SCORE: Tennessee 7, South Carolina 5 | FINAL

***SCROLL DOWN FOR LIVE AT-BAT BY AT-BAT FEED***

No. 1 Tennessee baseball (24-2, 6-1 SEC) is set to battle the South Carolina Gamecocks (17-10, 1-6 SEC) Saturday in game two of a three-game series in Columbia.

First pitch at Founders Park is at 4:00 p.m. ET on SEC Network +.

The series finale will air on SEC Network at 5 p.m. ET Sunday.

For a full preview of the series, including a look at both teams along with a prediction, click HERE.

Tennessee enters Saturday’s contest coming off an 11-7 series-opening win over the Gamecocks. A five-run second inning and four-run fifth inning led Tennessee to the win, and eight of the Vols’ 11 runs were scored with two outs. Dalton Bargo and Hunter Ensley each homered while Liam Doyle, Tanner Franklin and Dylan Loy saw time on the mound.

GAME ONE RECAP: Tennessee Baseball Uses Pair of Big Innings to Claim Series-Opening Win Over South Carolina

Prior to Friday’s win, Tennessee picked up a 14-3 midweek win over Queens. Last weekend, the Vols won their first road series of the season, beating Alabama in two-of-three games in Tuscaloosa.

Tennessee dropped the series opener before exploding for 19 runs across the next two games to win 10-7 in game two and 9-2 in the series finale.

Hunter Ensley, Dalton Bargo, Tegan Kuhns, Brayden Krenzel, Ariel Antigua, Dylan Loy and others all had big performances in the series.

Following the Alabama series win, Tennessee remained the No. 1 team in four of five polls. The NCBWA poll was the only poll to drop Tennessee, moving the Vols down two spots to No. 3.

RANKINGS: Where Tennessee Baseball Lands In Rankings After Suffering First Loss Of Season

Before the Alabama series, the Vols dropped a midweek game to ETSU, 7-6, in 10 innings. The ETSU loss marked Tennessee’s first of the season, as the Vols had won their first 20 games, a program record.

In the ETSU loss, star second baseman Gavin Kilen suffered a hamstring injury when an ETSU player slid into him. The star second baseman has not been in the lineup since and is once again not in the lineup Saturday against the Gamecocks.

Head coach Tony Vitello said Tuesday that Kilen could ‘do something’ in the South Carolina series. Kilen will likely pinch-hit before anything else then DH before starting in the field.

UPDATE: Tony Vitello: ‘Good Chance’ Gavin Kilen Could ‘Do Something’ For Tennessee Against South Carolina

Manny Marin will most likely be Tennessee’s primary second baseman with Kilen sidelined. Ariel Antigua has started at shortstop and Dean Curley has moved to third base in the last four games. That remains the case Saturday.

The worst part of Tennessee’s season so far is first baseman Alberto Osuna having his injunction for another season of eligibility denied by a judge at the beginning of March.

In response, Osuna penned a letter to the NCAA requesting they make things right and grant him eligibility.

Read more about the court’s decision and its impact on Osuna HERE.

Injury/Availability Notes

• 2B Gavin Kilen is still out of the lineup with a hamstring injury. He will be slowly worked back into the fold.
• UNC transfer first baseman Alberto Osuna remains ineligible.
• RHP AJ Russell is fine and did not suffer a setback after making his return from UCL surgery against North Alabama, but Tennessee is exercising caution and likely won’t ramp up his action until April.
  • Russell could return next weekend against Texas A&M, and the Ole Miss series would be likely.
• Infielder Alex Perry, who was in competition to start at first base before Osuna’s arrival, left the program in January to tend to a personal matter. It remains to be seen when or if Perry will return. He is in his second season at Tennessee.

Opponent Scout

South Carolina has had a rocky start to the 2025 season. The Gamecocks are 17-10 with a 1-6 start in league play. SC dropped its SEC-opening series at home to Oklahoma before getting swept by Arkansas last weekend in Fayetteville.

South Carolina had an easy non-conference slate outside of a road series at Clemson in which the Tigers swept the Gamecocks. South Carolina’s other loss on the season came in a midweek matchup to North Carolina Tuesday.

Therefore, the Gamecocks are on a five-game losing streak.

Head coach Paul Mainieri is in his first season in Columbia after serving as LSU’s long-time head coach. After a string of disappointing seasons for South Carolina before Mainieri took over, it’s going to be a process before the Gamecocks can get back to being one of the better teams in the league. SC was picked to finish 14th in the SEC this season.

South Carolina boasts one Preseason All-Conference selection in outfielder Ethan Petry, who has seven homers and eight doubles so far this year. He went 4-5 with a homer on Friday against the Vols.

