I think it's time UT considered building a new softball stadium comparable to other stadiums in the SEC. Sherri Parker Lee stadium is starting to look outdated and showing the old age of it's design. As stated, it's location between a railroad yard and a wastewater treatment plant is most undesirable. The odor from the plant sometimes is stifling not to mention the noise of the trains passing by. UT would do well to consider building an expanded stadium on UT's land on Alcoa Highway near the Cherokee Farms. A stadium in a natural setting with outfield berms like LSU, Arkansas and Missouri have would be the way to go and would make the fan experience more desirable. As stated, SPL stadium is behind the times and may even be hurting recruiting.
Lady Vols Softball
- Thread starter Bigkat
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Take a look at the baseball stadium. That's a program on the rise that just won the SECE, and they play in a stadium that makes SPL look great. UTAD has been in slo-mo on facility improvements for baseball and football, so softball facility upgrades aren't high-listed. And when the softball program doesn't even make the regional finals as host, it wouldn't be the best time to ask.
The setting does suck, but there is nowhere on campus to build a stadium, which is why it was built there. I think with the previous park being Tyson Park that, at the time, it was nice to be somewhere that wasn't basically a high school-level facility. I agree that it probably should've been put off-campus, but I don't know how many softball programs have their facilities off-campus, although where you're talking about I believe is near UTMC and across the river from Tyson Park, so it's very near campus. But SPL is only 13 years old, so we don't need a new stadium. But it does need to be upgraded. There are so many new parks in the SEC (or newer than SPL at least), that it's definitely fallen behind. They could do an upgrade like Florida did and it would be fine. And keep in mind, we aren't just talking about the stadium. We're talking about practice facilities, weight rooms, film rooms, etc. that could stand to be upgraded now, as well.
I wouldn't bet on that happening anytime soon, though. Baseball will be upgrade before softball (and it should be, given the facility and the success the team is having), Vitello will probably be given a big pay raise after the season (if we can even keep him here), not to mention COVID.
nuclearjunky
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nuclearjunky
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No one took a chance on them but the Weekley’s says everything. No elite pitchers want to come here and squander their talent away. They were passed on for a reason. Karen is not a pitching coach. Never has been. She is however a pitch caller. But if you don’t develop your pitchers enough to hit the marks she calls then the entire exercise is futile. Ashley is here because she wanted to wear Orange. We’re lucky to have her. I can’t believe the things she’s done with the coaching she’s received. Imagine what she could do if there were 2 of her on the roster...
nuclearjunky
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briancrice
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UT was in the good position of building a new stadium when they were to take advantage of a building boom and kept momentum going. The bad side of that is that more than half the schools in the SEC have built stadiums since SPL opened, and they were able to add what they liked about it and improve on it. So while SPL is only 12 years old, it's way behind some of the new ones built since then. It's still well ahead of a few, though.
I get a chance to see every facility at least once every three years, and I would rate us solidly in the middle of the pack. Texas A&M lapped everybody with by far the nicest stadium that's been built for softball ever. Not even close. I'd rate Arkansas second, then it's a pretty good drop to Missouri, Kentucky, LSU and South Carolina (although USC's 2014 stadium hasn't been well-maintained). From there, it's Alabama, Mississippi State and Tennessee. Florida spent a lot of money for a stadium that I just don't think is that much of an upgrade from what they had. The home locker room and coaches' offices are nice, but the seating area an press box are meh and the hitting facility wasn't touched. Georgia, Auburn and Ole Miss are WAY behind and none of the three have current plans to build something. As it stands, I don't believe those three are even eligible to host the SEC Tournament.
The locker room, team room, film room and training room at SPL are all fine and meet needs. The indoor cages are fine. But all of it could be much better.
As for the seating area/press box, the unfortunate thing we discovered when we did a press box remodel in 2014/15 was that the stadium itself is VERY well-built. Meaning, the bones of the stadium are solid enough that any major renovation would take basically bulldozing the place and starting over. The big problem is parking. Including the lot on the far side of the warehouses, there is only enough parking on-site to accommodate about 2,100 fans. So any increase in capacity from where we are today will require either a park-and-ride from the ag campus, construction of a small garage, or some kind of pedestrian walkway across the railroad tracks.
