Latest news with #KarenWeekly
USA Today
01-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Tennessee's Karen Weekly: 'Everybody but four people' saw Megan Grant miss home plate
Tennessee's Karen Weekly: 'Everybody but four people' saw Megan Grant miss home plate Show Caption Hide Caption Karen Weekly on Tennessee softball beating Nebraska to advance to WCWS Tennessee softball coach Karen Weekly talks about the Lady Vols' 1-0 win over Nebraska to advance to Women's College World Series. Roughly 90 minutes had passed since a controversial, game-tying home run sent Tennessee softball's Women's College World Series elimination game against UCLA into extra innings Sunday. But as she sat down for her post-game news conference after her team's win, Lady Vols coach Karen Weekly wasn't any less bothered by what had occurred. Weekly teed off on the umpiring and replay review crews after No. 7 Tennessee's 5-4 victory against No. 9 UCLA in nine innings, noting that she believed the incorrect call had been made on a two-run homer from Bruins slugger Megan Grant, who didn't touch home plate as she completed her trot around the bases. REQUIRED READING: Tennessee softball, Karlyn Pickens vs UCLA highlights: Lady Vols going back to WCWS semifinals 'I think everybody but four people saw the play at the plate,' Weekly said. 'We saw in the dugout she had missed the plate and we saw her teammates had kind of pushed her back. By rule, that should have been nullified. ... We went to the umpire and said, 'This is what happened.' Then they did their thing.' After Grant had initially stepped over home plate, one player in her mob of teammates who greeted her, Alexis Ramirez, grabbed her and moved her in the direction of the plate to make sure she touched it. After a 20-minute video review, it was determined that, while Grant did not touch the plate and had been assisted, it was not reviewable according to Appendix G of the NCAA Softball Rule Book. When asked later during her news conference about what her team did to occupy itself during the review, Weekly sarcastically referred to it as 'that lengthy review-not review.' REQUIRED READING: Why did Megan Grant's home run count in WCWS for UCLA? Play was not reviewable The victory the Lady Vols would have gotten had the call gone the other way was ultimately delayed, not denied. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning, Tennessee native Laura Mealer roped a single to left field to bring home the game-winning run. With the win, Tennessee has advanced to the WCWS semifinals on June 2, where it will play No. 6 Texas. The Lady Vols, who already have a loss in the double-elimination tournament, will need to beat the Longhorns twice in order to make it to the WCWS championship series.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Why did Megan Grant's home run count in WCWS for UCLA? Play was not reviewable
Controversy has taken the spotlight as the Women's College World Series on June 1. Trailing 4-2 in the top of the seventh inning and down to its final out, UCLA's Megan Grant hit a two-run home run to even the game and keep the Bruins' season alive against Karlyn Pickens and Tennessee. Advertisement However, the celebration for UCLA quickly turned to worry. REQUIRED READING: Tennessee vs UCLA softball live updates: Women's College World Series score, highlights After the home run, Grant was mobbed by teammates at home plate to celebrate the home run. When Grant took her final step to home plate, she missed the plate and was touched by teammates. Eventually, catcher Alexis Ramirez assisted Grant to touch home plate. Lady Vols coach Karen Weekly quickly noticed the hoopla around home plate and challenged the run-scoring call. Following a lengthy review, the umpires ruled that while Grant did not initially touch home plate and was assisted to touch it afterwards, the run counted because "play is not reviewable according to Appendix G." Weekly quickly moved to file a protest and was heated following the review. However, the ABC broadcast following the inning break informed the audience that because the play was not reviewable, the Lady Vols could not protest. Advertisement But why did the run count? Here's what you need to know: Why did Karen Grant's run count? Replays quickly showed that Grant did not touch home plate right away and received assistance from her teammate Ramirez, who was the on-deck hitter, to touch the plate. If the umpires had seen Grant missing home plate and receiving assistance from Ramirez, they could have ruled her out. If Grant had been ruled out, it would have ended the game with a Lady Vols 4-3 win, as Grant's run would not have counted and the play happened with two outs in the inning. With this being an elimination game with the winner going to the WCWS semifinals and the loser heading home, the stakes on the call could not be bigger. Advertisement According to Appendix G, this is what is reviewable: 1. Regarding batted balls (any ball higher than the top of the foul pole when itleaves the field cannot have that aspect reviewed): a. Deciding if a batted ball called fair is fair or foul. b. Deciding if a batted ball called foul should be a ground-rule double,home run, or hit-by-pitch. c. Deciding if a batted ball is or is not a home run. 2. Regarding pitched balls at the plate: a. Deciding if a pitch ruled a dropped third strike was caught before the balltouched the ground. b. Deciding whether a live or dead ball should be changed to a foul ball.c. Deciding whether a foul ball should be changed to a foul tip only with nobase runners, or if it would result in a third out. d. Deciding whether a batter is entitled to an award of first base per HitBatter (by Pitch) - whether the ball hit the batter, whether the ball wasentirely in the batter's box, whether the batter made an attempt to getout of the way of the pitch when required, and/or whether the batterintentionally tried to get hit by the pitch (see Rule 11.13). 