect 3-0 record to advance to the Super Regionals for the 14th time in program history. In the Supers, the Lady Vols bounced back from a Game 1 loss to defeat Nebraska in the best-of-three series, clinching their spot in OKC.
At the WCWS, Tennessee knocked off Florida and UCLA to reach the semifinals for the second time in three seasons.
During the regular season, the Lady Vols won SEC road series at No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Oklahoma—becoming the first team in history to win series at both schools in the same season. Tennessee has now won eight straight SEC road series and 22 of its last 25 league series overall.
Junior ace Karlyn Pickens anchored the team’s success in the circle, earning SEC Pitcher of the Year honors for the second straight season. She was also named Softball America Pitcher of the Year and was a consensus first-team All-American for the second year in a row.
Five Lady Vols—Kinsey Fiedler, McKenna Gibson, Sophia Nugent, Taylor Pannell and Pickens—were named NFCA Mid-Atlantic All-Region.
2024 Season
Record: 44-12
SEC Finish: 19-5 (1st)
Postseason: NCAA Super Regionals - Knoxville, Tenn.
Coach: Karen Weekly (23rd Season)
The 2024 Tennessee softball season saw the Lady Vols make history as they won the SEC regular season title in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history. Tennessee displayed its dominance throughout the title run, winning all eight of its SEC series.
Tennessee earned a No. 3 national seed in the 2024 NCAA Softball Tournament – the highest seeding in program history. The postseason appearance was its 21st overall and 20th consecutive – advancing to the postseason every year since 2004 and hosting 19 straight regional rounds in Knoxville.
The Big Orange swept through the Knoxville Regional before falling in three games in the Knoxville Super Regional.
Eight Lady Vols and head coach Karen Weekly earned SEC postseason awards. Weekly was named SEC Coach of the Year for the second year in a row and for the fourth time during her tenure on Rocky Top.
In the circle, sophomore Karlyn Pickens was tabbed as the league's pitcher of the year – joining Monica Abbott as the only Lady Vols to bring home the honor.
McKenna Gibson, Payton Gottshall, Taylor Pannell, Pickens and Rylie West garnered All-SEC First Team accolades – while Kiki Milloy, Sophia Nugent and Zaida Puni landed second-team recognition.
Pickens was tabbed a consensus first-team All-American by the NFCA, D1Softball and Softball America. Gottshall earned first-team All-America accolades from the NFCA, while garnering second-team recognition from D1Softball and Softball America. Milloy was named a second-team All-American by Softball America.
2023 Season
Record: 51-10
SEC Finish: 19-5 (1st)
Postseason: NCAA WCWS - Oklahoma City - National Semifinals
Coach: Karen Weekly (22nd Season)
Led by head coach Karen Weekly, Tennessee captured its first SEC regular season championship since 2007 and its first SEC Tournament title since 2011. The Lady Vols won both crowns in the same season for the first time in program history. UT also secured its first 50-win season and reached the national semifinals at the Women's College World Series for the first time since 2013. The trip to the WCWS was its first since 2015 and its eighth in program history. Weekly was named the SEC Coach of the Year for the third time after UT led the SEC wire-to-wire en route to a 19-5 conference record. Under her guidance, the Lady Vols earned a No. 4 national seed in the NCAA Tournament – the highest seeding in program history.
The pitching staff finished the season with a 1.75 ERA – ranking No. 1 in the SEC and 10th-best in the NCAA. The pitchers also recorded 23 shutouts which tied Auburn for the most in the league and ranked tied for third nationally. The Lady Vols ranked third in the conference and 16th nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio at 3.51. Ace Ashley Rogers led the staff with a 20-1 record and was named NFCA Pitcher of the Year - becoming the first Lady Vol to win the award. Senior Payton Gottshall finished the year 16-2, while Karlyn Pickens was named SEC Freshman of the Year.
