KNOXVILLE - When the Tennessee softball team and its two young pitchers faced Texas A&M in early May of last season, the Lady Vols won two of three games in the series.
Later that month when the teams met in an NCAA super regional with a trip to the Women's College World Series on the line, the Aggies and their staff of four pitchers won two of three games and celebrated on Tennessee's home field.
"They saw our pitchers so much that they just got to them," Tennessee co-head coach Ralph Weekly said.
If the Lady Vols find themselves in a similar situation at the end of this season, they will have more than two pitchers to throw against their opposition. In fact, the added pitching depth already has paid off as the 11th-ranked Lady Vols started the season in Tempe, Ariz., with four wins Thursday and Friday in the Kajikawa Classic.
In a Thursday night game against No. 19 Arizona State, freshman left-hander Gabby Sprang threw five innings of one-run relief to earn the win in a 7-4 Tennessee victory. She got the win in relief again Friday against San Jose State.
Sprang joins sophomore Caylan Arnold, who was the SEC freshman of the year in 2017, and junior Matty Moss. Another freshman, Ashley Morgan, is expected to pitch occasionally while mainly playing first base.
The added pitching depth is just one reason for Weekly and his wife and co-head coach to like their team, which was picked to finish second in the loaded Southeastern Conference.
Last season's SEC player of the year, shortstop Meghan Gregg, is back for her senior year, highlighting a batting order that should be dangerous from top to bottom. In the first game of 2018, she led an 8-1 win over Boise State by going 3-for-3 with two home runs and five RBIs, and Moss pitched a four-hitter.
"What Meghan's really worked hard on is becoming a better leader for our team," Karen Weekly said. "I think that's something that takes a really special person to do."
Scarlet McSwain was 2-for-3 with three RBIs against Arizona State. Friday, she and leadoff batter Aubrey Leach each had two hits and a first-inning homer and Moss pitched the Lady Vols past Western Michigan, 6-2. They then edged San Jose State 7-6 with Moss getting the save for Sprang's win, Gregg going 2-for-2 with two walks and two runs and Chelsea Seggern, McSwain and Morgan each batting in two.
Karen Weekly said she hopes last year's narrow miss on qualifying for the WCWS is motivating the 2018 team. Tennessee last made the eight-team event in 2015, when the four seniors on this year's roster were freshmen. Entering their 17th season at Tennessee, the Weeklys have made it to the event seven times.
"It's not easy to get to the World Series," Karen Weekly said. "I think sometimes you come to college, you get there your freshman year and you think maybe you're going to go every year. That's not going to happen that easily. It takes a long time. I hope that is fueling the fire, and I think it is fueling the fire this year."
And if it comes down to playing the same team six times in a month to get there like it did with Texas A&M last year, Tennessee should have enough arms this time around.
Contact David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidWCobb and on Facebook at facebook.com/volsupdate.