Fifth-ranked Tennessee baseball (22-4, 3-3 SEC) is set to battle Georgia (21-4, 3-3 SEC) on Friday night in Lindsey Nelson Stadium in game one of a three-game weekend series. The series will serve as the third 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 entering Friday’s contest coming off of an 11-1, run-rule midweek win over Tennessee Tech on Tuesday. The Vols’ win over the Golden Eagles snapped a two-game losing streak, as Tennessee Tech had knocked off UT in 2022 and 2023.

Prior to the midweek win, Tennessee earned a series win over Ole Miss, their first series win of SEC play so far this season. The Vols bookended the series with a pair of run-rule wins, beating the Rebels 15-3 on Friday and 15-4 on Sunday. Tennessee lost game two of the series, 8-5, after giving up a four spot to the Rebels in the ninth.

Ole Miss’ Saturday win snapped a 19-game winning streak in Lindsey Nelson Stadium for the Vols dating back to last season. Tennessee now carries a two-game home winning streak into Friday night.

Tennessee began SEC play with a series loss to Alabama, losing games two and three after dominating the Tide in the series opener. 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.

Tennessee will be looking to avenge last year’s series loss to Georgia this weekend, as the Bulldogs won games two and three in Athens last year. The last time the two teams met in Knoxville was in 2022, when the Vols won two of three games (Friday and Saturday).

Injury Note

Like Tuesday, the Vols will be without star third baseman Billy Amick for the entire series against Georgia, as the Clemson transfer is dealing with an appendix injury. Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello said  Amick playing this weekend “isn’t a reality,” but that he may be back next week when the Vols travel to Auburn.

“With Billy, I think it will be sooner than later but with the appendix situation he had to go all of a sudden, as anyone who’s dealt with that (knows) it’s an all of a sudden thing,” Vitello said. “Went to the hospital, get things worked on for him to be available this weekend isn’t a reality but I think sometime soon after is a reality.”

In Amick’s absence, the Vols will once again turn to Ariel Antigua to start at shortstop and slide Dean Curley over to third base.

For all of RTI’s baseball coverage this season, click here.

More From RTI: RTI Game Predictions: Tennessee Basketball vs. Creighton

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: 

DH Robin Villeneuve (R)

1B Blake Burke (L)

2B Christian Moore (R)

RF Kavares Tears (L)

LF Dylan Dreiling (L)

3B Dean Curley (R)

RF Reese Chapman (L)

C Cannon Peebles (S)

SS Ariel Antigua (R)

Lineup Notes:

• Villeneuve leads off for the second time this season and for the second straight game.
• Moore stays in the three-hole instead of leading off, as Amick’s absence has caused the top of the order to be shaken up.
• Chapman gets a Friday night start after impressing in his past couple of appearances, Ensley sits. But expect Ensley to get at least one start this weekend and for Chapman to sit.
• Tears plays in center with Chapman occupying right field.
• Curley remains at third with Amick OUT. Antigua logs his second career (and second straight) start at shortstop.
• Peebles gets the Friday night start behind the plate. Expect to see Cal Stark get one start at catcher this weekend.
• Dreiling back in the lineup after a rest day on Tuesday.

GEORGIA STARTING NINE: 

1B Corey Collins (L)

CF Charlie Condon (R)

3B Slate Alford (R)

DH Dylan Goldstein (L)

RF Henry Hunter (L)

C Fernando Gonzalez (R)

LF Clayton Chadwick (L)

SS Kolby Branch (R)

2B Trey King (L)

Pitching Matchup:

Vols Jr. RHP AJ Causey (5-0, 1.91 ERA, 6 app., 4 starts, 1 SV, 33.0 IP, 23 H, 10 R, 7 ER, 6 BB, 44 K, .190 opp. batting avg., 0.88 WHIP)

vs.

Bulldogs Gr-Sr. LHP Charlie Goldstein (3-0, 5.16 ERA, 5 app., 5 starts, 22.2 IP, 22 H, 14 R, 13 ER, 11 BB, 28 K, .250 opp. batting avg., 1.46 WHIP)

Pitching notes:

• Causey continues to start on Friday nights as Tennessee’s ace.
• Causey has earned the win in every start he’s made, and he’s either got a save or a win in every appearance he’s made.
• Goldstein has been Georgia’s Friday night guy all season. Goldstein was the pitcher who exited last year’s Saturday game against Tennessee in Athens with a hamstring injury after facing just one batter.

Uniforms

Tennessee: Icy whites

Georgia: Black tops, white bottoms, black hats with red accents.

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*NOTE* There IS a RUN-RULE today. If Tennessee or Georgia leads by 10 or more runs in the seventh inning or later, the game is OVER.

• The run-tule is MANDATORY in SEC games.

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GAME THREAD

1st Inning: 

T1

-Corey Collins strikes out swinging.

-Charlie Condon grounds out to 2B.

-Slate Alford strikes out swinging. Strong first inning from Causey.

END OF TOP HALF

B1

-Robin Villeneuve flies out to the warning track in right center. Went farther than I thought it would initially, but the 105 mph fly ball nearly went out of the park.

-Blake Burke flies out to the warning track in right center. Nearly tied the program HR record.

-Christian Moore pops up to 2B.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 0, Bulldogs 0

2nd Inning: 

T2

-Dylan Goldstein flies out to RF.

-Henry Hunter is walked on a full count.

-Fernando Gonzalez reaches on a fielding error by Christian Moore. Hunter advances to third. It was 99 mph off the bat, and Moore was unable to make the play. Runners on the corners with one out.