3. Spectator interference. 4. Obstruction and interference (including collisions). 5. Deciding if malicious/flagrant contact occurred. Umpires may initiate thisreview without requiring a coach's challenge at any point in the game toensure student-athlete safety. 6. Timing plays (deciding whether a third out is made before the lead baserunner touches home plate). 7. Force/Tag Play Calls: Plays involving all runners acquiring the base beforethe defensive player's attempt to put the runner out at any base. 8. Blocked or dead ball/Placement of Runners: Deciding whether a ball notruled blocked should be ruled blocked, and the proper placement of runners(per the rules/case book) after any blocked or dead ball call. 9. A catch or no catch in any situation. 10. Runners leaving the base prior to the touch on a fly ball (tagging up), runners missing a base and runners leaving early on a pitch. Note: The crew chief may not initiate a review of runners leaving early on a pitch. This review is only allowed by a coach's challenge. 11. Any of the listed reviewable items if the action on the field results in a deadball. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why did UCLA's Megan Grant's home run count in WCWS vs Tennessee?
USA Today
29-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Karen Weekly recaps Tennessee's loss to Oklahoma softball in College World Series
Karen Weekly recaps Tennessee's loss to Oklahoma softball in College World Series No. 2 national seed Oklahoma (51-7) defeated No. 7 national seed Tennessee (45-16), 4-3, Thursday in the Women's College World Series at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Sooners won the contest with a walk-off three-run home run by Ella Parker with two outs in the seventh inning. Tennessee head coach Karen Weekly discussed the Lady Vols' loss after the game. "Obviously, that was a gut-punch," Weekly said. "I thought our team played really, really well. Proud of how we came out. We don't have time to feel sorry for ourselves. We got to be ready to play tomorrow, and that's what we just talked about in the locker room." More: Karlyn Pickens by the numbers against Oklahoma The Lady Vols will play in an elimination game Friday against Florida. First pitch between Tennessee and the Gators is scheduled for 7 p.m. EDT and ESPN will televise the matchup. If Tennessee defeats Florida, the Lady Vols will play Sunday at 3 p.m. EDT (ABC). Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
USA Today
29-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Why does Tennessee softball wear blue? What to know about 'Summitt Blue' uniforms
Why does Tennessee softball wear blue? What to know about 'Summitt Blue' uniforms Show Caption Hide Caption Karen Weekly on Tennessee softball beating Nebraska to advance to WCWS Tennessee softball coach Karen Weekly talks about the Lady Vols' 1-0 win over Nebraska to advance to Women's College World Series. Tennessee softball rallied after a Game 1 loss to Nebraska in the super regionals, winning Games 2 and 3 to advance to the Women's College World Series. The No. 7 Lady Vols wore their all-blue uniforms for the series-clinching win on Sunday, setting up a first-round WCWS matchup with No. 2 Oklahoma. Tennessee might bring back the all-blue uniforms again in Oklahoma City, which might be unusual for some college softball fans not aware of the Lady Vols' history. WCWS bracket 2025: Full schedule, matchups for NCAA softball tournament All of Tennessee's women's sports programs wear "Summitt Blue" uniforms in honor of Pat Summitt, the legendary Lady Vols basketball coach. Here's everything to know about Tennessee softball's blue uniforms, and how they came about: Why does Tennessee softball wear blue? Tennessee softball started wearing blue jerseys in 2022, as part of the "Summitt Legacy" collection of uniforms for Vols women's sports. Lady Vols soccer, volleyball, softball and basketball all have blue uniform options. Lady Vols softball stepped it up in 2025, however, introducing a full blue uniform for the first time. Previously, the team wore white or orange pants with their blue jerseys. The "Summitt Blue" collection launched in 2022 as part of the 50th anniversary of Title IX. It was then when Tennessee officially renamed the blue accents that are part of the school's colors in honor of Summitt. "Well, I think I finally got over the idea that we'd look like North Carolina if we wore all Summitt Blue," Lady Vols softball coach Karen Weekly told the Knoxville News-Sentinel earlier this year. "The little touches to it, like the Summitt legacy patch on it, because Pat Summitt is a big part of our program, a big part of me and Ralph (Weekly). We wouldn't be here, we wouldn't have the success we've had here if it wasn't for Pat Summitt." Summitt coached at Tennessee from 1974-2012 and won eight national championships and went to 18 Final Fours. She was gifted the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama and was a part of the inaugural Women's Basketball Hall of Fame class in 1999. Summitt retired from coaching in 2012 after being diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. She died in 2016 at the age of 64.