Fearsome at the plate, the offense averaged 6.87 runs per game – best in the SEC and third nationally. Senior Kiki Milloy set a single-season school record for home runs with 25 – a mark that also led the nation. Sophomore McKenna Gibson had a breakout season as she set career-bests in average (.362), OPS (1.232), runs (36), hits (59), doubles (11), home runs (15), RBIs (60), slugging (.718), walks (39) and on-base percentage (.514). She also recorded multiple RBIs in 14 games and ended the season on a 23-game reached base streak.
Milloy, Gibson and Rogers were named NFCA All-Americans in 2023.
2022 Season
Record: 41-18
SEC Finish: 15-8 (3rd)
Postseason: NCAA Regionals - Knoxville Tenn.
Coach: Karen Weekly (21st Season)
In her 21st season at Tennessee and first year solely at the helm of Lady Vol softball, Karen Weekly led UT to its 19th consecutive full season with 40-plus victories and a third-place finish in the SEC. Tennessee went 41-18 on the year with a 15-8 record in conference play, earning a No. 11 national seed for the NCAA Tournament.
The Lady Vols began postseason play reaching the semifinals of the SEC Tournament for the second year in a row, highlighted by 13-inning shutout performance from senior Ashley Rogers in a quarterfinal win over Mississippi State. Tennessee hosted the NCAA Knoxville Regional for the 17th-consecutive postseason, but fell into back-to-back games on championship Sunday against eventual WCWS qualifier Oregon State to conclude the 2022 campaign.
Five Lady Vols earned second team All-SEC honors: Ivy Davis, Erin Edmoundson, Kelcy Leach, Kiki Milloy and Zaida Puni. Edmoundson, Milloy and Puni also picked up NFCA All-Region accolades for the Big Orange.
Milloy was recognized as a second team All-American by D1Softball and Softball America, one of two SEC outfielders honored by both publications. She led the Lady Vols in numerous offensive categories, posting a team-high .362 batting average, 1.128 OPS, 53 runs, 71 hits, 12 doubles, 15 home runs, 53 RBIs and 31 steals.
2021 Season
Record: 42-15
SEC Finish: 12-11 (7th)
Postseason: NCAA Regionals - Knoxville Tenn.
Coach: Karen and Ralph Weekly (20th Season)
Tennessee hosted the NCAA Knoxville Regional for the 16th straight year but was dealt back-to-back losses by nationally ranked Liberty and WCWS semifinalist James Madison to end the season. In SEC Tournament play, the Lady Vols reached the conference semifinals thanks to an extra-inning walkoff double from Ivy Davis to top Texas A&M and a one-hit, 12-strikeout shutout effort from Ashley Rogers against Arkansas in the quarterfinals.
Rogers was one of the top pitchers in the conference throughout the season, as she finished her junior year ranked atop the SEC in ERA (1.32) and opponent batting average (.132) while ranking second in the league and top-7 in the country in strikeouts (296, 5th NCAA) and victories (26, 7th NCAA). The Tennessee ace picked up second team All-America and first team All-SEC honors at the conclusion of the campaign.
Sophomore outfielder Kiki Milloy had a breakout year as she led the team with a 1.103 OPS, 50 runs scored and 59 hits. Her 37 stolen bases were tops in the SEC and ranked sixth in the NCAA, and Milloy was recognized alongside Rogers as a second team All-America and first team All-SEC honoree.
2020 Season
Record: 14-9
SEC Finish: n/a
Postseason: n/a
Coach: Karen and Ralph Weekly (19th Season)
With hopes of making its 17th consecutive postseason run and prepared to celebrate the program’s 25th anniversary, the Lady Vols 2020 season began with a lot of anticipation.
With just five seniors on the roster, the team expected to rely heavily on its freshman class, which was ranked the sixth best recruiting class in the nation by Softball America. Headlined by Woodinville, Wash., native Kiki Milloy, daughter of NFL Pro-Bowler Lawyer Milloy, the freshman class stepped up with six of the eight newcomers making multiple starts. Milloy made an early case for the underclassmen, becoming the first freshman since at least 2012 to go yard in her first collegiate at-bat while in Tempe, Ariz., in a 6-3 win over Northwestern. Defensively, the Lady Vols were anchored by freshman Callie Turner who took charge as the team’s ace, while sophomore NFCA All-Region pitcher Ashley Rogers was temporarily sidelined due to injury.
