Sports
These top MLB Draft picks could soon play for (or against) the Smokies in Knoxville
Day 1 of the 2025 MLB Draft saw several teams with Southern League Double-A affiliates make potentially franchise-altering selections, including the Chicago Cubs, setting the stage for the Smokies to have a competitive future at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville.
The Southern League is often a crucial proving ground for prospects before they reach Triple-A, the last stop before the major leagues. For the Cubs, the trajectory is: Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Single-A affiliate in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina), South Bend Cubs (High-A affiliate in South Bend, Indiana), Knoxville Smokies (Double-A affiliate in Knoxville, Tennessee), Iowa Cubs (Triple-A affiliate in Des Moines).
While all players selected by Southern League-affiliated teams in the MLB Draft July 13-14 could one day play in Knoxville, Day 1 picks represent a new generation of top MLB prospects.
Here’s a closer look at all the Day 1 picks for MLB teams with Southern League ties.
The Atlanta Braves, whose Double-A affiliate is the Mississippi Braves, selected Tate Southisene, a shortstop from Basic High School in Nevada, with the 22nd pick. Southisene had a standout senior season, batting .495 with nine home runs and 16 stolen bases, earning him Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year honors. His older brother, Ty Southisene, was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2024, creating an intriguing brotherly connection across two Southern League organizations.
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs drafted Ethan Conrad, an outfielder from Wake Forest, with the 17th pick in the first round. While a shoulder injury limited his 2025 season to 21 games, Conrad displayed impressive power and plate discipline, slashing .372/.495/.744 with seven home runs and 27 RBIs. Knoxville fans will be eager to see this powerful outfielder don a Smokies uniform.
The Chicago White Sox, affiliated with the Birmingham Barons, chose 2025 Tennessee commit Billy Carlson, a shortstop from Corona High School in California, with the 10th selection. Carlson demonstrated his two-way talent in high school, hitting .367 with four home runs as a junior while also posting a 0.60 ERA with five saves as a closer. His versatility could make him an interesting prospect to follow as he develops in the White Sox system.
The Cincinnati Reds, who feed prospects to the Chattanooga Lookouts, drafted Steele Hall, a shortstop from Hewitt-Trussville High School in Alabama, as their first-round pick at No. 9 overall. Another Tennessee commit, known for his athleticism and speed, significantly boosted his draft stock in 2025 by hitting .484 with eight home runs. He models his game after elite shortstops like Bo Bichette and Francisco Lindor, aiming for a similar blend of speed, power and defensive prowess.
The Los Angeles Angels, whose Double-A team is the Rocket City Trash Pandas, made two significant pitching selections. They began by picking right-handed pitcher Tyler Bremner from UC Santa Barbara with the second pick. Bremner recorded 111 strikeouts in 77.1 innings with a 3.49 ERA in his 2025 season. The Angels followed by picking up University of Tennessee right-handed pitcher Nate Snead with the No. 105 selection in the compensation round. Snead was a critical piece in the Volunteers’ bullpen during their historic 2024 College World Series championship run.
The Miami Marlins, affiliated with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, used their seventh overall pick to select Aiva Arquette, a shortstop from Oregon State. In his 2025 season, Arquette hit .354 with 12 home runs and 36 RBIs. They later selected outfielder Brandon Compton from Arizona State in the second round. Compton finished his 2025 season with a .271 batting average, nine home runs and 54 RBIs.
The Milwaukee Brewers, the parent organization of the Biloxi Shuckers, drafted Andrew Fischer, a third baseman from the University of Tennessee, with the 20th pick. Fischer was a standout for the Volunteers in his lone season in Knoxville, hitting .341 with 25 home runs, 65 RBIs, and an impressive .497 on-base percentage, earning him First Team All-SEC and Consensus First Team All-American honors. East Tennessee baseball fans may have seen Fischer showcase his power at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, and they may get to watch him again in a Shuckers uniform at Covenant Health Park.
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays, whose Double-A team is the Montgomery Biscuits, selected Daniel Pierce, a shortstop from Mill Creek High School in Georgia, with the 14th pick. Pierce, an 18-year-old Georgia commit, is lauded for his above-average fielding and throwing tools. He models his game after Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr., emphasizing speed and hustle, a trait that could make him a dynamic presence on the base paths.
Knox News reporter Gabriel Jackson covers the Knoxville Smokies and One Knox SC. Email: gabriel.jackson@knoxnews.com.
THIBODAUX, La. – Nicholls State University track and field coach Stefanie Slekis announced the 2026 schedule along with the hiring of assistant coach Cameron Bolt on Monday afternoon.
