2021 NCAA Softball Tournament Knoxville Regional preview, players to watch, predictions and more

The Tennessee Lady Vols were given the No. 9 seed overall and are hosting the Knoxville Regional for the 2021 NCAA Softball Tournament.

It’s not a shocker that Tennessee would earn the right to host a regional. The Lady Vols, outside of a few upset losses, were consistently one of the best NCAA Softball teams this year. Now they’re hosting Liberty, James Madison, and Eastern Kentucky, all of whom are presented with the chance to make a name for themselves by pulling off some upsets and getting to a Super Regional.

Tennessee Lady Vols

Tennessee has been remarkable all season long, regardless of where the Lady Vols are playing, but they’ve been particularly great at home. Tennessee compiled a 41-13 record this season but is 28-7 in Knoxville. That stat might not bode well for the three other teams in the Knoxville Regional.

Best wins

• March 19 at Alabama – 4-3
• March 30 vs. Liberty – 6-0
• May 13 vs. Arkansas – 1-0 in the SEC Tournament

Worst losses

• May 5 at Mississippi State – 1-2
• May 5 at Mississippi State – 2-6
• April 3 vs. Kentucky – 2-13

Players to watch

• Kiki Miloy – Miloy has been astonishingly good at running the bases. This season she’s stolen 36 bases on 38 attempts.
• Ashley Rogers – Rogers boasts a team-best 1.26 ERA and has struck out 278 batters in 200.1 innings pitched.
• Ivy Davis – Though she doesn’t have Tennessee’s best batting average, Davis leads her team with 15 home runs this season.

Final thoughts

The Lady Vols have a roster that could make it all the way to Oklahoma City. But they can’t afford to look past the challenges that are in front of them. Those late-season losses to Mississippi State proved that this team can be vulnerable to falling to motivated foes.

Liberty Lady Flames

The Liberty Lady Flames have been remarkable this season, going 42-13 during the 2021 NCAA Softball season. The Lady Flames have won four games in a row and are primed for the tournament. The biggest knock on Liberty is that the Lady Flames have struggled at times to defeat tough competition. Liberty has lost to the likes of Tennessee, Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.

Best wins

• February 26 vs. Notre Dame – 3-2
• March 16 at Arkansas – 2-0 in 10 innings
• April 28 vs. Virginia Tech – 5-3 in nine innings

Worst losses

• February 20 at Alabama  – 1-8
• March 14 vs. Oklahoma – 0-16 in five innings
• March 30 at Tennessee – 0-6

Players to watch

• Amber Bishop – Bishop leads Liberty in home runs (16), RBIs (46), slugging percentage (.743), and on-base percentage (.470).
• Autumn Bishop – Like her sister Amber, Autumn Bishop is a prolific hitter with 12 home runs, a .673 slugging percentage, and a .438 on-base percentage.
• Emily Kirby – Kirby has a 1.82 ERA and 137 strikeouts through 131 innings pitched.

Final thoughts

The Lady Flames are a very good team. Though they may have struggled against some of the very best teams in the country, they’ve beaten a lot of very good teams and assembled a respectable resume. This team, if it gets hot at the right moment, could be a force to be reckoned with.

James Madison Dukes

The James Madison Dukes simply do not lose. Well, they did lose once, but that was it. James Madison has an impressive record of 34-1 so far, making the Dukes a very intriguing team.

Best wins

• February 27 at Virginia – 5-1
• March 14 vs. Rhode Island – 20-0 in five innings
• Mar 24 vs. Kentucky – 2-1 in nine innings

Only loss

• March 27 at Elon – 4-5

Players to watch

• Kate Gordon – Gordon leads the Dukes with 17 home runs. With a .417 batting average, she’s seemingly a threat every time she steps up to the plate.
• Madison Naujokas – Naujokas has been perfect at stealing bases this season, getting 23 steals off of 23 attempts.
• Alissa Humphrey – Humphrey is one of several reliable pitchers on James Madison’s roster. She has a 1.47 ERA and 132 strikeouts in 82 innings pitched

Final thoughts

The James Madison Dukes have thrived this year. With a nearly unblemished record, James Madison hasn’t met an opponent it couldn’t handle. That said, the Dukes will face some tougher competition in the 2021 NCAA Softball Tournament.

Eastern Kentucky Colonels

The 2021 NCAA Softball Tournament isn’t the first time the Eastern Kentucky Colonels will square off against Tennessee. The Lady Vols and Colonels met at the beginning of the season with Tennessee winning both matchups. But, it’s been a while since Eastern Kentucky faced the Lady Vols and the Colonels have gone 35-13 since starting the season 0-2. That’s a decent amount of improvement, to say the least.

Best wins

• May 13 vs. Austin Peay – 5-2
• May 14 vs. Southeast Missouri State – 2-1
• May 15 vs. Southeast Missouri State – 5-4

Worst losses

• February 14 at Tennessee – 0-10 in five innings
• February 14 at Tennessee – 2-3
• February 27 at Campbell – 0-8 in five innings

Players to watch

• Sammi Miller – Miller has the Colonels’ best batting average at .419 and has stolen 16 bases on 18 attempts.
• Tori Peterson – Peterson has struck out 65 batters and has a 2.25 ERA through 118 innings pitched.
• Carly Robinson – Robinson leads her team with nine home runs and has a .325 batting average.

Final thoughts

Eastern Kentucky’s record against Tennessee doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence in its chances in the Knoxville Regional, but it looks like the Colonels have come a long way since those early-season meetings. If Eastern Kentucky has indeed improved significantly, then they may have a chance at competing here.

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