The Farragut Admirals took on Houston in the TSSAA Class 4A state championship on Mack Hawks Field on Saturday, May 28, 2022, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Farragut won 4-1. (Photo by Danny Parker)
DEFENDING CHAMPS
Farragut Baseball won the 2022 Class 4A state championship, the program’s 11th, probably a year before most pundits thought it would. Most were looking at that youth-laden team to reach its promise in 2023. Well, the 2023 opportunity is here now. And the Admirals open with Independence (32-10) at 6:30 p.m. Central time Tuesday night at host-site Siegel High School in Murfreesboro. Independence boasts RHP Saxon Roberts (Auburn commit) and LHP Ben Cleaver (Kentucky signee). But Farragut’s bats have sizzled in the postseason, none more than Texas A&M signee Jett Johnston’s.
In softball, Farragut (4A) and Alcoa (2A) are back in Murfreesboro to defend their titles — and have squads that are deep enough and talented enough to make those feats happen. Farragut won Class 3A in 2021 and then repeated as champions last spring when the TSSAA expanded to four classes, the Lady Admirals cruising to a state championship in 4A last May. Leading the Lady Admirals this time is sophomore catcher Elsa Morrison, a transfer from Indiana who has wreaked havoc on the opposition this spring. She’s batting over .640 this year with 23 home runs and 67 RBIs. She’s two homers shy of tying the state record for home runs in a single season. Meanwhile, Alcoa brings back the core of its lineup from last year, but freshman Halle Bailey has bolstered that group even more. She earned District 2-2A Player of the Year in the first year of her prep softball career. Alcoa opens against Forrest, which they defeated last year to win the 2A title.
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Alcoa’s boys’ track & field team is going for its third consecutive state championship. Alcoa senior Jordan Harris has four state football championships (2019-2022), a state basketball state championship (2023), two state team track titles (2021-22) and has won the individual state long jump championships in each of the last two Spring Fling meets. He’ll lead the charge or the Tornadoes again this week.
Greeneville boys won the Class AA state championship track & field in 2022. Adjatay Dabbs and Jayquon Price will lead the Greene Devils this time in Murfreesboro.
The Knoxville Catholic girls tennis team made headlines throughout the spring as the No. 1 ranked team in the country. Much of that comes from the Lady Irish having won consecutive Division II-AA state championships. They’ll play at 9 a.m. Central time on Tuesday in the state semifinals against Ensworth. Catholic has beaten Baylor in each of the last two season finales. Baylor is back again, too, in the other state semifinal. MORE STATE TENNIS STORIES/PLAYERS TO KNOW.
Gatlinburg-Pittman boys’ soccer, which won it all in 2018 and 2022, will get a chance to defend its Class A state title. The Highlanders (15-8) begin play at 4:30 p.m. Central time on Tuesday against Chattanooga School for the Arts & Sciences (17-3-3).
The Halls Red Devils faced the Unicoi County Blue Devils in a TSSAA Class AA sectional on Dinzle ‘Dink’ Adams Field on Saturday, May 20, 2023, in Knoxville, Tennessee. Halls won 3-0. (Photo by Danny Parker)
FIRST TIMERS
Union County (28-9) and Sweetwater (23-12) each make their TSSAA Baseball State Tournament debuts on Tuesday in the Class 2A bracket. Union County opens with Adamsville at 6:30 p.m. Central time while Sweetwater faces tournament-regular Riverside.
The Halls Boys Soccer team (18-3) will make its first-ever appearance in a state tournament at 6:30 p.m. Central time on Tuesday against Crockett County in a Class AA quarterfinal at the Richard Siegel Soccer Complex. Halls is led by Jacob Eubanks, who’s scored 33 goals this season.
Lucas Nordin and the Bearden Bulldogs will try and get revenge in the opening round of the Class AAA state tournament. (Photo by Danny Parker)
THE REMATCH
The Bearden Bulldogs boys soccer team was a popular pick last Spring Fling to win Class AAA but Brentwood and its star player Forrest Wells got in the way. Wells scored twice, and Brentwood topped Bearden in the 2022 state championship match, 4-1. Well, Wells is gone and graduated now. But Brentwood is back — and unbeaten (22-0). Bearden (18-0-3) will face them in a state quarterfinal at 2 p.m. Central time on Tuesday in Murfreesboro. Bearden, arguably, has the top player in the state in Lucas Nordin, an All-American whose name is firmly atop many program scoring records at Bearden.
KEEP AN EYE ON
Coalfield Baseball. The Yellow Jackets made an appearance in 2022, the program’s first in 13 years. So maybe the newness of it all got to them somewhat last year. But Coalfield (25-9) returned their entire roster for this spring. THE ENTIRE ROSTER. And they’ll begin their quest to add state title No. 2 to their trophy case at 4 p.m. Tuesday against Eagleville (31-5). Coalfield’s first state baseball championship came in 1998. But their opening game this week will be at Eagleville, giving their opponent a significant and literal home-field advantage. Will that motivate Coalfield and make them play angry? Or will it be too much to overcome?
FIRST TIME, LONG TIME
Some local teams are returning to state for the first time in a long time.
Cosby Softball (18-9) takes on Bruceton (28-3) at 2 p.m. Central time on Tuesday in the Class A state softball tournament. The Lady Eagles last made state in 2002 — and have never won a state tournament game in program history.
Hardin Valley Baseball has been one of East Tennessee’s best and more consistent programs over the last decade. The Hawks won a state title in 2015; however, they haven’t been back to Murfreesboro since. Ty Denton, a senior catcher and Troy signee, belted a walk-off home run in the 4A sectionals late last week to send HVA into this year’s state tournament. The Hawks have sneaky good pitching and can get super hot at the plate. Don’t sleep on them, especially if they start off with a win Tuesday against 34-win Collierville.
Also from Hardin Valley, the Hawks’ boys soccer team is back in the ‘Bobo for the first time since 2015. HVA won state in 2011 and then came back four years later. But HVA hasn’t been back since until this week. They begin play at 1:30 p.m. Central time Tuesday against Collierville (15-3-2).
Head coach Carol Mitchell and the Gibbs Lady Eagles are back in Murfreesboro this week. No shock there. (Photo by Danny Parker)
OH, WOW
Gibbs Softball (36-4) finished runner-up in 3A last year and returns to the Spring Fling for the 36th time in program history. The Lady Eagles have won 10 state titles (the last coming in 2017) and are 87-51 all-time in state tournament play. Gibbs plays East Hamilton (26-10) at 4 p.m. Tuesday in the opening round of the 3A tournament.