While the freshman made early noise, the return of Ally Shipman, the leadership of senior Chelsea Seggern, and the command of junior Amanda Ayala connected the dots for the Lady Vols on both sides of the ball. Seggern secured the middle infield beginning at shortstop, before filling in at second base where she was able to turn 14 of the Lady Vols 17 double plays, which ranked second in the nation. The Thrall, Texas, native individually ranked sixth in the nation in hit-by-pitches per game (0.47) after being pegged nine times at the plate and moved to seventh all-time in career HBP (28). Seggern also ranked 18th in the nation with a .560 on-base percentage and tied for 37th with a .863 slugging percentage.
Shipman was coming into form by Week 5 as the Lady Vols went 4-1 to win the annual Tennessee Invitational. The sophomore catcher recorded 12 hits, seven runs and 6 RBI to the tune of a .750 hitting percentage through the weekend stretch. Seggern and Shipman co-led the Lady Vols with a .403 overall batting average, seven doubles and a pair of triples, while each recording 25 hits. Ayala found herself atop of the UT ledger with a team-high 27 hits and 18 RBIs, as she made her way to the two-spot in the lineup during the season.
Tennessee, which started the season ranked 12th/11th nationally, packed on a tough early schedule which pitted them against six Power-5 teams in the first two weekends of competition, including No. 5 Arizona, No. 6 Texas and No. 22 Arizona State. The Orange and White suffered a difficult stretch in nonconference play however, falling out of the rankings for the first time since 2004 after dropping four consecutive games, two by run rule to UCF and a pair of one-run decisions to USF. UT also ended its 100-game win streak over in-state opponents after falling to ETSU for the first time in program history 4-3 in Johnson City, Tenn.
A culturally-enriching softball tournament out of the country saw the Lady Vols battle with the 2020 Mexican Olympic Team at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge, falling 2-0 in late innings in the first of two national team exhibition games. UT was also scheduled to host Team USA on April 8 at Sherri Parker Lee as a part of the Red, White and Blue’s “Stand Beside Her” Tour, but the entire season came to an abrupt finish due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on March 12, just 23 games into the season.
The Lady Vols earned their 19th consecutive winning season with a 14-9 overall record, but had not yet begun their conference slate. UT was headed to its SEC opener at Texas A&M, when the team was informed by co-head coach Karen Weekly that the season had been suspended, and ultimately canceled, as the team was about to board its flight to Houston at the Knoxville airport.
2019 Season
Record: 43-17
SEC Finish: 14-10 (2nd)
Postseason: NCAA Super Regionals - Gainesville, Fla.
Coach: Karen and Ralph Weekly (18th Season)
Tennessee finished the 2019 season with its 17th consecutive year with 40-plus victories and advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals for the seventh time in the past eight seasons. The Vols posted a 43-17 record in the regular season with a 14-10 mark in league play, finishing second in the SEC. Tennessee earned the No. 12 national seed in the NCAA Tournament and became just one of three programs in the country to host an NCAA regional every year since the NCAA championship expanded in 2005 and regionals began play at 16 campus sites. It was also the 15th-straight year the Lady Vols hosted the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Tennessee defeated Longwood, Ohio State and beat North Carolina twice in the Knoxville Regional before being eliminated by No. 5 seeded Florida in the Gainesville Super Regional, coming up one win shy of the program's eighth Women's College World Series berth.