Starting pitcher Dylan Eskew is a significant injury to note for SC. Eskew was hit in the head by a home run ball while in the bullpen and hasn’t pitched since the Oklahoma series. Mainieri said Eskew will “be out for a while.”

South Carolina is not a top half SEC team and could be one of the worst teams in the conference this season. A series win is the expectation for Tennessee with a series sweep certainly on the table.

TRANSCRIPT: Everything Tony Vitello Said After Tennessee Baseball’s Series-Opening Win Over South Carolina

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

For the latest RTI Diamond Pass podcast, discussing all the major takeaways from Tennessee’s series win over Alabama, click here.

VIDEO: Tony Vitello Recaps Series-Opening Win Over South Carolina

Lineups, pitching matchup and additional pre-game notes are below, followed by the LIVE at-bat by at-bat game thread.

TENNESSEE STARTING NINE: 

3B Dean Curley (R)

LF Dalton Bargo (L)

CF Hunter Ensley (R)

1B Andrew Fischer (L)

DH Levi Clark (R)

RF Reese Chapman (L)

2B Manny Marin (R)

C Stone Lawless (R)

SS Ariel Antigua (R)

Lineup Notes:

• With Gavin Kilen still out of the lineup with a hamstring, Manny Marin starts at second base.
• Ariel Antigua stays at shortstop where he has started the last four games. Curley still at third.
• Stone Lawless behind the plate today after Cannon Peebles started the series opener.
• Levi Clark is back in the lineup after a four-game absence.
  • He’ll look to break out of an 0-12 slump at the plate that includes six strikeouts.
• Dalton Bargo still in the starting lineup, moving to left field after starting at DH Friday.
  • Bargo has been incredible in his last four games (7-13 with three homers, a double, triple and seven RBIs)
• No Jay Abernathy with Bargo starting in left.

SOUTH CAROLINA STARTING NINE: 

CF Nathan Hall (R)

RF Ethan Petry (R)

DH Jase Woita (L)

LF Kennedy Jones (R)

3B KJ Scobey (R)

1B Beau Hollins (S)

2B Jordan Carrion (R)

C Gavin Braland (R)

SS Henry Kaczmar (L)

Lineup Notes:

• South Carolina got a majority of its production in the series opener from three players: Hall, Petry and Carrion.
  • Carrion went 4-4, Petry went 4-5 with a homer and Hall recorded two hits.

Pitching Matchup:

Vols Jr. RHP Marcus Phillips (2-0, 1.47 ERA, 6 app., 6 starts, 1 CG, 30.2 IP, 19 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 9 BB, 35 K, 5 XBH, .173 opp. batting avg., 0.91 WHIP)

vs.

Gamecocks Jr. LHP Jarvis Evans Jr. (3-0, 3.42 ERA, 6 app., 5 starts, 26.1 IP, 25 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 6 BB, 27 K, 10 XBH, .263 opp. batting avg., 1.19 WHIP)

Pitching notes:

• Phillips continues to start in a game two setting. He was amazing in a 7.0 inning complete game shutout two weeks ago against Florida.
  • Was solid but imperfect in a 4.2 inning start last week at Alabama (4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K)
• Evans Jr. was South Carolina’s midweek starter to begin the year but has been thrust into the weekend rotation with Dylan Eskew sidelined.
  • Evans Jr. is a name probably familiar to Tennessee fans. After Georgia’s game two starter was injured in the first inning two years ago, Evans Jr. shoved in a 5.1-inning relief appearance in the Bulldogs 3-1 win (3 H, 1 R, 7 K)
    • He had not pitched more than 1.1 innings against SEC competition before the Tennessee game that year.
    • It remains the best outing of Evans Jr.’s career.
  • In his first weekend start of the season a week ago, Evans Jr. gave up two runs, both solo home runs, on five hits in 3.0 innings.

Uniforms

Tennessee: Orange shirts grey pants

South Carolina: Black pinstripes

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*NOTES*

• There run-rule is MANDATORY in SEC play. If Tennessee or South Carolina leads by 10 or more runs after the 7th inning, the game is over.

---

GAME THREAD

1st Inning: 

T1

-Dean Curley lines out to SS.

-Dalton Bargo HBP.

-Hunter Ensley smacks a double to left-center. Bargo to third.

-Andrew Fischer strikes out swinging on three pitches.

-Levi Clark grounds out to 3B.

END OF TOP HALF

B1

-Nathan Hall grounds out to 3B.

-Ethan Petry strikes out looking.

-Jase Woita strikes out swinging after a seven-pitch at-bat.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 0, Gamecocks 0

2nd Inning: 

T2

-Reese Chapman strikes out swinging.

-Manny Marin pops up to 3B.

-Stone Lawless grounds out to SS.

END OF TOP HALF

B2

-Kennedy Jones flies out to RF.

