SCORE: Tennessee 5, Ole Miss 8 | FINAL
*SCROLL DOWN FOR LIVE AT-BAT- BY AT-BAT FEED*
Eighth-ranked Tennessee baseball (20-3, 2-2 SEC) is set to battle Ole Miss (16-7, 2-2 SEC) in Knoxville on Saturday for game two of a three-game series. Tennessee will aim to clinch the series over the Rebels after earning a 15-3 blowout, run-rule win in the series opener.
First pitch is at 6:00 p.m. ET on SEC Network +. Reminder that the online broadcasts can be accessed on any mobile device through WatchESPN. WatchESPN can be accessed through the ESPN App, or online at espn.com/watch. You can watch or listen to the game using the links.
Tennessee’s bats caught fire in its win over Ole Miss on Friday, as the Vols totaled 13 hits, five of which left the yard, in just six innings at the plate. Additionally, junior RHP AJ Causey turned in another solid start, his fourth straight on a Friday. The Jacksonville State transfer allowed just two earned runs and two walks while striking out six in 5.2 innings. Causey also earned the win, improving his record to 5-0 on the season.
Read all about Tennessee’s dominant series-opening win here.
For everything Tony Vitello said after the win, click here. Watch Tony Vitello’s post-game press conference here.
Friday’s win marked Tennessee’s 19th straight in Lindsey Nelson Stadium dating back to last season, as the Vols are perfect in Knoxville so far this season. Tennessee also got back to .500 in league play with the win, as they began SEC play with a series loss to Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The Tide won games two and three after Tennessee won in the series opener, 11-3.
Prior to Tennessee’s back-to-back losses to Alabama in Tuscaloosa, the Vols had won 17 straight, including series sweeps over UAlbany, Bowling Green and Illinois along with wins over Kansas State and Baylor.
Ole Miss entered the series coming off a series win over South Carolina in Oxford to open SEC play. The Rebels took two of three over the Gamecocks, winning games one and three. Ole Miss also owns series wins over Iowa (2 of 3), High Point (2 of 3) and Morehead State (3 of 3) along with midweek wins over Southern Miss and Memphis. The Rebels opened their season splitting a four-game series against Hawaii in Honolulu.
This weekend’s series marks the first time Tennessee and Ole Miss have squared off since 2022, when the Vols swept the then top-ranked Rebels in Oxford. Tennessee and Ole Miss haven’t met in Knoxville since 2019, when the Vols won two of three.
For all of RTI’s baseball coverage this season, click here.
More From RTI: RTI Game Predictions: Tennessee Basketball vs. Texas
Lineups, pitching matchup and additional pre-game notes are below, followed by the LIVE at-bat by at-bat game thread.
Starting Lineups
TENNESSEE STARTING NINE:
2B Christian Moore (R)
1B Blake Burke (L)
3B Billy Amick (R)
RF Kavares Tears (L)
LF Dylan Dreiling (L)
DH Robin Villeneuve (R)
CF Hunter Ensley (R)
SS Dean Curley (R)
C Cal Stark (R)
Lineup Notes:
- Stark gets his first catcher start of the weekend after Cannon Peebles handled catcher duties in the series opener.
- Hunter Ensley gets his first start of the weekend, as he continues to rotate with Reese Chapman and Dalton Bargo in the outfield.
- Villeneuve stays at DH, likely to be the case the entire series after Dalton Bargo got banged up last week.
- Tears moves back to right field with Ensley starting. Tears starts in center field any time Ensley is not in the lineup.
- Top five of the order stays the same.
OLE MISS STARTING NINE:
1B Jackson Ross (R)
3B Andrew Fischer (L)
LF Ethan Lege (R)
CF Ethan Groff (R)
RF Treyson Hughes (L)
SS Luke Hill (R)
DH Will Furniss (L)
C Campbell Smithwick (L)
2B Brayden Randle (L)
Pitching Matchup:
Vols Jr. RHP Drew Beam (3-1, 3.03 ERA, 5 app., 5 starts, 1 CG, 29.2 IP, 30 H, 11 R, 10 ER, 4 BB, 26 K, .263 opp. batting avg., 1.15 WHIP)
vs.
