Things ratchet up to another level for Tennessee baseball this weekend as the Vols open up SEC play at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The challenge is significant for Tennessee to open up the conference slate as Tony Vitello’s squad prepares to face a strong Florida team.
Here’s how to watch, pitching matchups and everything else to know ahead of the three-game set in Knoxville.
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How to Watch: No. 2 Tennessee baseball (17-0) vs. No. 7 Florida (16-2)
Friday
First pitch time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Announcers: PxP: Zack Nelson, CC: Will Heflin
Watch: SEC Network+
Saturday
First pitch time: 6 p.m. ET
Announcers: PxP: Zack Nelson, CC: Will Heflin
Watch: SEC Network
Sunday
First pitch time: 1 p.m. ET
Announcers: PxP: Zack Nelson, CC: Will Heflin
Watch: SEC Network+
Pitching Matchups
Friday:
Vols LHP Liam Doyle: 4 GS, 3-0, 0.44 ERA, 20.1 IP, 0.54 WHIP, 47 K, 5 BB
vs.
Gators RHP Liam Peterson: 4 GS, 4-0, 0.86 ERA, 21 IP, 0.86 WHIP, 34 K, 6 BB
Saturday
Vols RHP Marcus Phillips: 4 GS, 1-0, 1.42 ERA, 19 IP, 0.84 WHIP, 25 K, 6 BB
vs.
Gators RHP Aidan King: 1 GS, 3-0, 0.55 ERA, 16.1 IP, 0.67 WHIP, 20 K, 2 BB
Sunday
TBD vs. TBD
What To Know About Florida
The Gators have lived up to their high expectations early this season after making it to Omaha last season and losing to Texas A&M in the semifinals.
Florida has dropped just two games this season. They won two out of three games in a series against Miami while dropping a midweek game at UCF the ensuing Tuesday. Florida swept series against Air Force, Dayton and Harvard while winning a midweek matchup against Florida State.
Friday night starter Liam Peterson is one of the best pitchers in the conference while junior catcher Brody Donay is a monster at the plate, hitting .404 with eight home runs, five doubles and 16 RBIs so far this season. Senior Bobby Bosser is also on a tear to open the season, hitting .328 with seven home runs, five doubles and 25 RBIs.
What Tony Vitello Said About The Gators
On what he knows about Florida
“I know a couple of those young arms were throwing against us last year, and we were like, ‘what the hell?’ And then there’s a couple position players too that you could, I mean, I haven’t watched them play much, but you probably say the same thing, ‘what the hell is this guy doing back here?’
“But Sully (Florida coach Kevin O’Sullivan) is good at a lot of things, and one thing is just educating kids on the draft and maybe their personal circumstance, why it might be advantageous. I don’t know. Maybe I need to ask him. He’s got something going on there where, and it’s a great state too to recruit where there’s a lot of talent, but there’s guys who easily could be in pro ball that are a part of their program, and they’ve always had that flashy talent and yet, Sully, I mean, all you got to do is see his demeanor, and you know what he’s looking for and how he wants his team to play. So that’s made for a combination that I don’t know where they’re at in the last two decades, but they got to be in the top four, minimum. So it’s a pretty good combination of talent and approach to the game.”
SEC Availability Report
Prediction
Entering the season, Texas A&M looked like Tennessee’s biggest series at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. But after the non conference slate, Florida looks like the Vols’ biggest test.
We know Tennessee is really good but we’ll learn a lot more about Vitello’s eighth Volunteer squad this weekend when we watch them face a stout Florida team. The Gators are very capable of coming to Knoxville and winning the weekend series.
My best guess is Tennessee takes the series but suffers its first loss.
Tennessee wins two out of three