-Clayton Chadwick works a walk to load the bases with one out.

-Kolby Branch ropes a bases-clearing double to left center on an 0-2 pitch.

-Trey King singles to center field. Branch advances to third.

-Corey Collins hammers a three-run home run to the top of the batter’s eye.

-Charlie Condon sends a 112 mph double into left center.

-Slate Alford grounds out to 1B unassisted. Condon advances to third.

-Dylan Goldstein flies out to LF.

END OF TOP HALF

B2

-Kavares Tears flies out to CF. 112 mph off the bat.

-Dylan Dreiling flies out to RF in right center.

-Dean Curley smokes a single up the middle.

-Reese Chapman singles through the left side.

-Cannon Peebles strikes out swinging.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 0, Bulldogs 6

3rd Inning: 

T3

-Henry Hunter singles to RF. All Georgia’s hits have been hit hard tonight.

-Fernando Gonzalez launches a two-run homer to left field. Both the single and two-run bomb were on the first pitch of the at-bat.

-Clayton Chadwick strikes out looking.

-Kolby Branch singles to 2B, advances to second on a throwing error by Christian Moore. Causey tried to field the grounder when he should’ve let Moore field it behind him. The ball ricocheted off Causey’s glove, Moore got it then tried to flip it to Burke at first, but the flip went to the wall, allowing the runner to advance to second.

Branch advances to third on a wild pitch.

-Trey King grounds out to first, 1B to P.

*Pitching change: Gr-Sr. LHP Chris Stamos (3-0, 3.48 ERA) on to pitch for Causey*

-Corey Collins is walked.

-Charlie Condon works a walk on a full count to load the bases.

-Slate Alford flies out to RF.

END OF TOP HALF

B3

-Ariel Antigua records his first career hit with a single to second base.

-Robin Villeneuve reaches on a fielder’s choice by SS. Antigua advances to second on a fielding error by SS. Hard-hit ball went off the shortstop’s glove into the outfield.

-Blake Burke rips a single to RF to load the bases after a great at-bat. 112 mph off the bat. Burke extends his hit streak to 17 games, on-base streak to 24 games.

-Christian Moore grounds into a 6-3 double play, but a run comes across as Antigua scores. No RBI since it’s a double play. Villeneuve advances to third.

-Kavares Tears smokes a 110 mph RBI double down the RF line to score Villeneuve.

-Dylan Dreiling grounds out to 2B.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 2, Bulldogs 8

4th Inning: 

T4

-Dylan Goldstein HBP.

-Henry Hunter strikes out swinging.

-Fernando Gonzalez flies out to RF.

-Clayton Chadwick fouls out to 3B. Nice inning from Stamos.

END OF TOP HALF

B4

-Dean Curley slaps a single over the shortstop’s head into left field.

-Reese Chapman smokes a single to right field. Curley advances to second. Chapman and Curley are 2-2 at the plate so far.

-Cannon Peebles flies out to LF.

-Ariel Antigua grounds into a 5-3 double play to end the inning.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 2, Bulldogs 8

5th Inning: 

T5

-Kolby Branch works a walk after a long at-bat.

-Trey King grounds out to P on a SAC bunt as Branch advances to second.

*Pitching change: Fr. RHP Derek Schaefer (2-0, 5.14 ERA) on to pitch for Stamos*

-Corey Collins is walked on four pitches.

-Charlie Condon strikes out swinging.

-Slate Alford smokes a two-run double to left center.

-Dylan Goldstein drops an RBI double into shallow left field.

-Henry Hunter strikes out looking.

END OF TOP HALF

B5

-Robin Villeneuve grounds out to 3B.

-Blake Burke flies out to CF.

-Christian Moore singles through the left side.

-Kavares Tears strikes out swinging.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 2, Bulldogs 11

6th Inning: 

T6

-Fernando Gonzalez strikes out looking.

-Clayton Chadwick sends a solo homer off the scoreboard.

-Kolby Branch singles to 3B. Curley maybe could have made the play.

-Trey King singles to LF. Branch advances to second.

*Pitching change: Fr. LHP Matthew Dallas (0-0, 0.00 ERA) on to pitch for Schaefer*

-Corey Collins cranks a three-run home run to right field on the first pitch of the at-bat.

-Charlie Condon flies out to RF.

-Slate Alford strikes out swinging.

END OF TOP HALF

B6

-Dylan Dreiling doubles to left center.

-Dean Curley flies out to LF.

-Reese Chapman strikes out swinging.

-Cannon Peebles grounds out to SS.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 2, Bulldogs 15

7th Inning: 

T7

-Dylan Goldstein doubles to left center.

-Tre Phelps grounds out to SS. Goldstein advances to third.

-Fernando Gonzalez knocks a sac fly to RF.

-Clayton Chadwick grounds out to SS.

END OF TOP HALF

B7

*Pitching change: Sr. RHP Brian Zedlin (2-0, 1.32 ERA) on to pitch for Goldstein*

-Ariel Antigua strikes out swinging.

*Dalton Bargo pinch-hitting for Robin Villeneuve

-Bargo flies out to CF.

-Blake Burke doubles down the RF line. Now has 15 doubles on the year (1st in SEC).

-Christian Moore strikes out swinging.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 2, Bulldogs 16

END OF GAME – RUN RULE (7 inn.)

FINAL: Tennessee Vols 2, Georgia Bulldogs 16