The Lady Vols were led by NFCA All-Region First Team members Aubrey Leach and Ashley Rogers. Leach earned All-SEC Second Team honors as well as being named to Softball America's All-America First Team and the NFCA All-America Third Team. The senior infielder was named to the Senior CLASS All-America Second Team for her efforts on and off the field. Leach led UT in batting average (.411), runs scored (65), hits (72), walks (44) and stolen bases (20). During her senior campaign, Leach became Tennessee's all-time leader in runs scored (255) and walks (164). Rogers had a phenomenal freshman year on Rocky Top that saw her win 21 games, finish the season with a 1.94 ERA, toss seven shutouts, 15 complete games and record 209 strikeouts. Rogers became the first freshman since Annie Aldrete in 2014 to earn First Team honors and the first freshman pitcher to be selected for the First Team since Ellen Renfroe in 2011. The Athens, Tennessee native led the SEC in conference wins with 10 and is the first freshman since Renfroe to throw at least six shutouts and became the first freshman since 2014 to earn All-SEC First Team honors. Haley Bearden had a breakout senior season as she tallied 50 hits, 30 runs scored, 15 home runs and drove in 47 runs, which earned her NFCA Third Team All-Region honors.
Five Lady Vols picked up SEC postseason accolades, led by Rogers who was named to the All-SEC First Team. Leach and Jenna Holcomb picked up Second Team All-SEC nods while Kaitlin Parsons and Kaili Phillips earned All-Freshman Team recognition.
2018 Season
Record: 48-14
SEC Finish: 14-10 (4th)
Postseason: NCAA Super Regionals - Athens, Ga.
Coach: Karen and Ralph Weekly (17th Season)
Tennessee posted its 16th straight season with 40-plus victories and advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals for the sixth time in the past seven seasons in 2018. The Vols posted a 45-12 record in the regular season to finish fourth in the SEC. The Lady Vols had their best start of program history with a 30-1 start which, included a 22-game winning streak in the beginning of the season (the fourth-longest streak in program history). Tennessee earned the No. 10 national seed in the NCAA Tournament and became just one of three program in the country to host an NCAA regional every year since the NCAA championship expanded in 2005 and regionals began play at 16 campus sites. The Lady Vols posted a perfect 3-0 record in the Knoxville Regional before being eliminated by No. 7 seed Georgia in the Athens Super Regional, coming up short of the program's eighth Women's College World Series berth.
The Lady Vols were led by NFCA All-Region First Team members Aubrey Leach and Meghan Gregg. Leach earned her first All-SEC First Team honors as well as being named a top-25 finalist for the USA Softball collegiate Player of the Year award. The junior second baseman broke the Tennessee single-season runs scored record with 80 and currently ranks first in the NCAA in runs per game. Leach finishes the season ranked in the top 15 in the NCAA in batting average, hits and on-base percentage. Gregg had a stellar senior campaign, setting multiple records for the Lady Vols. She leaves the program as the all-time leader in home runs (57), RBIs (263) and slugging percentage (.718). Gregg was also the second player in Tennessee program history to win the Senior Class Award while also being named a top-25 finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award.
Five Lady Vols picked up SEC postseason honors, led by Gregg, Leach and Scarlet McSwain, who all were named to the All-SEC first team. Following an impressive debut year on Rocky Top, newcomers Ashley Morgan and Amanda Ayala earned All-Freshman Team accolades. Jenna Holcomb joined Gregg and Leach with NFCA All-Region status, as the sophomore was selected to the second team. Caylan Arnold, who led UT with a 26-6 record and a 2.19 ERA, and Chelsea Seggern, who finished the season tied for second in the conference with 66 RBIs, both received third-team nods.
2017 Season
Record: 48-12
SEC Finish: 16-7 (T-3rd)
Postseason: NCAA Super Regionals - Knoxville, Tenn.
Coach: Karen and Ralph Weekly (16th Season)
Tennessee posted its 15th straight season with 40-plus victories and advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals for the fifth time in the past six seasons in 2017. The Vols posted a 44-9 record in the regular season to finish in a tied for third in the SEC for the second consecutive season. The Orange and White went on a 20-game winning streak midway through the season, the fourth longest streak in program history. UT earned the No. 8 national seed in the NCAA Tournament and posted a perfect 3-0 record in the Knoxville Regional before being eliminated by No. 9 seed Texas A & M in the Knoxville Super Regional, coming up one win short of the program's eighth Women's College World Series berth.
