Even as Kaili Phillips was succeeding with the University of Tennessee softball program, there was an appeal to playing close to home that was very strong.
So as the COVID-19 pandemic erupted in spring 2020, leading to the cancellation of the remainder of that season for the Lady Volunteers – and everyone else in college softball – the former Silverdale Baptist Academy standout from Ooltewah decided to transfer to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. It’s a decision Phillips has not regretted in the least.
It’s given her a chance to play in front of family. It’s given her an opportunity to do volunteer work for a 12-and-under softball team. It’s given her a chance, quite simply, to be back.
“It’s really nice,” said the right-handed Phillips, who redshirted last season and has settled in at third base with the Mocs this spring. “It’s nice to give back to the community, because I’m about to come out here and do what I can on the field. A bunch of little girls come here to play ball at Warner Park, and it’s nice to see girls that I grew up with come and support me from my high school.
“It’s not every day you get to see everybody that you know from your hometown.”
If there was a hard part about returning after two years in Knoxville, it was just the suspense of getting back on the field. Now that she’s there, Phillips is bouncing back – and that has only confirmed the decision to transfer as the right one for her.
“This is my comeback year,” said Phillips, who received Southeastern Conference All-Freshman recognition in 2019 and appeared in 22 of 23 games the Lady Vols played in 2020, starting 21 of them.
“I haven’t seen a pitch in forever, so coming back out and just swinging the bat hard is all I’m trying to do. Whatever comes and whatever happens is written before I can even fathom it, so whatever God’s got planned for me in the future, I’m hoping I’m on the right track for what he’s got.”
That’s been the case this spring for the Mocs, who are having a comeback year of sorts as well. After a 2019 season highlighted by the program’s 14th Southern Conference tournament championship, UTC was 7-14 in 2020 when the season was called off and then struggled to a 13-25 record in 2021, with the high point a win against Auburn.
This season the Mocs are 21-15, meaning they have one more win than they did in the two previous campaigns combined, and they are 5-1 in the SoCon heading into a big three-game series at UNC Greensboro (25-11, 6-0) that starts with a doubleheader Saturday. Phillips leads the team in home runs with eight and is second on the team in RBIs with 22.
UTC swept a home series against East Tennessee State last weekend, but in the first two games the Mocs allowed the Buccaneers to rally, including taking a lead in the opener. The end result was UTC wins in all three contests, though, and now the Mocs have a chance to take the lead in the SoCon standings halfway through the league schedule.
“The game is kind of humbling,” Phillips said. “You think that you’re riding high, and then you start going down and then everyone else’s energy has to pick everybody else up. You have to look left and right and make sure that everybody’s energy is up every single time, every single inning.
“Softball is a roller coaster for sure. You’ve just got to keep swinging the bat and keep talking.”
Swinging the bat could be akin to taking a chance. Phillips did that, despite having two good seasons with the Lady Vols.
Coming home has paid off.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.