Lady Vols planning to get tougher on softball field

The ifs, buts and maybes were nowhere to be found at Lee Stadium on Monday.

It was a day of serious business for Tennessee softball co-head coaches Ralph and Karen Weekly, who conducted season-ending player interviews.

"The ending to the season was unacceptable,'' Karen Weekly said. "The inconsistency, particularly; we're going to get a whole lot tougher.''

The Lady Vols' (40-18-1) season came to an end in Sunday's NCAA tournament regional round of 32 at the hands of the No. 34 RPI-rated team in the nation, Jacksonville State (43-14).

"They've received their summer conditioning program and we've set specific goals they've bought into,'' UT co-head coach Ralph Weekly said. "They know they have to get bigger, stronger and faster, and most all of them will be playing 23-under women's ball or at the elite club level this summer.''

UT started four freshmen and two sophomores this season, including two national prep players of the year in pitcher Cat Hosfield and Jessica Spigner.

Hosfield and Spigner are rising stars, but both appeared to hit the proverbial wall in April. Without the duo at its best, the Lady Vols weren't the team that shot out to a 19-1 start.

Hosfield, playing her first full season since her sophomore year at Murfreesboro's Riverdale High School, won only three of her final 11 starts.

"Cat needs to hit her spots, that's all there is to that,'' Ralph Weekly said. "We have a specific summer program arranged for her.''

Hosfield suffered injuries to each ankle her junior and senior year of high school, limiting her experience, but she still managed to win 29 games this season.

Spigner set a UT freshman record with 14 home runs, but she failed to hit one out over the Lady Vols' final 21 games, a streak dating back to April 5.

"Jessica is a winner, and there was a lot of pressure on her,'' said Weekly, who had Spigner battling clean-up most all of the season and added pitching duties to her responsibilities the final four weeks. "She is going to pitch gold (travel) ball this summer.''

More help is on the way; the Lady Vols will add 10 new players. Among the potential impact players:

n Melissa Brown (Valencia, Calif.), an all-state slap-hitting middle infielder;

n Raven Chavanne (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), a slap-hitting outfielder who set the 100-meter high school record (12.25) in Los Angeles County;

n Lauren Gibson (Pasadena, Md.), a power-hitting lefty who won Maryland's Gatorade Player of the Year honors; and

n Ivy Renfroe (Humboldt, Tenn.) who will try to pitch Trinity Christian to its third state title over the past four years at Spring Fling this week.

UT returns eight of nine starters, including national player of the year candidate Tiffany Huff and all-region selection Kelly Grieve, but the Weeklys made it clear there will be competition for all positions.

No ifs, ands or buts about it.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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