Tennessee will host seven games of fall ball and play one on the road while staying in the Volunteer State for fans wanting to get an early look at the 2027 team.

The Lady Vols return key players, including two of the best pitchers in college softball in Sage Mardjetko and Erin Nuwer, and a lineup full of starters from last season, including double-digit home run hitters Emma Clarke, Alannah Leach and Gabby Leach.

A freshman class of five also is on campus, along with senior infielder Karley Shelton who transferred from South Carolina, to round out six new players.

Shelton started all 60 games for the Gamecocks in 2026 and all 61 games in 2025. She already knows one player on the roster in Mardjetko as the two were teammates for one season in Columbia before Mardjetko transferred to Tennessee after her freshman season. Shelton led South Carolina with 68 hits and 16 doubles, hit .345 with 40 RBIs, tied a career-long with an 11-game hitting streak and had a 15 game on-base streak.

The Lady Vols logo and blue trim are prominent on the new adidas uniforms as shown by Sage Mardjetko. (Tennessee Athletics)

A full roster for 2027 can be viewed HERE.

The five freshmen are Halle Bailey, Maggie Krause, Amani Mcfield, Bailee Shelton and Avary Stockwell, and the class was ranked No. 5 by D1Softball and No. 6 by On3/Softball America. Three of the first-year college players are from Tennessee.

Bailey, a 5-4 infielder from Rockford, Tennessee, played at Alcoa High School. She is the daughter of former Lady Vol softball All-American Sarah Fekete Bailey – whose jersey number is on the outfield wall at Tennessee with that of Monica Abbott – and was coached by her mother at Alcoa. The longtime successful coach won a state title in 2026 and then stepped down with her daughter entering college and her middle school son active in sports year-round.

Bailey was a 2025 Prep Softball and Line Drive Media First Team All-American, 2024 Line Drive Media First Team All-American and two-time Tennessee Softball Coaches Association (TSCA) TN Miss Softball.

Weekly said: “HK is a true triple threat and will remind our fans of former Tennessee greats who created chaos with their short game and base running. Her softball IQ is off the charts. She has spent most of her career playing middle infield, but her athleticism allows her to play pretty much anywhere.”

Bailey’s middle name is Kate, and her nickname is HK.

Krause, a 5-7 lefty pitcher from in Brazil, Indiana, played for Northview High School, and was a three-time All-Western Indiana Conference Team honoree and 2024 SCAI All-State Second Team. She holds the Northview single-season strikeout record holder with 275.

Weekly said: “Maggie brings another left-handed arm to our bullpen and versatility to our pitching staff. Her off-speed is one of the best in travel softball. She has pitched in big games and moments her entire career and knows how to win. I can’t wait for her to work with Megan (Rhodes Smith) every day.”

Mcfield, a 5-7 utility player from Rialto, California, played for Etiwanda High School after two seasons at Aquinas High School. As a freshman, she batted .625 with 54 runs scored.

Weekly: “Amani is a versatile player who can shine both in the outfield or the infield. She hits from the left side and has that coveted combination of speed and power. She plays in the powerhouse Corona Angels program and knows how to work and win. She will be an exciting player in our program.”

Shelton, a 5-8 pitcher/utility player from Ramer, Tennessee, played for McNairy High School. She won the 2023 Division I 3A State Champion, was named 2025 3A West TN Miss Softball and two-time All-State First Team. She can hit for average and power and had 431 strikeouts in three seasons.

Weekly: “Bailee is an athlete and 3-way player with a lot of tools and a huge upside. She can pitch, play corner (infield) or outfield, and has a sweet left-handed swing. It will be exciting to watch her develop once she gets to college and focuses solely on softball.”

Stockwell, a 5-10 catcher/infielder, from Mount Juliet, Tennessee, played for Green Hill High School and was the 2025 and 2026 Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year, four-time Triple Crown ESPN Future Star and TN 4A State Champion. In three seasons, she tallied 62 homers and 99 RBIs and was ranked the No. 1 player in Tennessee. (Shelton was No. 2 and Bailey was No. 3, so the Lady Vols got the best ranked trio in the state.)

Weekly: “Avary is one of the best prep power hitters to ever come out of the state of Tennessee. She has a fantastic arm, and I expect her to spend time at both catcher and corner (infield). Her work ethic is phenomenal. She loves the grind.”

The first chance to see the team will be the first two fall ball games in September at Lee Stadium against Walters State on Sept. 25 at 6 p.m. and Lipscomb  on Sept. 27 at 3:30 p.m.

Fans will likely fill the stadium again for the 2027 campaign. (Tennessee Athletics)

October will bring four consecutive home games with Carson-Newman on Oct. 2. at 6 p.m.; Northeast Alabama on Oct. 9 at 6 p.m.; Northwest Florida State on Oct. 10 at 1 p.m.; and Roane State on Oct. 11 at 1 p.m.

The penultimate fall ball game is at Middle Tennessee on Oct. 18 at 3 p.m. Tennessee will close out fall ball at home against Lee University on Oct. 23 at 6 p.m.

Admission is free for the fall games at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium, and gates will open one hour prior to first pitch. Restrooms will be open, but concessions will not be available for fall games. Fall games are exhibition contests and do not count as far as official team record and player stats.

All dates and times are subject to change, so be sure to check the fall ball schedule HERE ahead of time.

“In the 2026 class, we targeted a LHP and position players who brought athleticism and versatility to the program,” Weekly said. “We feel like we hit the jackpot. These young ladies are the perfect fit for the Lady Vol softball culture and the style of softball we want to play. Most importantly, they are exceptional students and committed to being the best versions of themselves far beyond the softball field.”

KARLYN PICKENS

Tennessee produced a Karlyn Pickens feature called “For the Joy of the Game” that was shown on the athletics department’s YouTube channel and can be watched HERE.

The 2027 roster also lists Pickens under support staff as a student assistant. Camryn Sarvis, who also completed her softball eligibility at Tennessee in 2026, is listed as a graduate assistant.

Other former Lady Vols softball players who are on Weekly’s staff are Megan Rhodes Smith, associate head coach and pitching coach, and assistant coach Aubrey Leach-Gartner.

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Maria M. Cornelius began writing about the Lady Vols in 1998. In 2016, she published her first book, “The Final Season: The Perseverance of Pat Summitt,” through The University of Tennessee Press and a 10th anniversary edition was released June 16, 2026. A third book, “The Legacy of Pat Summitt” will be released Nov. 17, 2026.