NASHVILLE, Tenn. – No. 1/1 Tennessee heads west for an SEC East showdown against in-state rival No. 3/9 Vanderbilt this weekend at Hawkins Field in Nashville.
The Vols tied the program record for consecutive wins with an 11-1 victory over Western Carolina on Wednesday, winning their 16th straight game. The 1994 team also won 16 in a row.
BROADCAST INFO
Friday (ESPN2) and Saturday’s (SEC Network) games will be broadcast on national television with Dave Neal (PxP) and Chris Burke (analyst) on the call. Sunday’s series finale will be streamed live on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app.
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 games on the Vol Network (FM 99.1/AM 990) as well as UTSports.com and the Tennessee Athletics App.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE/PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
Game 1 – Friday, April 1 (7 p.m. ET)
RHP Chase Burns (5-0, 0.80 ERA) vs. RHP Chris McElvain (4-0, 1.95 ERA)
Game 2 – Saturday, April 2 (8 p.m. ET)
RHP Chase Dollander (4-0, 2.67 ERA) vs. LHP Carter Holton (4-1, 4.02 ERA)
Game 3 – Sunday, April 3 (2 p.m. ET)
RHP Drew Beam (5-0, 1.12 ERA) vs. TBA
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Tennessee leads, 178-163-2
In Knoxville: Tennessee leads, 97-60-1
In Nashville: Vanderbilt leads, 100-76-1
Neutral Sites: Tennessee leads, 5-3
Last Meeting: L, 10-4 (April 18, 2021 in Knoxville)
Tennessee has played Vanderbilt more than any other opponent in program history and holds a slight edge in the series. The Vols will be looking for their first series win in Nashville since sweeping the Commodores back in 2009.
NOTABLE
Top-Ranked Vols
After earning their first-ever No. 1 ranking by any poll last week (Perfect Game), the Vols enter this week as college baseball’s unanimous No. 1 ranked team after sweeping previously top-ranked Ole Miss last weekend in Oxford.
More Weekly Honors for the Big Orange
Following a dominant weekend by the pitching staff, two Tennessee hurlers earned weekly conference honors for their efforts. Sophomore right hander Chase Dollander was named the SEC Pitcher of the Week after tossing 6.1 shutout innings with 10 strikeouts against one of the league’s top lineups to secure the series win on Saturday night.
Friday starter Chase Burns earned SEC Freshman of the Week recognition after a dominant performance in the series opener, silencing a sold-out crowd throughout the night at Swayze Field in his first-career SEC road start. The freshman right hander set a new career high with 11 strikeouts and did not allow a single walk while giving up just two hits and one run in seven innings, which was also a career high. By earning the win, Burns improved to 5-0 on the year, which is tied for the best mark in the SEC.
Vols Off to Historic Start
Tennessee’s 24-1 record is the best through the first 25 games of a season in program history, besting the previous mark of 22-3 in 2001. The Vols are just the sixth team to make it through the first two weeks of SEC play unbeaten since the league went to a 30-game conference schedule in 1996.
Another Weekend, Another Sweep
Tennessee recorded its fifth series sweep this season after taking all three games on the road at then No. 1 Ole Miss last weekend. Since Tony Vitello took over as head coach in 2018, the Vols have swept 17 weekend series (not including tournaments).
Series Sweeps by Year Under Vitello
2022: 5 | 2021: 5 | 2020: 2 | 2019: 3 | 2018: 2
OPPONENT SCOUT
Vanderbilt Commodores
- Record: 20-4 (4-2 SEC)
- 2021 Postseason: CWS Runner-Up
- 2022 SEC Preseason Poll: 1st in Eastern Division
- Head Coach: Tim Corbin (20th Season)
- Preseason All-SEC Honors:
- OF Enrique Bradfield Jr. (1st Team)
- DH/UTL Dominic Keegan (1st Team)
- RP Nick Maldonado (1st Team)
- Stat Leaders:
- Batting Avg: Dominic Keegan (.419)
- Runs: Enrique Bradfield Jr. (28)
- Hits: Dominic Keegan (36)
- Home Runs: Tate Kolwyck (6)
- RBI: Dominic Keegan (28)
- Stolen Bases: Enrique Bradfield Jr. (16)
- Wins: Devin Futrell (5)
- Saves: Thomas Schultz (4)
- ERA (min. 1 IP/G): Grayson Moore (0.69)
- Innings Pitched: Chris McElvain (32.1)
- Strikeouts: Carter Holton (47)
ON DECK
The Vols return to Knoxville to begin a four-game homestand next Tuesday, April 5 against Lipscomb before hosting Missouri next weekend.