Vanderbilt Commodores (29-8) Overall (13-2) SEC
@
Tennessee Volunteers (23-14) Overall (5-10) SEC
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Rounding out its five-weekend stretch against top-15 teams, including four top-five teams in the last four weeks, the No. 19-ranked Tennessee Volunteers gear up for a big in-state matchup with No. 2 Vanderbilt beginning Friday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Tennessee (23-14, 5-10 SEC) will look to bounce back from a tough stretch this weekend at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The Vols have had a great amount of success when playing on Rocky Top, going 21-4 this season and 4-2 in Southeastern Conference play at home.
Vanderbilt (29-8, 13-2 SEC) presents a strong test as the Commodores currently sit atop the standings in either division with their 13-2 record. The weekend marks just the third true road series for Vandy.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
For the most updated gameday information related to Tennessee baseball, please visit our Gameday Central page by clicking
HERE. The baseball Gameday Central page contains info in regard to tickets, parking, stadium policies and more.
TICKET INFORMATION
Season and single-game tickets for all remaining home contests are
SOLD OUT. Limited standing room only tickets will go on sale for all games two hours prior to first pitch at the Lindsey Nelson Stadium ticket office.
Single-game tickets for all games can also be purchased through Ticketmaster, the exclusive resale marketplace for Tennessee Athletics, by clicking
HERE.
In order to keep Lindsey Nelson Stadium as full as possible, we are encouraging season ticket holders who are unable to use their tickets for a game(s) to transfer your tickets to someone else (
Instructions HERE).
BROADCAST INFO
All three games this weekend will be televised with Dave Neal (PxP) and Kyle Peterson (Analyst) calling the action. Friday's game will be broadcast on SEC Network, while the games on Saturday and Sunday will air on ESPN2.
The broadcasts can also 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, and Vince Ferrara 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.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE/PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
Game 1 – Friday, April 21 (6 p.m. ET) [SEC Network]
RHP
Andrew Lindsey (0-2, 2.49 ERA) vs. LHP Carter Holton (4-0, 3.46 ERA)
Game 2 – Saturday, April 22 (Noon ET) [ESPN2]
RHP
Chase Dollander (4-4, 4.18 ERA) vs. TBA
Game 3 – Sunday, April 23 (1 p.m. ET) [ESPN2]
RHP
Drew Beam (4-2, 3.73 ERA) vs. LHP Devin Futrell (6-1, 2.35 ERA)
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Tennessee leads, 182-163-2
In Knoxville: Tennessee leads, 97-60-1
In Nashville: Vanderbilt leads, 100-79-1
at Neutral Sites: Tennessee leads, 6-3
Last 10 Meetings: Tennessee leads, 6-4
Last Meeting: W, 10-1 (May 26, 2022, in Hoover, Alabama)
A season ago, the Vols went 4-0 against Vanderbilt, outscoring the Commodores by an aggregate total of 26-5.
NOTABLE
VOLUNTEER STATE RIVALS
This weekend's series between in-state rivals will feature the top two teams in the SEC Eastern Division in terms of overall conference record since the start of the 2021 season. Tennessee is 50-25 in SEC regular-season play since 2021, tied for the best record in the league with Arkansas. Vanderbilt is the next closest program with a 46-28 record in that span. Including postseason games, the Vols are 59-27 against SEC foes since 2021.
The Vols and Commodores have combined to win four of the last seven SEC Eastern Division titles with UT finishing atop of the division standings in each of the past two seasons (2021 & 2022) and Vanderbilt taking home the crown in 2015 and 2019. Tennessee edged Vandy for the division title by half a game in 2021.
The series has been extremely competitive in recent years with Tennessee holding a 7-6 advantage since
Tony Vitello took over as head coach in 2018. Vanderbilt has won three of the four series between the two teams since 2018 but lost all four games to the Big Orange last season, including a 10-1 loss in the second round of the SEC Tournament.
