Tennessee baseball will play a pair of fall scrimmages against division one opponents this October, the team announced Tuesday.
The NCAA used to not let schools scrimmage other schools during their fall season, but that rule changed in recent years to allow schools a pair of scrimmages. Since then, Tony Vitello and his program have played schools such as Alabama, Clemson and Xavier.
This October, Tennessee will compete in a pair of games in the state of Tennessee not at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Tony Vitello’s fifth team will play Georgia State at AT&T Field in Chattanooga on Oct. 23. AT&T Field is home to the Chattanooga Lookouts.
The Vols swept a weekend series against Georgia State last season as the Panthers posted an 18-37 record.
A week later, Tennessee will head west to play Louisiana Tech at USA Stadium in Millington, Tennessee.
Louisiana Tech had one of the best group of five teams in all of college baseball last season, going 42-20. The Bulldogs earned a Regional Host where they lost in the Ruston Regional Final to North Carolina State.
Tennessee will begin its fall practice on Sept. 30. The Vols are looking to recreate the magic of the 2021 season that saw Tennessee win the SEC East and make it back to the College World Series for the first time since 2005.
Vitello’s team lost a plethora of valuable contributors including two weekend starters and four starting infielders. Vitello and his staff brought in plenty of talent as well, including a pair of highly sought after transfer pitchers and the nation’s fifth best recruiting class.
Tennessee received a major boost this offseason when seniors Redmond Walsh, Luc Lipcius and Evan Russell decided to return for a super senior season thanks to NCAA COVID-19 eligibility rules.
