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Parker Noland set for Knoxville return to face Vols

Former Farragut star Parker Noland returns to Knoxville as Vols host Vanderbilt.

When Vanderbilt visits Lindsey Nelson Stadium for this weekend’s Southeastern Conference baseball series against No. 3 Tennessee, it will be a homecoming for a former Knoxville area high school star.

Sophomore infielder Parker Noland will return to Knoxville this weekend as the No. 3 Commodores (26-5, 9-3 SEC) take on Tennessee (29-6, 9-3).

The two in-state rivals enter the series tied atop the SEC East standings.

Noland enjoyed a stellar prep career with Farragut High School, where he was a four-year starter for the Admirals.

He was Tennessee’s Class AAA Mr. Baseball as a high school junior in 2018 and was a finalist for the award the following year when he helped lead Farragut to the 2019 Class AAA State Championship.

Farragut’s Parker Noland (9) hits a home run during a high school baseball game between Farragut and Maryville at Farragut Tuesday, April 23, 2019. © Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel

Noland was a two-time All-State standout in high school.

As a junior with the Admirals, Noland batted .520, a school record. He was also on the Knox County Schools Superintendent’s Honor Roll for four years.

Noland was drafted by the Miami Marlins in the 31st round of the 2019 MLB draft. He opted to play for the Commodores.

As a freshman at Vanderbilt during the abbreviated 2020 campaign, he appeared in 17 games, making 14 starts.

Noland had 15 hits, drove in 11 runs and collected five multi-hit games, including four consecutive in late February.

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Vols’ signee Angus Pence provides offensive production in Demarini Tournament

Vols’ signee Angus Pence provides offensive production in Demarini Tournament.

A University of Tennessee baseball signee had a big day for his high school team on Saturday.

Farragut High School senior shortstop Angus Pence appeared in two games for the Class AAA defending state champion Admirals and clubbed a home run in each contest.

Pence hit a two-run homer in Farragut’s, 6-2, win over 2019 Class AAA state finalist Mt. Juliet Saturday in Farragut.

Pence also homered in the Admirals’, 12-2, victory over Rossford (OH). The contest was played earlier in the day, part of Farragut’s annual Demarini Tournament.

The Admirals are now 13-0 on the season and sit atop the Tennessee high school baseball rankings.

Pence also had two hits and scored twice during a tournament game against 2019 state qualifier Science Hill in a Demarini Tournament game on Friday.

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Geoff Courtney wins head coaching debut at Farragut

Story detailing how Geoff Courtney fared as Farragut High School’s interim head coach

FARRAGUT — Former University of Tennessee football player Geoff Courtney made his high school head coaching debut Friday night.

He guided the Farragut Admirals to a 45-14 victory over Region 1-6 A rival Morristown West Friday night at Bill Clabo Field.

Courtney, an all-region wide receiver, defensive back and kick returner for the Admirals during his high school days, was named interim head coach while his father was recovering from successful cancer surgery.

The younger Courtney is currently Farragut’s offensive coordinator.

He has coached under his father for more than a decade and was a defensive assistant when the Admirals won the Class 5A state championship in 2016.

Geoff Courtney was a walk-on at UT between 2006-09.

Eddie Courtney, a legendary coach who is regarded as an ambassador of high school football in the Volunteer State, is a cancer survivor, having previously beaten Hodgkin’s disease.

Former Vol Geoff Courtney to serve as interim head coach at Farragut

Former Vol Geoff Courtney to serve as interim head coach at Farragut.

FARRAGUT — A former University of Tennessee football player will make his head coaching debut Friday night.

Geoff Courtney, a walk-on for the Volunteers between 2006-09, will coach the Farragut Admirals Friday night in their Region 1-6A contest against Morristown West at Bill Clabo Field.

Courtney, a former Farragut star wide receiver, defensive back and kick returner, serves as the Admirals’ offensive coordinator.

He will fill in for his father, Eddie, who had cancer surgery on Wednesday.