Regardless, the stadium is where it is and wouldn't move. The Cherokee Farm campus is not available for anything other than expanded research facilities. The golf practice facility over there is the extent of what athletics would be allowed to do.
All of that said, I think you'll see some pretty significant upgrades to the stadium done in the next 2-3 years. Especially if baseball gets major upgrades of its own.
Majors
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I would say their tradition is the biggest draw. Also, like you said, location. SoCal has traditionally been the hotbed of softball recruiting since the dawn of the sport. It's not as much so anymore in terms of being the only one, but they still have their pic of elite recruits being within a couple hours drive of them.
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Majors
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Write up on Pickens' final game which if I read it right was the state semi-finals:
Pickens, NBHS Shine
Softball player Karlyn Pickens and North Buncombe reached the West Region 3A finals where their undefeated season ended in a 3-0 road defeat. Alexander Central (15-3) beat NBHS (15-1) at its own pitching-dominant game, with Faith Carrigan’s four-hit complete-game shutout.
Write up
Pickens (12-1), the superstar pitcher who has verbally committed to Tennessee, was brilliant in mowing down 17 Cougars in six innings. She struck out the first 14 Cougars. The 15th batter swung and missed for strike three. But the third strike sailed wide, enabling the batter to reached base.
The lanky six-foot junior’s fastball typically clocks in the low 70s, maxing at 72 — which some observers equivocate to a blazing 101 mph baseball pitch. She has assorted pitches, to go with the “high heat.” No wonder it is usually “slim pickings” to get on base off of Pickens. She led NBHS to shutouts in nine of her 12 wins.
Karlyn Pickens ranks among elite college prospects. For instance, ExtraInnings.com rates her as the best high school softball pitcher and sixth-best player overall.
Pickens hits well, too. She batted .519. She swatted five homers in a five-game, mid-season stretch. She scored 27 runs, had 16 RBI (one per game), and stole 22 bases.
Pickens got out of trouble in the second inning against ACHS. She fanned three in a row to strand a runner at third who had walked and advanced on two wild pitches.
But ACHS broke through with a three-run fourth inning. Carrigan singled. The next batter was hit by a pitch. A run at a time was scored on a single, wild pitch, then a passed ball.
Pickens, NBHS Shine
Softball player Karlyn Pickens and North Buncombe reached the West Region 3A finals where their undefeated season ended in a 3-0 road defeat. Alexander Central (15-3) beat NBHS (15-1) at its own pitching-dominant game, with Faith Carrigan’s four-hit complete-game shutout.
Write up
Pickens (12-1), the superstar pitcher who has verbally committed to Tennessee, was brilliant in mowing down 17 Cougars in six innings. She struck out the first 14 Cougars. The 15th batter swung and missed for strike three. But the third strike sailed wide, enabling the batter to reached base.
The lanky six-foot junior’s fastball typically clocks in the low 70s, maxing at 72 — which some observers equivocate to a blazing 101 mph baseball pitch. She has assorted pitches, to go with the “high heat.” No wonder it is usually “slim pickings” to get on base off of Pickens. She led NBHS to shutouts in nine of her 12 wins.
Karlyn Pickens ranks among elite college prospects. For instance, ExtraInnings.com rates her as the best high school softball pitcher and sixth-best player overall.
Pickens hits well, too. She batted .519. She swatted five homers in a five-game, mid-season stretch. She scored 27 runs, had 16 RBI (one per game), and stole 22 bases.
Pickens got out of trouble in the second inning against ACHS. She fanned three in a row to strand a runner at third who had walked and advanced on two wild pitches.
But ACHS broke through with a three-run fourth inning. Carrigan singled. The next batter was hit by a pitch. A run at a time was scored on a single, wild pitch, then a passed ball.
Majors
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tim
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