Tennessee softball is two wins away from a repeat trip to the Women’s College World Series for the first time since 2013.
The No. 7 seed Lady Vols (45-10) swept their NCAA regional, and they’ll face No. 10 seed Georgia (41-18) in a best-of-three series at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium that begins May 21 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2). The winner will advance to the WCWS in Oklahoma City.
The last time Tennessee went to the WCWS in consecutive seasons was in 2012 and 2013, when the Lady Vols were led by the pitching of sisters Ivy and Ellen Renfroe and All-American slugger Lauren Gibson.
Here’s what you need to know about Tennessee’s super regional against Georgia.
Georgia’s offense vs. Tennessee’s pitching
The Bulldogs have one of the best offenses in the SEC, ranking third in batting average (.354), fourth in runs scored (409), fourth in RBIs (384) and second in doubles (105).
Tennessee, however, has the top pitching staff in the SEC. The Lady Vols lead the conference in ERA (1.37) and WHIP (0.84), and they’re second in strikeouts (440). Karlyn Pickens, Sage Mardjetko and Erin Nuwer all started a game in the NCAA regional, and Tennessee can rely on any of them in any role necessary.
The Lady Vols lead the nation in hits allowed per seven innings (3.46), but their defense will be crucial against Georgia. Even though the Bulldogs rank ninth in the SEC in strikeouts (236), they’re still going to put balls in play and Tennessee can’t afford to make fielding errors.
Georgia peaking at the right time
The Bulldogs had an up-and-down SEC season, losing four of their series, which included getting swept at Oklahoma.
But then Georgia upset Florida in its final regular-season series. That turned into a run to the SEC Tournament semifinals that included upsetting the Sooners. The Bulldogs swept their NCAA regional, which included shutout wins over UNC Greensboro and Clemson. They racked up 26 hits and 18 runs scored over three games.
But Georgia’s pitching has been the difference in the postseason. The Bulldogs pitchers, which gave up at least nine hits in 16 games this season, have only averaged 3.83 hits allowed over six postseason games. Georgia’s staff ERA has gone down from 3.23 on the season to 2.10 in the postseason.
Tennessee’s offense has to build on regionals performance
Tennessee had its ups and downs offensively this season, but the Lady Vols built on every performance in regionals.
Tennessee had three runs on eight hits against NKU, seven runs on seven hits against Virginia in the first matchup and five runs on six hits in the regional final. The Lady Vols had 14 RBIs, five home runs and drew 11 walks.
But more importantly, every time the opponent scored, Tennessee scored again right away. That ability to respond immediately hasn’t always been there for the Lady Vols, and that will be crucial against Georgia.
Tennessee also scored at least one run in four straight innings in the regional final. The only times the Lady Vols have done that against a Power Four conference opponent was against Kentucky and LSU, which were their best offensive series of the season.
Tennessee softball vs. Georgia super regional prediction
Tennessee will sweep the series and advance to a second straight WCWS. The Lady Vols have been steadily building in the last month, and they’ll hit their peak against Georgia.
Tennessee softball vs. Georgia NCAA super regional schedule
- May 21: Game 1 at 7 p.m. ET
- May 22: Game 2 at 3 p.m.
- May 23: Game 3 at 11 a.m., if necessary
What channel is Tennessee softball vs. Georgia on for super regionals?
- May 21: Game 1 on ESPN2
- May 22: Game 2 on ESPN2
- May 23: Game 3 on ESPN
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks:knoxnews.com/subscribe
