Lady Vols Face Off With #1 Texas
photo by UT Sports
No. 7 Tennessee travels to Austin, Texas, as it takes on the top-ranked Longhorns for the first time as SEC opponents. The three-game series is set for April 11-13.
First pitch on Friday is slated for 9 p.m. ET, with a 6 p.m. start time on Saturday. Sunday's series finale is at 1 p.m.
FOLLOW LIVE
This weekend's games will be broadcast on ESPNU on Friday and ESPN on Saturday. Beth Mowins (play-by-play) and Michele Smith (analyst) will be on the call Friday and Saturday.
Sunday's game will be available for streaming on SEC Network+ and the WatchESPN app, with Lincoln Rose (play-by-play) and Cat Osterman (analyst) covering the action.
Brian Rice, the Voice of the Lady Vols, will provide a free audio broadcast available via UTSports.com and the Tennessee Athletics app. Fans can also listen on AM 990. Links to the audio broadcast can be found on the Tennessee softball schedule page and on the @Vol_Softball social media accounts.
NOTABLE
RANKINGS
Tennessee is ranked in all four major polls heading into the weekend: No. 7 (NFCA), No. 5 (USASB), No. 10 (D1S) and No. 10 (SA).
AGAINST THE LONGHORNS
Tennessee and Texas will meet for the first time as conference foes this weekend. This marks the third consecutive year the programs will square off after battling in the 2023 Knoxville Super Regional and playing last year in Clearwater. This will be Tennessee's second-ever trip to Austin. Seven of the 11 previous matchups have been decided by two runs or less.
EASY PICKENS
The hard-throwing righty holds a 15-4 record with an ERA of 0.94 that ranks No. 4 nationally and leads the conference. Pickens also ranks 10th in Division I and second in the league with 153 strikeouts. Her K/7 mark is 14th in the nation and fifth in the SEC at 9.6.
On March 24, Pickens set the fastest-recorded pitch in softball history at 78.2 MPH, surpassing the previous record held by Tennessee legend Monica Abbott (77 MPH).
SEC SUCCESS
Tennessee has been strong in conference play over the past couple of seasons, winning 19 of its last 21 league series with a record of 48-15. That run includes eight sweeps.
ROAD WARRIORS
The Lady Vols have gone 32-7 in true road games since 2023 with a run differential of +184 (255-71). That includes three conference sweeps - two in 2023 & one in 2024 - and a series win in Norman, Oklahoma, this season.
LAST TIME OUT
UT went 3-1 last week with a midweek win over Western Carolina, followed by a series win over No. 17 Mississippi State. Tennessee run-ruled the Bulldogs twice with
McKenna Gibson and
Karlyn Pickens leading the charge. Gibson hit a home run in all three games of the series, while Pickens tossed a pair of complete-game shutouts.
SCOUTING TEXAS
Head Coach (Record at Texas): Mike White (298-84-2)
2025 Record: 38-3, 10-2 SEC
Series Record: Texas leads, 6-5
In Knoxville: Tennessee leads, 4-1
In Austin: Texas leads, 1-0
At Neutral Sites: Texas leads, 4-1
Last Meeting: Texas won 2-1 on February 16, 2024, in Clearwater, Florida
DUE UP
Following this weekend's series, Tennessee will take on Auburn in Knoxville from April 17 to 19. The series will be played Thursday through Saturday.