SCORE: Tennessee 15, Ole Miss 3 | FINAL (7 inn. – run rule)
*SCROLL DOWN FOR LIVE AT-BAT- BY AT-BAT FEED*
Eighth-ranked Tennessee baseball (19-3, 1-2 SEC) is set to battle Ole Miss (16-6, 2-1 SEC) in Knoxville on Friday night for game one of a three-game series. The series will serve as the second SEC series for each team.
First pitch is at 6:30 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 is coming off a 10-2 midweek win over Xavier on Tuesday night following a series loss to Alabama to open SEC play. The Vols dominated the Tide in the series opener, 11-3, before losing games two and three 6-3 and 7-6, respectively.
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. Additionally, Tennessee’s perfect home record in 2024 is on the line Friday night against the Rebels, as the Vols are 17-0 inside Lindsey Nelson Stadium so far this season.
Dating back to last year, Tennessee has won 18 straight in Knoxville. Friday night’s game will serve as Tennessee’s first SEC contest at home.
Ole Miss is 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, including Tennessee’s midweek win over Xavier, click here.
More From RTI: No. 8 Tennessee Baseball vs. Ole Miss: How To Watch, Projected Pitching Matchups, More
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)
CF Kavares Tears (L)
LF Dylan Dreiling (L)
DH Robin Villeneuve (R)
C Cannon Peebles (S)
RF Reese Chapman (L)
SS Dean Curley (R)
Lineup Notes:
- Peebles gets the nod behind the plate for the series opener.
- Tears gets the start in center to begin the series. Chapman gets a start in right as he continues to be a part of the outfield rotation on weekends.
- Top five of the order have remained the same the last several games.
- Villeneuve fills the DH spot – likely will every game this series barring a Peebles DH start, as Dalton Bargo got banged up last week.
OLE MISS STARTING NINE:
CF Ethan Groff (R)
3B Andrew Fischer (L)
1B Jackson Ross (R)
LF Ethan Lege (R)
RF Treyson Hughes (L)
SS Luke Hill (R)
DH Will Furniss (L)
C Eli Berch (R)
2B Brayden Randle (L)
Pitching Matchup:
Vols Jr. RHP AJ Causey (4-0, 1.65 ERA, 5 app., 3 starts, 1 SV, 27.1 IP, 16 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 38 K, .182 opp. batting avg., 0.80 WHIP)
vs.
Rebels Jr. LHP Gunnar Davis (3-0, 4.56 ERA, 5 app., 5 starts, 23.2 IP, 24 H, 15 R, 12 ER, 11 BB, 29 K, .264 opp. batting avg., 1.48 WHIP)
Pitching notes:
- Causey logs his fourth straight Friday night start and second straight in SEC play, as it now seems Causey is officially Tennessee’s Friday night guy.
- Davis has been Ole Miss’ Friday night guy all season. He hasn’t gone longer than five innings in a start. Was shaky against Iowa three weeks ago but has otherwise been solid.
Uniforms
Tennessee: Icy Whites
Ole Miss: Red tops, white bottoms
*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
-Ethan Groff grounds out to 1B unassisted. Nice job by Burke to stop a hard-hit ground ball.
-Andrew Fischer grounds out to P. Another solid by Burke to extend and make the play as Causey’s toss likely wouldn’t have made it there in time otherwise.
-Jackson Ross strikes out swinging.
END OF TOP HALF
B1
-Christian Moore grounds out to 3B.
-Blake Burke strikes out swinging, out at first C to 1B.
-Billy Amick strikes out looking.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 0, Rebels 0
2nd Inning:
T2
-Ethan Lege grounds out to SS.
-Treyson Hughes works a walk. Only the fifth walk Causey has issued this season.
-Luke Hill reaches on a fielder’s choice as Hughes is out at second, 6-4.
Will Furniss should’ve grounded out to 1B unassisted, but the home plate umpire ruled it foul. Bad call.
Hill is caught stealing at second, 2-6.
END OF TOP HALF
B2
-Kavares Tears slices a single past the shortstop. 109 mph off the bat.
-Dylan Dreiling strikes out swinging.
-Robin Villeneuve knocks a single into left field. Tears advances to second.
-Cannon Peebles strikes out swinging.
-Reese Chapman smacks an RBI single to RF. Peebles advances to second. Tears just evaded the tag at home. Great play by Tears.
-Dean Curley launches a three-run home run to the second deck of the left-field porches. 106 mph, 391 feet.
-Christian Moore sends a solo homer to left field. Second deck of the porches. 109 mph, 389 feet. No. 35 of Moore’s career, putting him five HR away from tying Luc Lipcius’ program record of 40 long balls. (Burke is second with 38).
