Wade Payne/Special to the News Sentinel

Tennessee's Erinn Webb, 14, smiles after hitting a home run in the seventh inning against Virginia Tech in the Lady Vols' 4-2 loss Sunday. Webb is one of the key returning players for the Lady Vols next season.

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The Tennessee softball team finished with a 50-win season and the No. 9 RPI in the nation after losing six starters from last year’s SEC championship team.

The Lady Vols were in a rebuilding mode to be sure, having lost NCAA strikeout queen and U.S. Olympic team pitcher Monica Abbott among the departed players.

Still, UT co-head coach Ralph Weekly left Lee Softball Stadium after Sunday’s season-ending 4-2 NCAA regional loss to Virginia Tech feeling disappointed.

“I promise you this, we’ll be a better team next year,’’ said Weekly, who along with his wife, Karen, shares the head coaching duties. “We’ll be back; we aren’t done. We have the No. 1 recruiting class in the country coming in here.’’

This marks the first time in four years the Lady Vols haven’t made the eight-team Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.

Ralph Weekly believes UT could be back in the WCWS as early as next year, even if half the starting lineup in 2009 may be freshmen.

The Lady Vols’ signing class features three EA Sports All-Americans.

Pitcher Cat Hosfield, from Riverdale High School in Murfreesboro, figures to be the headliner.

Hosfield, who set the national record for strikeouts, plays summer ball for the Haning BatBusters in Orange County, Calif., and brings plenty of talent and experience to the mound.

Returning starters Tiffany Huff and Jen Lapicki figure to split first base and catching duties, but incoming freshman catcher Shelby Burchell, from Columbia Academy and the Haning BatBusters, will push for playing time.

The middle infield positions are wide open, but incoming freshman Brittany Arrendondo from Big Springs, Texas, is an early favorite to replace departing senior Kenora Posey. Arrendondo is Texas’ Class 4A Player of the Year.

Weekly grimaced at the notion of replacing SEC Player of the Year and UT all-time home run leader Tonya Callahan at third base, but landing California’s Jessica Spigner should help cushion the blow.

Spigner played for Valencia High School, last year’s top-ranked prep team by the USA Today, and is considered by many recruiting sites to be the best hitting recruit in the country.

The Lady Vols outfield brings back plenty of experience and promise, with Lillian Hammond, Danielle Pieroni, Kelly Grieve and Erinn Webb.

Webb was 9-for-17 in the Lady Vols’ regional, including three homers, two doubles a triple and six RBIs.

“I think next year’s team has the potential to win 50 games, but with so many young players, it’s hard to come right out and predict that,’’ Weekly said. “But if we win about that many, that’s usually good enough to get to the (Women’s College) World Series.’’

Weekly said next year’s team will be coached even tougher than this year’s well-drilled squad, which led the SEC in defense.

“We’ll be a mentally tougher team, we’ll have better offense and hopefully we’re going to get more production on the mound,’’ he said. “It feels really strange to have our season over in May; usually at this point we’re preparing for (NCAA) Super Regionals.

“But we’ve had our player-exit meetings, collected equipment, and we’re just planning for next year. We will be better.’’

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.