Tennessee Volunteers
@
Arkansas Razorbacks
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Ready for yet another top-five road battle, the 12th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers travel to Fayetteville, Arkansas, as they face off with the No. 5 Arkansas Razorbacks in a three-game series beginning Friday night at Baum-Walker Stadium.
The Vols (23-10, 5-7 SEC) enter the weekend after a pair of strong outings that closely mirrored each other. Tennessee won 14-2 on both Saturday and Tuesday. Both games ended in run-rule fashion and came courtesy of a three-run walk-off home run. The Big Orange will look to keep that momentum rolling as it heads into another big road trip.
The weekend will feature a new look rotation as
Andrew Lindsey is slated to take the ball on Friday night for his first start at Tennessee. Lindsey has experience as a starter at the Division I level, amassing 12 starts in his 2021 campaign at Charlotte. Lindsey enters the weekend with a 2.01 ERA, a 0.90 WHIP and an opposing batting average of .158.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE/PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
Game 1 – Friday, April 14 (8 p.m.) [SEC Network]
RHP
Andrew Lindsey (0-1, 2.01 ERA) vs. LHP Hunter Hollan (5-1, 3.00 ERA)
Game 2 – Saturday, April 15 (7 p.m.)
TBD vs. TBD
Game 3 – Sunday, April 16 (3 p.m.)
TBD vs. TBD
BROADCAST INFO
Friday's game will be broadcast live on the SEC Network with Dave Neal (PxP) and Kyle Peterson (Analyst) calling the action. Both Saturday and Sunday's game will stream on SEC Network+ with Brett Dolan (PxP) and Troy Eklund (Analyst) on the call.
The online broadcast can be accessed on any mobile device through WatchESPN. WatchESPN can be accessed through the ESPN App, or online at
espn.com/watch.
Fans can also listen to the Voice of Tennessee Baseball, John Wilkerson, call the action on the Vol Network (FM 99.1/AM 990) or via a free audio stream on
UTSports.com and the Tennessee Athletics Gameday App.
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Arkansas leads, 39-28
in Knoxville: Series tied, 15-15
in Fayetteville: Arkansas leads, 20-12
at Neutral Sites: Arkansas leads, 4-1
Last 10 Meetings: Arkansas leads, 8-2
Last Meeting: L, 7-2 (May 30, 2021, in Hoover, Ala.)
Tennessee is looking for its first series win in Fayetteville since 2001.
NOTABLE
ANOTHER RANKED SHOWDOWN
For the fourth straight weekend, Tennessee will take on a ranked opponent, including three straight against top-five clubs. The Vols are 5-4 in those previous three series, including a sweep over then No. 12 Texas A&M.
Since
Tony Vitello became UT's head coach in 2018, the Vols have posted 54 wins over ranked foes, including 23 victories over teams ranked in the top 10. Vitello's record against ranked teams at Tennessee is 54-47.
BATTLE OF SEC POWERS
This weekend's series will feature the SEC's top two teams in terms of overall record during conference play since the start of the 2021 season and will also pit the last two SEC Champions against one another.
Tennessee is 50-22 in SEC regular-season play since 2021, the best record in the league. The next closest program is Arkansas, who is 48-24 in that span. Including postseason games, the Vols are 59-24 against SEC foes since 2021.
BURKE FINDING HIS GROOVE AGAIN
After a slow start to SEC play, sophomore slugger
Blake Burke is starting to find his form once again at the plate, batting .325 with three homers and six RBIs over the team's last 10 games. Burke went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and hit his team-leading 12th homer of the year in Tuesday's midweek win over Eastern Kentucky. He also went deep in last Thursday's series opener vs. No. 2 Florida.
SWEET 16
Senior third baseman
Zane Denton has driven in 16 runs during SEC play, which is double the next closest players on the team (
Christian Moore &
Griffin Merritt).
BOLT IT DOWN, BULLPEN
The Vols' bullpen has also been impressive this year with a 2.12 ERA and 178 strikeouts compared to just 39 walks in 135.2 innings pitched.
AJ Russell (0.71),
Bryce Jenkins (0.87),
Aaron Combs (1.50),
Camden Sewell(1.59),
Jake Fitzgibbons (1.93),
Jacob Bimbi (2.00),
Andrew Lindsey (2.01),
Seth Halvorsen (2.42) and
Kirby Connell (2.70), all enter this weekend's matchup with ERA's under 3.00
OPPONENT SCOUT
Arkansas Razorbacks
- 2023 Record: 26-7 (8-4 SEC)
- 2022 Record: 46-21 (18-12 SEC)
- 2022 Postseason: College World Series Quarterfinals
- 2023 SEC Preseason Poll: 3rd Western Division
- 2023 SEC Preseason All-SEC
- First Team: Peyton Stovall (2B), Brady Tygart (RP)
- Head Coach: Dave Van Horn (35th season overall, 21st at Arkansas)
- Stat Leaders:
- Average: Jace Bohrofen (.422)
- OBP: Jace Bohrofen (.551)
- SLG: Jace Bohrofen (.745)
- Hits: Jace Bohrofen (43)
- Runs: Jace Bohrofen, Jared Wegner (37)
- RBIs: Jace Bohrofen (44)
- Doubles: Brady Slavens (10)
- Triples: Jared Wegner (2)
- Home Runs: Jared Wegner (12)
- Stolen Bases: Tavian Josenberger (7)
- ERA: Hunter Hollan (3.00)
- BAA: Hagen Smith (.198)
- Innings Pitched: Hunter Hollan (42.0)
- Strikeouts: Hagen Smith (52)
- Wins: Dylan Carter, Hagen Smith, Hunter Hollan (5)
- Saves: Zack Morris, Gage Wood, Dylan Carter (2)
ON DECK
Tennessee returns to Rocky Top to kick off a nine-game homestand beginning with Tennessee Tech on Tuesday, April 18. First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m. ET. Tickets are still available for purchase in very limited quantities and can be found
HERE.
