Tennessee remains in Knoxville this weekend, set to host No. 13 Alabama for another critical three-game series. The Volunteers, who had clawed back to the right side of the bubble following a sweep on the road of Mississippi State, dropped two of three to Ole Miss last weekend.
According to Baseball America, Tennessee is now clinging to one of the last at-large spots in the field. A series win against a team like Alabama would go a long way towards some insurance there.
It’ll be Tennessee’s first Thursday-Saturday
series of the season this weekend. The Volunteers now sit 27-14 overall with an 8-10 mark in conference play. Alabama is 28-14 on the year with a 9-9 record in SEC play. It’s a series that matters quite a bit to Tennessee in terms of NCAA Tournament standing, but also one that could shift the SEC standings as we creep closer to Hoover.
Alabama has dropped its last two series, coming against Texas and Arkansas. They’re also coming off of a midweek loss to UAB, 11-2. Tennessee won their midweek game against Lipscomb, 14-4.
“It’s just always a good club,” Josh Elander said of Alabama. “We told the team, the nine or 10 years we played these guys, it’s always a battle, regardless of who’s on the roster, home or road. It’s just a good, competitive SEC weekend. I think Rob Vaughn is a phenomenal coach.”
Tennessee vs. Alabama weekend baseball schedule
Game 1 – Thursday: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Tennessee: RHP Landon Mack (10 GS, 3-3, 4.39 ERA)
Alabama: RHP Tyler Fay (10 GS, 6-3, 4.50 ERA)
Game 2 – Friday: 6:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network+
Tennessee: RHP Tegan Kuhns (9 GS, 2-3, 3.35 ERA)
Alabama: LHP Zane Adams (10 GS, 4-2, 3.67 ERA)
Game 3 – Saturday: 1 p.m. ET, SEC Network+
Tennessee: LHP Evan Blanco (10 GS, 4-2, 3.76 ERA)
Alabama: RHP Myles Upchurch (10 GS, 5-2, 3.05 ERA)