Rebels So. LHP Liam Doyle (2-0, 3.95 ERA, 6 app., 2 starts, 13.2 IP, 12 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 27 K, .231 opp. batting avg., 1.17 WHIP)
Pitching notes:
- Beam continues to start on Saturdays.
- Doyle logs his third start of the season, all of which have come in the last three weeks. In his start against South Carolina last week, Doyle gave up six hits and three earned runs while striking out 10 and walking one batter in 5.1 innings. Doyle also earned the win.
Uniforms
Tennessee: Orange tops, white pants
Ole Miss: Red tops, white pants, navy hats with red accents
*NOTE* There is a run-rule today. If Tennessee or Ole Miss leads by 10 or more runs in the seventh inning or later, the game is over.
- The run-rule is mandatory for ALL SEC games.
GAME THREAD
1st Inning:
T1
-Jackson Ross grounds out to 2B.
-Andrew Fischer crushes a solo homer over the scoreboard in RF. 445-feet and 113 mph off the bat. An absolute missile.
-Ethan Lege grounds out to SS. Was initially ruled safe, but the call was OVERTURNED after review.
-Ethan Groff grounds out to 3B. Tremendous play by Amick as he fielded it bare-handed and fired a dart to Burke.
END OF TOP HALF
B1
-Christian Moore strikes out looking.
-Blake Burke strikes out looking.
-Billy Amick strikes out looking.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 0, Rebels 1
2nd Inning:
T2
-Treyson Hughes flies out to CF.
-Luke Hill grounds out to 2B.
-Will Furniss strikes out swinging.
END OF TOP HALF
B2
-Kavares Tears flies out to CF.
-Dylan Dreiling works a walk after a terrific at-bat.
Tony Vitello is challenging to see if a ball hit Robin Villeneuve. Call STANDS.
-Robin Villeneuve strikes out swinging.
-Hunter Ensley ropes a two-run homer to left field. 108 mph, 348-feet.
-Dean Curley grounds out to 2B.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 2, Rebels 1
3rd Inning:
T3
-Campbell Smithwick strikes out looking.
-Brayden Randle smacks a solo home run to RF.
-Jackson Ross strikes out swinging.
-Andrew Fischer flies out to CF.
END OF TOP HALF
B3
-Cal Stark strikes out swinging.
-Christian Moore strikes out swinging.
-Blake Burke flies out to LF.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 2, Rebels 2
4th Inning:
T4
-Ethan Lege pops up to SS in shallow LF.
-Ethan Groff pops up to 2B in shallow right center.
-Treyson Hughes strikes out looking.
END OF TOP HALF
B4
-Billy Amick strikes out swinging.
-Kavares Tears grounds out to 2B.
-Dylan Dreiling flies out to CF.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 2, Rebels 2
5th Inning:
T5
-Luke Hill lines out to RF.
-Will Furniss singles up the middle.
-Campbell Smithwick strikes out looking.
-Brayden Randle flies out to LF.
END OF TOP HALF
B5
-Robin Villeneuve strikes out swinging.
-Hunter Ensley grounds out to SS.
-Dean Curley flies out to the warning track in left center.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 2, Rebels 2
6th Inning:
T6
-Jackson Ross lines out to LF.
-Andrew Fischer mashes his second HR of the day. A 106 mph, 423-foot solo bomb over the scoreboard.
UT pitching coach Frank Anderson has been EJECTED. Likely due to something he said to the home plate umpire. Anderson will be suspended for tomorrow’s game as well.
-Ethan Lege singles through the left side. Amick nearly made an incredible play.
-Ethan Groff singles up the middle. Lege advances to second.