Associated Press
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Oklahoma will face hard-throwing Karlyn Pickens in quest for 5th straight Women's CWS title
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma Sooners may face their toughest road yet as they seek a record fifth straight Women's College World Series championship. The second-seeded Sooners will open on Thursday against hard-throwing Karlyn Pickens and No. 7 seed Tennessee. In the second game of super regional play, Pickens unleashed a pitch that traveled an NCAA record 79.4 miles per hour. Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso, the Team USA coach who has led the Sooners to eight national titles, hasn't seen anything like it. 'It's pretty amazing, really,' she said, 'It's setting a new standard.' Gasso wouldn't give away how her team is preparing for Pickens, but she said the Sooners are looking forward to the matchup. She said Pickens' throwing speed is an example of the sport's evolution. 'It's great for our game,' she said. 'It's phenomenal. ... So it's a challenge for the Sooners, without question, but that's what got us here. We love challenges.' Oklahoma counters with a formidable offense led by a pair of sophomores, Ella Parker and Kasidi Pickering, who are hitting above .400. Oklahoma is second nationally with 115 home runs and fifth with 7.75 runs per game. 'We know we have an incredible opponent on Thursday, and we just want to put our best foot forward out here,' Tennessee coach Karen Weekly said. Adding to the difficulty of Oklahoma's mission, all four teams on its side of the bracket are from the SEC — Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Florida. Third-seeded Florida and No. 6 seed Texas will open the action on Thursday. Texas was national runner-up last season and Florida reached the semifinals. In other opening-day matchups, No. 12 seed Texas Tech will face unseeded Mississippi and No. 9 seed UCLA meets No. 16 seed Oregon in the nightcap. The first part of the event is double-elimination. The final two teams will play for the title in a best-of-three series starting June 4. Surprised Gasso Gasso wasn't sure her team would have a chance to win the league heading into the season. 'If you asked me back in October, I would say, man, I hope we finish middle of the pack in the SEC,' she said. 'I didn't know, nor did any of us.' Florida coach Tim Walton recalls talking to Gasso after Oklahoma clinched the conference regular-season title. 'I congratulated her at home plate,' he said. 'And she gave me a look, and she said, 'Did we? Because it certainly didn't feel like it.' I think that's a pretty good quote. It's her quote to me, but I think that sums up just how tough this league was this year.' Oregon sisters Sisters Kedre and Kai Luschar have been dominant in helping Oregon reach the World Series. Kedre, a senior who is the younger of the two, leads the team with a .444 batting average, 61 RBIs and 17 doubles. She has scored 59 runs and has 29 stolen bases. Kai Luschar, a fifth-year senior, is second on the team with a .421 average. She leads the nation with 59 stolen bases and has scored 63 runs. Plucky underdog Ole Miss is the only unseeded team remaining. The Rebels beat Arizona twice to win the Tucson Regional and beat Arkansas in super regionals. The Rebels aren't just here to show up. 'So proud of the journey and the season that we've had,' Ole Miss coach Jamie Trachsel said. 'We have one more chapter in our story, and we're looking forward to having a lot to say about it here in Oklahoma City.' Familiar foe UCLA and Oregon will meet in a matchup of former Pac-12 teams that moved to the Big Ten this year. UCLA looks to add to its record 12 World Series titles with a pair of sluggers leading the way. Megan Grant has 25 home runs and 79 RBIs and Jordan Woolery has 23 homers and 86 RBIs, and they give the Bruins a legitimate chance to add to that total. Oregon was the Big Ten regular-season champion. The Ducks beat UCLA in two out of three meetings during a series in April. Bruins coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said her team has improved since then. 'What I learned most was our best is yet to come,' she said. 'We didn't play our best ball.' Goals achieved Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady had a goal to get her new team to the World Series, and she delivered. The star pitcher was the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year last season for Stanford. She helped the Cardinal reach the national semifinals two straight years before joining the Red Raiders. This season, she helped Tech win the Big 12 regular season title, then the tournament. The Red Raiders finally accomplished the goal of reaching the World Series by upsetting No. 5 seed Florida State in super regional play. ___ AP college sports:
