Big weekend lies ahead for the Vols

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UTSports

It’s a big March weekend for Tennessee athletics. Here’s what’s going on and why you should care.

Lady Vols vs LSU in the SEC Tournament. Friday is day three of the 2014 women’s basketball SEC Tournament at the Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Ga. After earning a bye for Wednesday and Thursday’s games, the second-seeded, sixth-ranked Lady Vols (24-5/13-3 SEC) make their tournament début on Friday night against LSU, who defeated Alabama by a score of 78-65 on Thursday. Tipoff is scheduled for 6pm and will be televised by SportSouth and streamed on ESPN3. Should Tennessee advance, it would play in the semifinal round on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. That game will be televised by ESPNU.

The Lady Vols have won 10 of their last 11 games, including four in a row. Remember, however, Tennessee lost its SEC opener to LSU in Knoxville on January 2nd by a score of 80-77. And the game in Baton Rouge was a mere five-point win.

Tennessee is 70-18 all time in the conference tournament, including a 15-2 mark since 2007-08. They have claimed 16 titles in the event’s 34-year history.

Baseball: No. 19 Tennessee travels to No. 24 Arizona State. Tennessee baseball is off to a scorching 12-0 start. The Vols took care of business to start the season at home, including a sweep of a solid UNLV team. But many consider this trip to Arizona State the first real test off the season.

Nick Williams will get the start tonight for game one; first pitch is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET. Andrew Lee will start tomorrow, with freshman Kyle Serrano taking the mound on Sunday. Expect to see some outstanding baseball.

Video streaming will be provided by PAC-12.com and the SportsAnimal will broadcast the audio. Get on the bandwagon now while it’s still early. There’s plenty of room.

Men’s Basketball: Senior Day at Thompson-Boling Arena. It wouldn’t be March under Cuonzo Martin if the Vols weren’t fighting for their postseason lives. It should be a tournament atmosphere in Knoxville as Tennessee and Missouri are both battling for their tournament lives. According to Joe Lunardi, who picked all 68 NCAA Tournament teams correctly last season, Martin’s squad is dancing with a win.

Tipoff is 4 p.m.  Arrive early to support seniors D’Montre Edwards, Jordan McCrae, Jeronne Maymon and Antonio Barton as they play their final game at the arena.

Spring football practice. Oh, I almost forgot, spring football began today. Tennessee kicks off the spring with practices today and tomorrow. All eyes will likely be on the quarterbacks as they battle for position. Check back for more details.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]