Softball (Women’s Intercollegiate)

Softball was added to the women’s intercollegiate sports program in 1995. The team played its first home game against Chattanooga at Powell High School, since the UT Softball Field at Tyson Park was still under construction. Four hundred twenty-six fans attended. Chattanooga won the double header, 1-0 and 2-1. The program played its first regular season game against the Baylor Lady Bears in Lafayette, Louisiana, on February 23, 1996. The Tennessee Softball Field at Tyson Park was first used as the home field on March 7, 1996, with a 10-7 defeat of Purdue in 28-degree weather. Even before the team had its field, its pitcher, Buffy Walker, had pitched UT’s first no-hitter, on February 24, 1996. Freshman Stacey Jennings was the first pitcher to throw a perfect game.

UT and the City of Knoxville entered into an agreement in the spring of 1995, giving Tennessee the exclusive use of the two fields throughout the academic year, while the facility was shared during the summer. In return, UT was allowed to bring the fields up to NCAA standards. Buffy Walker registered a no-hitter on March 24, 1996, in a 2-0 victory over Cleveland State during the Tennessee Tournament of Champions at Tyson Park.

The SEC initiated softball as a women’s sport in 1993, and the UT team made three back-to-back trips to the College Women’s World Series in 2005, 2006, and 2007. The first softball coach was Jim Beitia, hired in September 1994.

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  • Title Softball (Women’s Intercollegiate)
  • Author
  • Keywords Softball (Women’s Intercollegiate)
  • Website Name Volopedia
  • Publisher University of Tennessee Libraries
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  • Access Date July 19, 2025
  • Original Published Date
  • Date of Last Update October 16, 2018