College Corner: Vanderbilt Baseball, UTK’s Ralph Weekly Retires, TSU Football

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Vanderbilt Beats Stanford 6-5, Avoids World Series Elimination

Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

Vanderbilt shocked the college baseball world on June 23, coming from behind to beat Stanford 6-5 in a walk-off. With the win solidified, the team avoided elimination from the College World Series.

After a rough start for starting pitcher Christian Little, giving four runs in three innings, the Commodores were able to pick up two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on two RBI singles. Vanderbilt was down 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth when Javier Vaz picked up a two out walk, followed by Spencer Jones’ single. Vaz was able to advance to third after an overthrow.

This set the stage for freshman Enrique Bradfield Jr. who singled to right field, allowing Vaz to score and Jones to advance to third, tying the game at 5-5. Carter Young stepped up to the plate and took one pitch before Stanford’s Brendan Beck threw a wild ball over the catcher’s head letting Jones score the game winning run.

The Commodores will now play NC State on Friday, June 25, for the second time after losing 1-0 on Monday. Vandy will most likely have one of their two aces, Jack Leiter or Kumar Rocker, on the mound for Friday’s matchup.

 

University Of Tennessee Head Softball Coach, Ralph Weekly, Retires

Ralph Weekly. Photo By Kelly Gerdin/Tennessee Athletics

University of Tennessee’s head softball coach Ralph Weekly is retiring after 30 years as a coach and 20 years with the Lady Vols. His wife and assistant coach Karen Weekly will take over his position, agreeing to a contract extension through June of 2025.

“First, I’d like to acknowledge the extraordinary tenure and legacy of Ralph Weekly,” says Tennessee Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White. “He and Karen have built Tennessee softball into one of the top programs in all of college softball. Ralph has given his all for Tennessee for more than two decades, and he certainly elevated the stature of our program in every facet during that span.”

Weekly has career record of 1,450-481-2 (.750) that includes stints at Pacific Lutheran (1986-94), Chattanooga (1995-98, 2001), and Tennessee (2002-2021). He is No. 4 all-time among NCAA softball coaches in career wins. Under Weekly, the Lady Vols have become one of the nation’s premier programs, reaching the postseason every year since 2004, hosting 16 straight NCAA Regionals, advancing to 11 Super Regionals, and making seven trips to the Women’s College World Series where they placed in the top-3 on five occasions, including two national runner-up finishes.

“I have worked every day since I entered the military at age 17,” says Weekly. “I have had a fulfilling life as a father, husband, student, soldier, special agent, teacher and coach. In every endeavor, I have been surrounded by amazing people whose talents allowed me to succeed and made me a better person. I thank Joan Cronan for hiring us at Tennessee and allowing Karen and I to mentor and coach hundreds of wonderful young women. I was fortunate to work with many fantastic coaches and administrators, to include the legendary Pat Summitt. I thank every player I ever coached for their commitment to excellence on and off the playing field. Each player, male or female, has a place in my heart. I will always be a VFL and cherish the memories I made at each stop. Most of all, I thank my family for their support, patience and counsel. Karen is the smartest person I have ever known. I know she will make Tennessee softball even greater and continue our quest for a national championship.”

 

TSU Football Announces 2021-22 Schedule

Tennessee State University has announced the dates and times for home games for its 2021-22 football season with first year head coach and Titans legend Eddie George.

The Tigers are set to make their return to Nissan Stadium on Saturday, September 18 versus Kentucky State with a 2 p.m. kickoff. They will also play under the lights for Homecoming night with a late 5 p.m. start October 30 against Ohio Valley Conference rival Murray State Racer. The other two home games at Nissan Stadium will be against OVC teams Tennessee Tech on October 16 at 2 p.m. and Austin Peay on November 13 at 2 p.m..

During the 2021 delayed season, the Tigers went 2-5 losing to Austin Peay 27-20, Murray State 35-13, and Tennessee Tech 24-10.

Fans can catch George’s first season with TSU at Nissan Stadium by buying tickets on the athletic department’s website.

Steven Boero
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