Nicholls will compete in two in state meets and two out of state meets for the indoor season. The teams will begin the season in Baton Rouge at the LSU Purple Tiger on Jan.16 followed by the McNeese Indoor II on Jan. 30. The Colonels will cross state lines to compete in the Bulldog Invitational hosted by Samford University on Feb. 13 before concluding the season at the Southland Conference Championship on Feb. 25-26.
The outdoor season is action packed with three out of state completion’s and four instate events. The Red & Gray will begin outdoor action at the Louisiana Classics hosted by Louisiana in Lafayette on March 20-21. Next, the squads will open the month of April in Austin, Texas at the Texas Relays on April 1-4. The Colonels return to the boot for the Pelican Relays (4/10-11), Strawberry Relays (4/17), and the LSU Alumni Gold (4/25). Nicholls will wrap up regular season action at Texas A&M’s Alumni Muster in College Station, Texas on May 1-2. The Southland Conference Championship is in Nacogdoches, Texas on May 14.
Coach Slekis is looking forward to the new season with some new opportunities for her student-athletes. Bolt joins the staff after coaching over 200 National qualifiers, 15 All-Americans, four National Champions. Additionally, he is the owner of Bolt Track and Field Club team that he started in 2023 and has had more than 20 National qualifiers.
We are so excited for our 2026 Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field schedule. For our schedule we changed up the second half of both our Indoor and Outdoor seasons from the past few years,” Slekis said. “Indoor we will head to Birmingham to compete at Samford’s Bulldog invitational which will give our team the opportunity to test themselves on the facility we will return to for the indoor championship. Outdoor we close out the season at two of the best SEC track & field programs in the country who have phenomenal facilities. Going first to LSU and then bringing full teams to Texas A & M for the Alumni Muster. Before we return to Texas for the Southland Championship hosted by SFA.”
Coach Slekis gave her overall thoughts on the addition of Coach Bolt and how he can help the team improve.
“We are changing things up a bit this year and I am also really excited to see how well our student-athletes perform this season especially our track & field only student-athletes who had the entire fall semester working with our new assistant coach Cameron Bolt,” Slekis said. “Cam comes with a wealth of knowledge as a young coach who founded his own track & field club and continuously worked to prepare himself for his first NCAA Division I collegiate coaching opportunity. His energy combined with his knowledge base make him a phenomenal hire. He understands how to develop student-athletes and maximize their potential. Through fall testing his event group has seen improvement across the board so it will be fun to see that hard work translate to their specific events this next semester.”
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference announced the 78 student-athletes placed on the Academic All-MAC Team for the 2025 volleyball season, as Martina Villani, Gabby Brissett, Vanessa Del Real and Sarah Bettis represented the University of Akron.
The Academic All-MAC honor is awarded to a student-athlete who has excelled in both athletics and academics. To qualify, a student-athlete must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.20 and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests in that sport.
- Martina Villani, Junior Criminology and Criminal Justice, 3.861
- Gabby Brissett, Senior, Biology, 3.745
- Vanessa Del Real, Junior, Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology, 3.81
- Sarah Bettis, Junior, Biomedical Science, 3.363
Senior Macy Medors led the Rockets, tallying a 3.989 GPA as she earned her third conference honor. Anna Alford and Sierra Pertzborn received the honor for a second-consecutive season. Grace Freiberger and Olivia Heitkamp were named honorees for the first time.
To qualify, student-athletes must be a sophomore or higher academic standing, have maintained a 3.20 cumulative GPA or higher and competed in 50% of contests during the 2025 season.
2025 Toledo Women’s Volleyball Academic All-MAC Team
Anna Alford, Senior, Public Health Management, 3.415
Grace Freiberger, Sophomore, Recreational Therapy, 3.909
Olivia Heitkamp, Sophomore, Early Childhood Education, 3.501
Macy Medors, Senior, Recreational Therapy, 3.989
Sierra Pertzborn, Redshirt Sophomore, Nursing, 3.558
- Kansas City field consists of No. 1 Kentucky, No. 1 Pitt, No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 3 Wisconsin
- Championship broadcast live on ABC for the third straight year; semifinals slated for ESPN, Thu., Dec. 18
- All matches will also stream on the ESPN App
It all comes down to Kansas City as ESPN’s exclusive coverage of the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship culminates this week live from the T-Mobile Center with the National Semifinals on Thursday, Dec. 18, followed by the Championship match on Sunday, Dec. 21.