The Vols were led by NFCA First-Team All-American Meghan Gregg, who became the fifth player in program history to be named SEC Player of the Year. Gregg was also just the fourth player in program history to be named a top-3 finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award. The junior shortstop broke the Tennessee single-season RBI record with 79 and finished among the top-15 nationally in six major offensive categories.
The Big Orange had five players earn SEC postseason honors, led by Gregg and SEC Freshman of the Year Caylan Arnold, who posted 20 wins on the year, including nine over ranked opponents. Sophomores Brooke Vines and Matty Moss were named to the All-SEC second team and Chelsea Seggern joined Arnold as an SEC All-Freshman Team selection. UT also had four players earn NFCA All-Southeast Region honors: Gregg (First Team), Vines (Second Team), Aubrey Leach (Second Team) and Megan Geer (Third Team).
The 2017 season also featured multiple milestone wins for Tennessee co-head coaches Karen and Ralph Weekly. Karen Weekly became the 33rd head coach in Division I history to reach 1,000 career victories with a 9-2 win over No. 25 North Carolina on March 22. Ralph Weekly became just the fourth head coach in Division I history to win 1,300 career games, doing so with a 5-0 victory over Longwood in the opening game of the NCAA Regionals.
2016 Season
Record: 43-16
SEC Finish: 16-7 (T-3rd, SEC Tournament Semifinals)
Postseason: NCAA Regionals - Knoxville, Tenn.
Coach: Karen and Ralph Weekly (15th Season)
Tennessee advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 13th consecutive season and 14th time overall in program history, earning the No. 13 national seed. The Vols finished in a tie for third in the SEC regular-season standings thanks in large part to a high-powered offense that ranked among the national leaders in runs per game, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and triples. UT's 426 runs scored were the most since the 2006 team scored 437. UT also set a new program record with a .446 on-base percentage and blasted 57 home runs, marking the fourth straight year eclipsing the 50-homer plateau.
The Vols were nearly unbeatable at home, posting the top home record in the country during the regular season at 22-1. They finished the season 24-3 at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium with 16 of those wins coming via run rule. Senior pitcher/utility player Rainey Gaffin was named an NFCA All-American for the second straight season, becoming the 10th player in program history to earn All-America status multiple times. Tennessee tied a program record with five players earning NFCA All-Southeast Region honors (Gaffin, Meghan Gregg, Megan Geer, Lexi Overstreet, Brooke Vines). UT also had five players earn SEC postseason recognition as Gregg was an All-SEC first-team pick, Gaffin earned second-team honors, and Matty Moss, Aubrey Leach and Vines garnered All-Freshman team accolades.
2015 Season
Record: 47-17
SEC Finish: 15-9 (T-4th, SEC Tournament Runner-Up)
Postseason: WCWS - Oklahoma City, Okla.
Coach: Karen and Ralph Weekly (14th Season)
Tennessee powered its way (team-record 100 HRs) to its seventh trip to the Women's College World Series in 2015.
Rainey Gaffin was named UT's 14th NFCA All-American after going 17-4 in the circle with a 2.17 ERA and hitting .315. Erin Gabriel became UT's 13th Academic All-American. For the first time in team history, Tennessee had five players hit double-figure home runs.
2014 Season
Record: 46-12
SEC Finish: 17-7 (2nd)
Postseason: NCAA Tournament (Norman Super Regional)
Coach: Karen and Ralph Weekly (13th Season)
Tennessee reached the NCAA Super Regionals for the seventh time in program history with a team bolstered by senior leadership and a slew of rising young stars.
Madison Shipman enjoyed a banner senior year, earning SEC Player of the Year and Tennessee's first-ever Senior CLASS Award. Ellen Renfroe shined as the ace in the circle and was named Capital One Academic All-American of the Year. Annie Aldrete smashed a UT-record 19 homers and was named co-winner of the inaugural NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year trophy.
2013 Season
Record: 52-12
SEC Finish: 16-6 (2nd East)
Postseason: WCWS- Oklahoma City, Okla.
