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Tennessee softball's stars of tomorrow meet the legends of yesteryear at 3 p.m. Sunday at Lee Softball Stadium in the inaugural alumni game.

Fans attending the free event won't need to look any further than the pitcher's mound to see one of the more compelling matchups in country.

UT freshman Cat Hosfield, the national high school player of the year and national single-season strikeout record holder (659 in 257 innings), starts for the Lady Vols.

Hosfield, from Murfreesboro Riverdale High School, looks to win the No. 1 spot in the rotation and lead UT back to the Women's College World Series.

She is competing with senior Danielle Pieroni and sophomore Ashton Ward, both of whom will pitch today.

The alumni team pitcher is no stranger to anyone. The NCAA career strikeouts, wins and innings-pitched leader Monica Abbott takes the hill straight from her silver-medal outing in the Olympics.

"It's going to be a lot of fun, and it should be very entertaining,'' said Ralph Weekly, who along with his wife, Karen, serves as UT's co-head coach. "I think it will be a tremendous game.''

If so, that will say a lot for the Lady Vols young team, which looks to get back to the Women's College World Series after missing the trip for the first time in four years last season.

The alumni team, coached by Karen Weekly today, features at least three All-Americans. In addition to Abbott, Tonya Callahan and India Chiles will be playing. Shannon Doepking, Katherine Card and Kenora Posey also will be in the lineup.

UT counters with rising freshman EA Sports All-Americans Jessica Spigner, a third baseman who was also featured in Sports Illustrated, and shortstop Ashley Andrews, who went 7-for-8 in fall wins over Tennessee Tech and Middle Tennessee State.

A game between the Knoxville Thunder Gold and the Chattanooga Fury, two of the top travel fast-pitch teams in the Southeast, will follow the seven-inning alumni game at Lee Stadium.

Donations to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in conjunction with the Light The Night Walk will be taken at the game.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.