Softball Heads East to Take on No. 1 Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Belmont University Softball team heads to Knoxville on Tuesday to take on No. 1 Tennessee, as ranked by both the NCAA and NFCA Coaches Polls. The Bruins enter the match up riding momentum from a strong start to the 2026 season. 

Belmont is coming off five straight wins from their home-opening weekend at Rose Park and has already secured two ranked SEC road victories this season. The Bruins will look to make history with their third ranked SEC win, having previously faced Tennessee four times from 2016–2024. 

First pitch is set for Tuesday, March 3, at 4 p.m. CT at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. The game will be streamed live on SEC+, with live stats available on belmontbruins.com. 

What's Bruin 

• Belmont is 13–5 overall following a perfect 5–0 home opening weekend with wins over Central Michigan, Southern Indiana, and Ohio. 
• The Bruins have secured two ranked SEC wins during the 2026 season, defeating No. 15 Georgia and No. 18 Mississippi State — the first two ranked SEC victories in program history. 
• Maya Johnson continues to lead Belmont, delivering three straight dominant weekends in the circle. Johnson is 8–0 with 115 strikeouts across 54 innings pitched and recently surpassed 900 career strikeouts. 
• The redshirt senior leads the NCAA in total strikeouts and strikeouts per seven innings, averaging 14.6 this season. 
• Johnson earned Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week honors for the third consecutive week on Feb. 24 and was also named NFCA Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season. 
• The veteran was named a preseason Second Team All-American by D1 Softball and Softball America and was tabbed the preseason No. 1 Mid-Major Player by D1 Softball. 
• Belmont returns five All-MVC honorees from last season, including Johnson (First Team, Pitcher of the Year), Rylee Spindler (First Team, Freshman of the Year), Nicole Hughes and Maddy Balsiger (Second Team), and Brenna Blume (All-Defensive Team). 
• The Bruins were picked first in the 2026 MVC Preseason Poll and have appeared in D1 Softball's Mid-Major Top 25 for five consecutive weeks, most recently ranked No. 9. 
• Johnson and Hughes were named Preseason First Team All-MVC selections, while Spindler, Balsiger, and Blume earned honorable mention honors. 
• Sophomore Rylee Spindler made an immediate impact this season, launching a first-inning, two-run home run that accounted for the only hit in Belmont's win over No. 15 Georgia. 
• Sophomore Madison Dolecki delivered the game-winning RBI, also accounting for the Bruins' lone hit in the victory over No. 18 Mississippi State. 
• Belmont is coming off a historic 2025 campaign, finishing 41–16 overall and 20–7 in Missouri Valley Conference play while capturing the MVC Tournament Championship for the first time in program history. 
• The Bruins are led by head coach Laura Matthews, now in her sixth season at the helm. 

Against the Field 

• Belmont is 0–4 all-time against Tennessee, with all four meetings coming on the road or at neutral sites between 2016 and 2024. 
   

Follow Belmont Softball on social media — @BelmontSoftball on Twitter, @belmontsoftball on Instagram, and Belmont Bruins Softball on Facebook — for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the official Belmont Bruins app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.