ANOTHER WEEKEND, ANOTHER TOP 5 OPPONENT
Tennessee's grueling stretch continues as it will square off against a top-five team for the fourth consecutive weekend with No. 2/4 Vanderbilt coming to town. The Vols have faced No. 5 Arkansas, No. 2 Florida and No. 1 LSU in each of their past three weekend series.
The Big Orange are 5-7 against ranked teams so far this season after sweeping then No. 12 Texas A&M before going just 2-7 over the last three weekends.
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 and seven wins over top-ranked teams – LSU in 2023, Ole Miss (x3) in 2022, Arkansas in 2021, Texas Tech in 2020 and Florida in 2018.
UT has won 13 series over ranked teams since 2018, including five last season.
BOUNCE BACK FOR BURNS OUT OF THE BULLPEN
After struggling in his first four starts of SEC play, sophomore
Chase Burns looked more like himself last weekend at No. 5 Arkansas, tossing 5.1 strong innings of relief in Sunday's series finale in Fayetteville. The talented right hander allowed just one run on three hits while striking out five in his first relief appearance this season.
Burns was one of the top freshmen in the country in 2022, earning freshman of the year or freshman pitcher of the year recognition from the NCBWA, D1Baseball.com and Collegiate Baseball News. Despite his struggles, Burns still ranks eighth nationally and third in the SEC with 74 strikeouts this year.
OPPONENT SCOUT
Vanderbilt Commodores
- 2023 Record: 29-8 (13-2 SEC)
- 2022 Record: 39-22 (14-16 SEC)
- 2022 Postseason: Corvallis Regional Final
- 2023 SEC Preseason Poll: 3rd in Eastern Division
- 2023 Preseason All-SEC Team
- First Team: Enrique Bradfield Jr. (OF)
- Second Team: Carter Holton (SP)
- Head Coach: Tim Corbin (21st season)
- Stat Leaders:
- Average: RJ Schreck (.362)
- OBP: RJ Schreck (.497)
- SLG: RJ Schreck (.692)
- Hits: RJ Schreck (47)
- Runs: Enrique Bradfield Jr. (49)
- RBIs: RJ Schreck (42)
- Doubles: RJ Schreck, Jonathan Vastine (12)
- Triples: RJ Schreck, Jonathan Vastine (2)
- Home Runs: RJ Schreck (9)
- Stolen Bases: Enrique Bradfield Jr. (26)
- ERA: Devin Futrell (2.35)
- BAA: Devin Futrell (.179)
- Innings Pitched: Devin Futrell, Hunter Owen (46.0)
- Strikeouts: Hunter Owen (52)
- Wins: Devin Futrell (6)
- Saves: Nick Maldonado (4)
GAME PROMOTIONS
Gameday promotions for all Tennessee athletics home events can be found on the UT Fan Experience page by clicking
HERE.
Fans are encouraged to download the My All App for their phones and devices this season. The app is available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store and will allow fans to participate in in-game trivia, the custom filter selfie cam and more throughout the year.
FRIDAY SEC BLOCK PARTIES
This week's block party will take place on Friday night, prior to Game 2 of the series. Gates will open at 3:30 p.m. for ticketed fans on Pat Head Summitt Street (weather permitting). The area will only be accessible for fans with tickets to Friday's game.
Friday's SEC Block Parties will feature music, giveaways, face painting, food/beverage options, VolShop sales locations and Vol Network sponsor activations. Additionally, VFL Sterl the Pearl will join to add to the electricity in Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Food, drink, and anything else acquired at the block party can be brought inside the stadium. Gates 10A and 11 will be open for fans to use to enter the stadium. Fans may come and go from stadium to the block party as they please.
ON DECK
The Vols reach the midway point of their nine-game homestand as they welcome Bellarmine to Lindsey Nelson Stadium for a midweek on Tuesday, April 25, at 6:30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+, while tickets can be purchased by visiting
AllVols.com.