-Blake Burke grounds out to 1B unassisted.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 5, Rebels 0
3rd Inning:
T3
-Will Furniss doubles to deep left field.
-Eli Berch strikes out swinging.
-Brayden Randle flies out to left field.
-Ethan Groff grounds out to 2B.
END OF TOP HALF
B3
-Billy Amick grounds out to P. Easy out.
-Kavares Tears doubles down the RF line. 105 mph off the bat. First baseman couldn’t stop it. Second hit of the day for Tears (double + single).
-Dylan Dreiling works a walk after a great AB. Two on with one out for Robin.
-Villeneuve hammers a three-run homer just over the left-field wall. An absolute laser, 112 mph. 362-feet.
-Cannon Peebles flies out to RF.
-Reese Chapman works a walk.
-Dean Curley flies out to CF.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 8, Rebels 0
4th Inning:
T4
-Andrew Fischer singles to RF.
-Jackson Ross strikes out swinging.
-Ethan Lege lines out to LF.
-Treyson Hughes strikes out swinging.
END OF TOP HALF
B4
-Christian Moore strikes out swinging.
-Blake Burke doubles to left field. Was a risky decision to go to second but it worked. 13th double for Burke this season, still leading the SEC.
-Billy Amick grounds out to 3B.
-Kavares Tears knocks a two-run home run straight away to center field. Hit the yellow on top of the wall. 112 mph, 402-feet. Tears’ 7th HR this season, and he’s a triple away from the cycle.
*Pitching change: So. RHP Kyler Carmack (0-0, 5.79 ERA) on to pitch for Dennis*
-Dylan Dreiling fouls out to SS in foul territory in left field.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 10, Rebels 0
5th Inning:
T5
-Luke Hill strikes out swinging.
-Will Furniss ropes a ground-rule double to RF.
-Eli Berch grounds out to SS. Great pick by Burke at first. Furniss advances to third.
-Brayden Randle cranks a two-run homer to left field.
-Ethan Groff strikes out looking.
END OF TOP HALF
B5
-Robin Villeneuve strikes out looking.
-Cannon Peebles strikes out swinging.
-Reese Chapman works a walk. A single and two walks tonight for Chapman.
-Dean Curley grounds into a fielder’s choice as Chapman is out at second, 6-4.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 10, Rebels 2
6th Inning:
T6
-Andrew Fischer lines out to 1B.
-Jackson Ross reaches on a fielding error by Billy Amick at third.
Ross advances to second on a wild pitch.
-Ethan Lege is walked on four pitches.
-Treyson Hughes singles through the left side to load the bases.
-Luke Hill reaches on a fielder’s choice as Hughes is out at second, 5-4. Hill barely beat the throw at first and was confirmed after a Tennessee challenge. It was an RBI fielder’s choice as Ross scored. Runners on the corners with two outs.
*Pitching change: Sr. LHP Kirby Connell (2-0, 2.79 ERA) on to pitch for Causey*
*Bo Gatlin pinch-hitting for Will Furniss*
-Gatlin is walked to load the bases.
-Eli Berch strikes out swinging to strand the bases loaded.
END OF TOP HALF
B6
-Christian Moore crushes a solo home run to left-field. Moonshot. 111 mph, 405-feet. His second HR of the day, 9th of the season and 36th of his Tennessee career.
-Blake Burke is walked on four pitches.
*Pitching change: Fr. RHP Patrick Galle (0-0, 0.00 ERA) on to pitch for Carmack*
Burke caught stealing at second, 2-4.
-Billy Amick is walked.
-Kavares Tears is walked to put two on with one out.
-Dylan Dreiling knocks an RBI single up the middle to score Amick.
-Robin Villeneuve hits an RBI single into shallow center field, then reaches second on a fielding error from the center fielder, as the ball bounced over his head. Dreiling advances to third on the error.
*Pitching change: So. LHP Ryne Rodriguez (0-0, 9.00 ERA) on to pitch for Galle*
-Cannon Peebles strikes out swinging.
-Reese Chapman slaps a two-run single up the middle to give some insurance for the run rule.
-Dean Curley strikes out swinging.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 15, Rebels 3
7th Inning:
T7
-Reagan Burford grounds out to 3B.
*Pitching change: Gr-Sr. LHP Chris Stamos (3-0, 4.15 ERA) on to pitch for Connell*
-Ethan Groff strikes out swinging.
-Andrew Fischer singles to SS.
Fischer steals second.
-Jackson Ross grounds out to SS.
END OF GAME – RUN RULE
Score: Vols 15, Rebels 3
FINAL: Tennessee Vols 15, Ole Miss Rebels 3
