Tennessee baseball is set to hit the road for the first time this season, heading to Houston this weekend to battle Oklahoma State, Rice and Arizona in the Astros Foundation College Classic.
The Vols are off to an 8-0 start with series sweeps over Samford and Hofstra plus midweek victories over UNC Asheville and North Alabama.
But now is when the competition picks up a bit. OSU and Arizona are undoubtedly the best two teams Tennessee will have faced this season. UT begins the weekend playing Oklahoma State on Friday before playing Rice Saturday and Arizona Sunday.
More From RTI: How to Watch Tennessee Baseball vs. Oklahoma State At Astros Foundation College Classic
Let’s take a quick look at Tennessee’s trio of opponents in the tournament.
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State is 4-3 so far with losses to Clemson, Texas and North Texas. OSU opened the season in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown in Arlington going 1-2, losing to the Tigers and Longhorns while beating Louisville.
The Cowboys would return home and lose a midweek contest to North Texas. Since, OSU has swept UT Arlington in a two-game series and beat Abilene Christian in a midweek battle.
Oklahoma State was picked to finish 1st in the 2025 Big 12 Preseason Poll but hasn’t lived up to expectations early in the season. The Cowboys were 17th in D1 Baseball’s Preseason Poll but dropped out this past week.
Despite the slow start, OSU is a very talented team with a great offense. The Cowboys boast four Preseason All-Conference selections, including outfielder Nolan Schubart who was the Preseason Player of the Year.
Pitching has been Oklahoma State’s downfall in losses, specifically the 14-8 loss to Texas. Only one Cowboy arm was a Preseason All-Big 12 selection in RHP Gabe Davis, who is off to shaky start across two appearances (5.06 ERA).
Friday’s meeting will be the sixth in history between Tennessee and Oklahoma State. The Vols are 4-1 and 2-0 in neutral sites. The last meeting came in 2005 when Tennessee won 6-5 in Houston.
Oklahoma State is probably Tennessee’s toughest opponent of the weekend, but with the way Liam Doyle is pitching and OSU’s pitching struggles, the Vols have the advantage across the board in the matchup.
Rice
Rice is the weakest opponent Tennessee will face this weekend. The Owls are off to a poor 2-5 start with wins over USC and Sam Houston. Rice opened the season in the Puerto Rico Challenge, where it lost all three games to Villanova, Michigan and Virginia.
After the Sam Houston midweek win, Rice split a two-game series with USC (third was canceled) then lost a midweek battle against Arizona in an 11-8 high-scoring affair.
Rice was picked to finish last in the AAC Preseason Coaches Poll and 9th by the media.
Head coach Jose Cruz Jr. is entering his 4th year and has just one Preseason All-AAC selection in RHP Davion Hickson. Hickson has been sharp to start the season but UT will likely avoid him. The junior has been Rice’s game one starter, meaning he will likely get the ball against Mississippi State on Friday in Houston.
Expect Tennessee to win comfortably on Saturday.
This will be the second meeting between Tennessee and Rice. The Owls won the first matchup in Houston in 2012.
Arizona
Arizona enters the weekend with a 5-3 record and on a five-game winning streak.
Like Oklahoma State, the Wildcats opened the season in Arlington at the Shriners Children’s College Showdown, losing all three games to Ole Miss, Clemson and Louisville. Arizona battled Ole Miss close but was blown out by the Tigers and and Cardinals.
Since, the Wildcats have swept San Diego in a weekend series and picked up midweek wins over New Mexico and Rice.
Like Oklahoma State, Arizona was ranked in D1 Baseball’s Preseason Poll, coming in at No. 21. Also like OSU, Arizona hosted an NCAA Regional last postseason but did not advance.
Head coach Chip Hale is in his 4th year at Tucson and boasts two Preseason All-Big 12 selections in infielder Mason White and outfielder Brendan Summerhill.
The reigning Pac-12 Tournament Champions will be a tough out for Tennessee on Sunday, but given Arizona’s struggles in Arlington earlier in the season – especially on the mound – Tennessee has the advantage.
This is the second time Tennessee will play Arizona in program history. The first meeting came just two years ago in Scottsdale, Arizona, when the Wildcats won 3-1.
First pitch between Tennessee and Oklahoma State is at 4:05 p.m. ET in Daikin Park. You can watch the game on Astros.com.
