6/9/2023 other sports Edit

Lady Vols' Ashley Rogers named NFCA Pitcher of the Year

Tennesee's Ashley Rogers (14) throws a pitch during a Lady Vols softball game against Auburn on Senior Day, at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium, Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK)

Noah Taylor • VolReport

Managing Editor

Noah is a graduate of the UT College of Journalism & Electronic Media and has covered Tennessee football since 2019. He joined Rivals in 2022.

Ashley Rogers guided Tennessee to its first Women's College World Series in eight years this past season. Now the right-handed graduate senior pitcher has another accolade to show for it.

Rogers was named National Fastpitch Coaches Association Pitcher of the Year, the program announced Friday.

She is just the second pitcher from the SEC and first from Tennessee to earn the award, which began in 2019.

Rogers, who was named First-Team All-SEC as well as an All-American by NFCA and D1Softball, went 20-1 on the season, tossing 13 complete games while recording six shutouts and one save.

On the season, Rogers recorded a 0.92 ERA, which tied for third nationally. She joined Monica Abbott and Buffy Walker as the only pitchers in program history to finish with a sub-1 ERA. She struck out 179 batters in 144 innings and led the country in hits per seven innings at 3.21.

Rogers signed with Tennessee in 2019 and returned for a fifth season of eligibility in 2023, helping the Lady Vols win both the SEC regular season and tournament titles. Tennessee swept both the regional and super regional to reach the WCWS for the first time since 2015.

In two appearances in Oklahoma City, Rogers earned two wins over Alabama and Oklahoma State to get the Lady Vols to the WCWS semifinals for the first time since 2013.

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