By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–After essentially a year off due to the coronavirus outbreak, Union City High School spring sports teams and athletes are ready to crank up their respective 2021 seasons Monday.
Now, if only Mother Nature will cooperate.
Weather permitting, all seven UCHS spring sports squads will open up next week – almost a year to the day from when their 2020 campaigns were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Union City baseball played just three games last spring, winning all three. The Tornado softball team won its only outing, as did the UC girls’ tennis squad.
Teams and athletes are hoping for an uninterrupted 2021 spring season that will culminate with the annual Spring Fling, set for May 25-28 in Murfreesboro.
Both the Union City baseball and softball teams open their respective seasons Monday with doubleheaders. Cole McAdams’ UC baseball squad will be at home at Elam Stadium to play Dresden twice, while the Lady Tornadoes of J.B. Suiter will play at Milan for a pair of contests in softball.
McAdams has posted an 80-30 record in four previous seasons, highlighted by a school-record 36-win campaign in 2018 when the Purple and Gold made the program’s 10th state tournament appearance in its 45-year history.
Suiter is 76-49-1 in four years at the helm of Twister softball with both a district and regional tournament championship as well as a sectional appearance included.
Union City will play its first home softball game of the season on Tuesday against Bradford.
The UC girls’ tennis team opens its 2021 season Monday at McCracken County before then being joined by the boys’ squad Tuesday in matches at Westview.
The promising Tornado girls’ team is looking for its ninth trip to the state tourney, six of those coming in the last nine years. UC’s best-ever finish was a state runner-up in 2000.
Tom Sisco will again oversee both Tornado net teams.
John Graham’s Union City soccer squad will begin play Tuesday at Obion Central before then hosting Milan Thursday at War Memorial Stadium.
Graham is the only coach the program has ever known, having compiled a 53-56-2 mark in eight seasons.
UC lost its only two matches played in last year’s abbreviated season.
And, finally, Wade Maddox and Josh Keown will direct the Tornado track teams into their first meets Thursday at Huntingdon.
In a new venture this spring, Froggy 99.3 will broadcast selected Union City baseball and softball games. The first of the baseball games will be the season-opener for the Tornadoes Monday, while the initial softball game to air will be March 25.
Complete schedules for all Union City High School spring sports teams can be found on the school’s website: tornadotouch.net.