Coach: Karen and Ralph Weekly (12th Season)
Tennessee enjoyed one of its finest seasons in program history in 2013, finishing as the national runner-up in the WCWS Finals.
Raven Chavanne shattered numerous school records and was named the Capital One Academic All-American of the Year. Lauren Gibson had the best year of her career and was the SEC Player of the Year. Ivy Renfroe and Ellen Renfroe once again provided UT's potent 1-2 punch in the circle to lead the Lady Vols to their sixth WCWS appearance.
2012 Season
Record: 52-14
SEC Finish: 22-6 (1st East)
Postseason: WCWS- Oklahoma City, Okla.
Coach: Karen and Ralph Weekly (11th Season)
The Lady Vols reached the WCWS for the fifth time under co-head coaches Karen and Ralph Weekly during the 2012 softball campaign.
Backed by the pitching of sisters Ivy and Ellen Renfroe, the Lady Vols capped off a fifty plus win season for the seventh time in program history.
2011 Season
Record: 49-12
SEC Finish: 20-8 (2nd in East)
Postseason: NCAA Tournament (Knoxville, Tenn. Regional)
Coach: Karen and Ralph Weekly (10th Season)
The 2011 season secured the program's second SEC tournament title and allowed the squad to host an NCAA Regional for the seventh straight season.
The Knoxville Regional boasted three opponents in the RPI top twenty and proved tricky for the Lady Vols following their SEC championship run.
2010 Season
Record: 49-15
SEC Finish: 17-8 (3rd in East)
Postseason: WCWS- Oklahoma City, Okla.
Coach: Karen and Ralph Weekly (9th Season)
For the fourth time in program history, the Lady Vols would venture back to the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.
Only needing one win to secure a birth into the WCWS Final, the Lady Vols would fall to Arizona ending their run at a National Championship.
2009 Season
Record: 40-18-1
SEC Finish: 12-12-1 (3rd in East)
Postseason: NCAA Tournament (Knoxville, Tenn. Regional)
Coach: Karen and Ralph Weekly (8th Season)
Though the season ended sooner than desired, the 2009 Lady Vols showed determination, grit and the ability to overcome virtually any obstacle no matter how large.
With many high-profile victories and award-winning efforts along the way, it is obvious that the proper pieces are now in place to keep the Big Orange train rolling.
2008 Season
Record: 50-16
SEC Finish: 14-12 (2nd in East)
Postseason: NCAA Tournament (Knoxville, Tenn. Regional)
Coach: Karen and Ralph Weekly (7th Season)
The 2008 Lady Vols received the programs fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament bid but were unable to best eventual WCWS participant Virginia Tech.
Although the season was cut short, by the program's standards, Tennessee will look to reload throughout the offseason in hopes to reach Oklahoma City for the fourth time.
2007 Season
Record: 68-3
SEC Finish: 23-4 (1st in East/SEC)
Postseason: WCWS- Oklahoma City, Okla.
Coach: Karen and Ralph Weekly (6th Season)
For the 3rd year in a row and in program history, Tennessee found itself in the national spotlight at the Women's College World Series
Falling one game short of the WCWS Final to the Arizona Wildcats, the Lady Vols concluded a .887 win percentage season in Oklahoma City.
2006 Season
Record: 61-12
SEC Finish: 21-9 (2nd in East)
Postseason: WCWS- Oklahoma City, Okla.
Coach: Karen and Ralph Weekly (5th Season)
The Lady Vols fought there way to another third place finish and a second trip to the WCWS in 2006.
Along the way, UT upset #1 UCLA, outlasted #9 Arizona State, and defeated eventual national champion #3 Arizona before falling a game short of the WCWS Final.
2005 Season
Record: 67-15
SEC Finish: 20-8 (2nd in East)
Postseason: WCWS- Oklahoma City, Okla.
Coach: Karen and Ralph Weekly (4th Season)
For the first time in program history, the Tennessee Volunteer Softball team made its way to national prominence at the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City, Okla. In their fourth season at the helm of the Big Orange, Co-head coaches Karen and Ralph Weekly have brought the program to the place they intended, Oklahoma.
