Tennessee softball releases 2023 schedule with loaded nonconference slate
Tennessee softball coach Karen Weekly announced the 2023 schedule Thursday, which includes two home tournaments, three road tournaments and eight SEC series.
Weekly was ambitious with the 2022 nonconference schedule and she didn't back down for 2023, either. In the Lady Vols' first tournament in February, four of the five opponents made the 2022 NCAA Tournament. That includes College World Series teams Northwestern and Texas, which lost to Oklahoma in the final. The last February tournament includes tournament teams USF and Clemson.
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In SEC play, Tennessee will face LSU, Texas A&M, Kentucky and Arkansas on the road. Ole Miss, Alabama, Florida and South Carolina will all make the trip to Knoxville this spring. South Carolina is the only SEC opponent on the schedule that didn't make the NCAA Tournament. Arkansas and Florida advanced to the Super Regionals, but the Gators were the only SEC team represented at the CWS.
Game times and television schedules will be announced at a later date.
Tennessee finished third in the SEC in 2022, going 15-8 in conference play. The Lady Vols made it to the SEC Tournament semifinals for the second year in a row behind a historic 13-inning performance from Ashley Rogers, who is returning for her fifth year.
Despite the momentum from SEC play, Tennessee was eliminated in the Knoxville NCAA Regional for the second straight year.
Tennessee softball 2023 schedule
Feb. 10: Howard, Illinois (NFCA Leadoff Classic)
Feb. 11: South Alabama, Texas (NFCA Leadoff Classic)
Feb. 12: Northwestern (NFCA Leadoff Classic)
Feb. 16-19: Puerto Vallarta College Challenge
Feb. 24: Michigan State, USF (USF Tournament)
Feb. 25: Clemson, UIC (USF Tournament)
Feb. 26: UIC (USF Tournament)
March 3-5: Tennessee Classic
March 8: Tennessee Tech
March 10-12: Ole Miss
March 15: Austin Peay at Midstate Classic
March 17-19: at LSU
March 24-26: Alabama
March 28: ETSU
March 31-April 2: at Texas A&M
April 6-7: Tennessee Invitational
April 11: at Virginia Tech
April 14-16: at Kentucky
April 21-23: Florida
April 28-30: at Arkansas
May 5-7: South Carolina
May 9-13: SEC Tournament at Arkansas
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee softball releases 2023 schedule loaded with tournament teams
