KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The fifth-ranked Lady Vols close out the 2025 regular season at home as they play host to No. 2 Texas A&M at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. The three-game series will run Thursday-Saturday with first pitch times slated for 6 p.m. ET on Thursday and Friday and 4 p.m. on Saturday.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
For more gameday and parking information, visit the softball gameday information page HERE.
Parking shuttles will be available free of charge at the Agricultural Campus, starting 1.5 hours before the first pitch and running all weekend long. When Stephenson Drive lots fill up, fans will be redirected to the Ag Campus parking and shuttles on River Drive.
FOLLOW LIVE
Games 1 and 2 this weekend will be available for streaming on SEC Network+ and the WatchESPN app, with Jill Jelnick (play-by-play) and Faith Cain (analyst) calling the action. Saturday’s contest will be broadcast on SEC Network with Matt Schumacker (play-by-play) and Amanda Scarborough (analyst) on the call.
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 @Vol_Softball social media accounts.
NOTABLE
RANKINGS
Tennessee is ranked in all four major polls heading into the weekend: No. 5 (NFCA), No. 2 (USASB), No. 2 (D1S) and No. 3 (SA).
TOP 25 WATCHLIST
On Wednesday, Taylor Pannell and Karlyn Pickens were named finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award. It is the second time Pickens has appeared on the national watchlist, while Pannell makes her debut.
Entering the final weekend of the regular season, Pickens ranks top 10 nationally in ERA (1.02), hits allowed per seven innings (4.02), shutouts (6), strikeouts (210) and WHIP (0.87). The junior flamethrower is 20-6 on the year with 31 appearances and 23 starts.
Pannell is having a career year at the plate, setting career highs in runs (48), hits (62), doubles (11), triples (2), home runs (15), RBIs (59), walks (30) and stolen bases (9). The redshirt sophomore is top 10 in the SEC in batting average, hits, home runs, RBIs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and total bases.
ANOTHER TOP-2 FOE
When Tennessee and Texas A&M meet on the field this weekend, it will mark UT’s third series against a top-2 ranked opponent. The Lady Vols faced No. 2 Oklahoma in March, winning the series 2-1. In April, Tennessee battled No. 1 Texas and emerged with a 2-1 series victory.
SEC SUCCESS
Tennessee has been strong in conference play over the past couple of seasons, winning 22 of its last 24 league series with a record of 55-17. That run includes nine sweeps.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Friendly Confines of Sherri Parker Lee have been good to the Lady Vols. Since 2021, Tennessee is 116-26 at home with a +543 run differential. In league play, UT has won 15 out of 19 home series during that span.
LAST TIME OUT
Tennessee took two of three games from Ole Miss last weekend in Oxford. Karlyn Pickens earned both victories in the circle, while Taylor Pannell was the offensive catalyst for the Lady Vols last week, going 4-for-11 (.364) with three runs scored and seven RBIs – including two games with three runs driven in. UT has now won eight straight SEC road series and improved to 10-1 in SEC rubber matches since the beginning of the 2023 season.
SCOUTING TEXAS A&M
Head Coach (Record at Texas A&M): Trisha Ford (120-44)
2025 Record: 41-8, 14-6 SEC
Series Record: Tennessee leads, 22-6
In Knoxville: Tennessee leads, 12-3
In College Station: Tennessee leads, 7-3
At Neutral Sites: Tennessee leads, 3-0
Last Meeting: Tennessee won 9-2 on April 2, 2023, in Bryan-College Station, Texas
DUE UP
Postseason play begins with the SEC Tournament down in Athens, Georgia, at Jack Turner Stadium. The league showcase runs May 6-10.
