KNOXVILLE - Former Chattanooga-area high school standouts Kaili Phillips and Ashley Rogers were among five University of Tennessee softball players recognized by the Southeastern Conference this week ahead of the league tournament that started Wednesday in College Station, Texas.
The second-seeded Lady Volunteers (39-13), who will face the winner of 10th-seeded Auburn (35-18) and seventh-seeded Missouri (32-22) in the quarterfinals at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, also had Jenna Holcomb, Aubrey Leach and Kaitlin Parsons honored by the league. Parsons and Phillips were named to the all-freshman team, while Holcomb and Leach were All-SEC second-team selections.
Rogers, a right-handed pitcher from Athens, Tennessee, was the Lady Vols' lone All-SEC first-team selection after she led the league in conference wins with 10 while also becoming the first Tennessee freshman since Ellen Renfroe in 2011 to throw six shutouts. She is the first Tennessee freshman to earn first-team honors since Annie Aldrete in 2014.
Former Silverdale Baptist Academy softball player Kaili Phillips was among five Tennessee softball players recognized by the Southeastern Conference.Rogers, a former Meigs County star who was recently named to the Schutt Sports/NFCA freshman of the year top 25 list, finished the regular season 20-4 with a 1.89 ERA, 175 strikeouts (third among SEC pitchers this year) and 36 walks.
Phillips, who played at Silverdale Baptist Academy and has spent time at both catcher and in the outfield for the Lady Vols, is second on the Tennessee roster with 10 home runs and third with 34 RBIs.
Holcomb, who is batting .342 this season, also made the SEC's all-defensive team for her play in left field. Leach, Tennessee's all-time leader in runs scored (248) and walks (159), is batting .400 with 60 hits and 58 runs scored this season.
Parsons is hitting .373 with 28 hits and 26 runs scored.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3 or at Facebook.com/VolsUpdate.