The elder Courtney is a cancer survivor. The longtime Farragut head coach beat Hodgkin’s disease in 2005.

Eddie Courtney is a beloved figure in East Tennessee, and he is regarded as one of Tennessee’s biggest ambassadors of high school football.

He guided the Admirals to the Class 5A state championship in 2016.

Geoff Courtney was on his father’s coaching staff that season and has been an assistant coach at Farragut for more than a decade.

Eddie Courtney is hoping to return to coaching sometime this season. The Admirals are 2-1 in 2020, winning a pair of home games against Bradley Central and Oak Ridge.

Farragut suffered its lone loss on the road against West High School in Knoxville.

Bailey Myers may have ended her high school career with a big day

Bailey Myers may have ended her high school career with a big day.

KNOXVILLE — With spring sports indefinitely suspended, uncertainty remains for senior athletes.

If one University of Tennessee softball signee played her last high school game on March 12, she went out on a high note.

Farragut High School infielder Bailey Myers signed with the Lady Vols in February and certainly had high hopes for the 2020 season, her senior campaign, for the Lady Admirals.

The season may have ended for Myers and the Lady Admirals before it even really had the chance to get started.

Farragut opened the season with a pair of lopsided District 4-AAA victories in rivalry games earlier in March. The Lady Admirals opened the year with a 12-1 win over Hardin Valley Academy before routing rival Bearden in what was Farragut’s most recent game before Knox County Schools closed and the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association suspended all competition due to the conavirus pandemic.

In the game against the Lady Bulldogs at Bearden’s Kim Hazelwood Field, Myers went 0-for-1 with two walks, two runs and three stolen bases.

Schools in Knox County are set to re-open on April 24 and the TSSAA has not canceled spring sports or the annual Spring Fling in Murfreesboro in May.

UT signee Drew Patterson throws five strong innings for Farragut

UT signee Drew Patterson throws five strong innings for Farragut.

KNOXVILLE — Farragut High School senior left-handed pitcher Drew Patterson got a start Monday night as the Admirals began defense of their 2019 Class AAA State Championship on the road against West High School.

Patterson, a University of Tennessee signee, went five innings against the Rebels in a key early-season District 4-AAA tilt. He gave up just one hit and had five strikeouts.

He exited the game while it was knotted in a 0-0 deadlock and picked up a no-decision as the Admirals lost 2-0 to the Rebels at Lindsay-Hawkins Field.

Farragut coach Matt Buckner was pleased with Patterson’s performance on the mound against West.

“He was fine,” Buckner said. “He did a good job. “Pitching didn’t hurt us today. We just didn’t get the big hit, and then we couldn’t catch a ball and they took advantage of it.”

The Rebels scored the only two runs of the contest with one out in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run single by designated hitter RJ Collins.

Jake Wilhoit, who scored the winning run, reached base when the ball dropped in center field in front of Bryce Burkey.

Former Farragut star Andrea Sarhatt gets big hit against Lady Vols

Andrea Sarhatt gets big hit against Lady Vols.

JOHNSON CITY — A former Knoxville Interscholastic League star helped the East Tennessee State University softball team capture its first victory over the Lady Vols on Sunday in the Buccaneer Classic at Betty Basler Field.

Andrea Sarhatt, a former standout at Farragut High School, doubled and scored for East Tennessee State in the rain-shortened tournament.

Sarhatt entered the weekend as the Bucs’ leading hitter, batting .405 with four doubles, six runs batted in and three stolen bases.

She is not the team’s only former star from the Knoxville area.

Makenna Helton, an outfielder and former all-state standout from Knoxville Halls High School has started 17 games for ETSU (7-10) and was hitting .250 before weekend action.

William Blount product Kasidy Dunn, an infielder, has made eight appearances, including three starts for the Buccaneers.

A former all-state pitcher and Class AAA State Champion from Powell High School, Allison Farr has made four appearances out of the bullpen for ETSU this season and has five strikeouts and a 1-1 record.