*Pitching change: So. RHP AJ Russell (0-0, 2.89 ERA) on to pitch for Beam*
Baserunners steal second and third. Lege scores on a throwing error by Cal Stark, who tried to catch Lege stealing at third. Groff advances to third on the error.
-Treyson Hughes is walked to put runners on the corners with one out.
Hughes steals second.
-Luke Hill strikes out swinging.
-Will Furniss is walked after a solid at-bat. Bases loaded for Campbell Smithwick.
-Smithwick grounds out to 2B.
END OF TOP HALF
B6
-Cal Stark strikes out swinging.
-Christian Moore strikes out swinging.
-Blake Burke lines out to 1B.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 2, Rebels 4
7th Inning:
T7
-Brayden Randle strikes out looking.
-Jackson Ross flies out to the wall in left field. Nice catch by Dreiling.
-Andrew Fischer works a walk.
-Ethan Lege flies out to CF.
END OF TOP HALF
B7
-Billy Amick singles through the left side.
-Kavares Tears singles to center field. Amick advances to second.
*Pitching change: RHP Josh Mallitz (0-0, 2.45 ERA) on to pitch for Doyle*
-Dylan Dreiling works a walk after a terrific at-bat to load the bases.
*Dalton Bargo pinch-hitting for Villeneuve*
-Dalton Bargo grounds into an RBI fielder’s choice to score Amick as Dreiling is out at second 3-6. The shortstop commits a throwing error trying to turn two at first, but the throw sails to the wall. Tears scores on the error.
*Colby Backus pinch-running for Bargo*
-Hunter Ensley flies out to shallow CF. Backus got way too far down the line running to third that it was an easy 8-4 double play at second to end the inning.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 4, Rebels 4
8th Inning:
T8
-Ethan Groff strikes out swinging.
-Treyson Hughes grounds out to SS. Nice play by Curley.
-Luke Hill singles down the RF line. Just got by Burke.
-Will Furniss flies out to LF.
END OF TOP HALF
B8
-Dean Curley grounds out to SS.
-Cal Stark works a walk.
Stark advances to second on a wild pitch.
-Christian Moore legs out an infield single to 3B. Runners on the corners with one out.
-Blake Burke ropes an RBI single off the right-field wall to score Stark. Moore advances to third.
*Pitching change: Jr RHP Mason Nichols (2-0, 0.79 ERA) on to pitch for Mallitz*
-Billy Amick strikes out swinging.
Burke steals second.
-Kavares Tears strikes out swinging.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 5, Rebels 4
9th Inning:
T9
*Gatlin pinch-hitting for Smithwick*
-Gatlin is walked.
-Brayden Randle bunts the runner over to second, out at first 2-3.
-Jackson Ross slices an RBI double to right center to tie the game.
Andrew Fischer is intentionally walked.
AJ Russell has exited the game with an injury (looks like his throwing arm) after trainer Jeff Wood came out to check on him.
*Pitching change: Jr. RHP Aaron Combs (0-1, 6.75 ERA) on to pitch for Russell*
-Ethan Lege is walked. Walk goes to Russell.
-Ethan Groff sends a two-run single to left field. Lege advances to third on the throw home.
-Treyson Hughes knocks an RBI groundout to 2B. Groff advances to second.
-Luke Hill flies out to RF.
END OF TOP HALF
B9
-Dylan Dreiling strikes out looking.
*Reese Chapman pinch-hitting for Colby Backus*
-Reese Chapman strikes out swinging.
-Hunter Ensley doubles to left center.
*Pitching change: Sr. RHP Connor Spencer (0-1, 7.71 ERA) on to pitch for Nichols*
-Dean Curley walks.
*Cannon Peebles pinch-hitting for Stark*
-Cannon Peebles strikes out swinging.
END OF GAME
Score: Vols 5, Rebels 8
FINAL: Tennessee Vols 5, Ole Miss Rebels 8