The stage is set as the final four teams face off in the semifinals beginning with No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 1 Pittsburgh in the first semifinal on Thursday, Dec. 18, at 6:30 p.m. ET, followed 30 minutes later by No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 1 Kentucky. Both matches will be presented on ESPN and available on the ESPN App.
For the third consecutive year, ABC is home to the Championship match, broadcasting live on Sunday, Dec. 21, at 3:30 p.m. and for the first time, ABC will also air a dedicated 30-minute preview show ahead of the Championship’s first serve, beginning at 3 p.m. Both the preview show and the match will be available on the ESPN App.
On the Mic
For the fourth straight year, game action for all three matches will be called by play-by-play commentator Courtney Lyle, alongside analysts Holly McPeak (three-time beach volleyball Olympian) and Katie George (2015 ACC Player of the Year). For the second consecutive year, the trio is joined by sideline reporter and former FSU beach volleyball standout Madison Fitzpatrick.
Studio Coverage
Studio Coverage will originate from the T-Mobile Center as Christine Williamson, Emily Ehman (four-year Northwestern standout) and Mary Wise (three-time AVCA Coach of the Year) bring viewers pre- and post-game insights and analysis throughout the semifinals and Championship.
The trio will prep viewers for all they need to know ahead the National Semifinals and National Championship match, bringing additional insight and analysis as a champion is crowded.
Every Serve, Every Angle
ESPN has all the action in Kansas City covered from every angle, including exclusive and behind-the-scenes coverage. This year, along with 25-plus cameras and two dozen replay sources, ESPN will have new and enhanced telestrations, giving the fans an additional in-depth look at the Xs and Os of the game.
Additionally, the presentation will have multiple jibs, giving fans a sweeping view over the arena. ESPN will also use six state-of-the-art slow-mo cameras to give viewers a look at the action at the net.
For the first time at the National Championship, the broadcast will feature Bolt 6, showcasing enhanced technology that shows viewers serve speed, spike speed, spike height and other statistical facets of the game.
In addition to the traditional main telecast, an alternate “High End Zone” viewing option will be available on ESPN+/ESPN App for the semifinals and the Championship, giving fans the option to watch the match from the end zone angle.
Kansas City Bound
The National Semifinals boast programs that have made a combined 15 national semifinal appearances. Pittsburgh is making its fifth consecutive trip to the National Semifinal with a No. 1 seed behind them as the Panthers look to hoist their first NCAA trophy. The Wildcats are making their first trip back to the semifinals since the ’20-21 season in which they cut down the nets in Omaha. Storied program Wisconsin makes its seventh trip to the national semifinals, looking to win the program’s second national title (2021). Rounding out the field are the Texas A&M Aggies, who are on the quest to win the program’s first national championship.
2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Network |
| Thu, Dec 18 | 6:30 p.m. | No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 1 Pittsburgh Courtney Lyle, Holly McPeak, Katie George, Madison Fitzpatrick |
ESPN ESPN App * |
| Between Match Coverage | NCAA Women’s Volleyball Studio Christine Williamson, Emily Ehman, Mary Wise |
ESPN ESPN App * |
|
| 30 mins after Semifinal 1 | No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 1 Kentucky Courtney Lyle, Holly McPeak, Katie George, Madison Fitzpatrick |
ESPN ESPN App * |
|
| Sun, Dec 21 | 3 p.m. | NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship Preview Show Christine Williamson, Emily Ehman, Mary Wise |
ABC ESPN App |
| 3:30 p.m. | NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship Courtney Lyle, Holly McPeak, Katie George, Madison Fitzpatrick |
ABC ESPN App * |
|
| Following Championship match | NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Trophy Ceremony | ESPN App |
* There will be two streams available on the ESPN App (Traditional Simulcast and High End Zone angle)
All of ESPN. All in One Place.
ESPN offers its full suite of networks and services directly to fans on the ESPN App, providing more choice, flexibility and access to all of ESPN, including more than 47,000 live events per year, on-demand replays, industry-leading studio shows and original programming, and more. The ESPN App gives fans a unique viewing experience that includes multiview and synchronized two-screen viewing options, swipe-able vertical video and a personalized SportsCenter For You, as well as integrated game stats, ESPN Fantasy sports, betting odds and information from DraftKings, sports merchandise, and more. These features are available to all fans who watch on the ESPN App on mobile and connected TV devices, whether they subscribe directly or through a pay TV package. Bundling options available for fans include a limited time offer for the ESPN DTC Unlimited plan with Disney+ and Hulu for $29.99/month for the first 12 months. For more visit stream.espn.com.
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