• Phillips was down 3-0. Nice job to work back into the count then get a fly-out on a 3-2 pitch.

-KJ Scobey strikes out swinging.

-Beau Hollins singles down the LF line.

-Jordan Carrion grounds out to 2B.

• First time Carrion has been retired this weekend.
• Nice play by Manny.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 0, Gamecocks 0

3rd Inning: 

T3

-Ariel Antigua lines out to 3B.

• Rocket from Ariel. KJ Scobey leapt up and nabbed it, robbing Antigua of an extra-base hit.

-Dean Curley flies out to the deepest park of the ballpark in left-center.

• Inches away from a homer.

-Dalton Bargo strikes out looking.

END OF TOP HALF

B3

-Gavin Braland strikes out swinging.

-Henry Kaczmar lines out to P.

• Look what I found moment for Phillips. Went right to his glove.

-Nathan Hall strikes out swinging.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 0, Gamecocks 0

4th Inning: 

T4

-Hunter Ensley grounds out to 3B.

-Andrew Fischer singles to right field.

Fischer advances to second on a passed ball.

-Levi Clark works a walk after an eight-pitch at-bat.

-Reese Chapman hammers a three-run homer to center.

• 414 feet, 107 mph.

-Manny Marin strikes out swinging.

-Stone Lawless grounds out to SS.

END OF TOP HALF

B4

-Ethan Petry out at first 1B to P.

-Jase Woita sends a solo homer to left field.

• Opposite-field homer barely got out.

-Kennedy Jones strikes out swinging.

-KJ Scobey strikes out looking.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 3, Gamecocks 1

5th Inning: 

T5

-Ariel Antigua grounds out to P.

-Dean Curley flies out to the warning track in left field.

• Two warning track fly-outs for Curley today.

-Dalton Bargo singles to right field.

-Hunter Ensley flies out to CF in right-center.

END OF TOP HALF

B5

-Beau Hollins singles to left field.

• 2-2 day so far for Hollins.

-Jordan Carrion singles to P. Hollins to second.

-Gavin Braland singles to 3B on a bunt.

• Bases loaded with no outs for Henry Kaczmar.

-Henry Kaczmar sends a sac fly to LF. Carrion to third. Hollins scores.

-Nathan Hall sends an RBI groundout to 3B. Braland to second. Carrion scores.

• Curley made a nice play diving to stop the ball. Probably saved a hit. Run was scoring anyway.

-Ethan Petry flies out to CF.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 3, Gamecocks 3

6th Inning: 

T6

-Andrew Fischer lines out to CF.

-Levi Clark flies out to RF.

-Reese Chapman strikes out swinging.

END OF TOP HALF

B6

*Pitching change: So. LHP Brandon Arvidson (2-0, 3.65 ERA) on to pitch for Phillips*

-Jase Woita grounds out to SS.

-Kennedy Jones singles to center field.

-KJ Scobey singles up the middle. Jones to second.

-Beau Hollins singles to center field.

• Bases loaded with one out for Jordan Carrion.
• 3-3 day for Hollins.
• Dropped in no man’s land. Ensley nearly made the sliding catch.

*Pitching change: Jr. RHP Nate Snead (1-0, 2.01 ERA) on to pitch for Arvidson*

-Jordan Carrion reaches on an RBI fielder’s choice to 2B. Hollins out at second, 4-6. Scobey to third. Jones scores.

• Manny Marin dropped a line drive. Probably would have saved a run as Hollins would’ve been held at third had Marin caught it.

-Gavin Braland grounds out to 1B unassisted.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 3, Gamecocks 4

7th Inning: 

T7

*Pitching change: RHP Brandon Stone (1-2, 4.05 ERA) on to pitch for Evans Jr.*

*Jay Abernathy pinch-hitting for Manny Marin*

-Jay Abernathy lines out to LF.

*Cannon Peebles pinch-hitting for Stone Lawless*

-Cannon Peebles grounds out to 2B.

-Ariel Antigua flies out to RF.

END OF TOP HALF

B7

*Peebles to C*

*Abernathy to LF*

*Bargo to 3B*

*Curley to 2B*

-Henry Kaczmar grounds out to 3B.

-Nathan Hall flies out to CF.

-Ethan Petry strikes out swinging.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 3, Gamecocks 4

8th Inning: 

T8

-Dean Curley strikes out swinging.

-Dalton Bargo singles to center.

-Hunter Ensley strikes out swinging.

-Andrew Fischer smokes a two-run homer to center.

• 405 feet, 105 mph.

*Gavin Kilen pinch-hitting for Levi Clark*

-Kilen grounds out to 2B.

END OF TOP HALF

B8

-Jase Woita works a walk.

*Blake Jackson pinch-running for Woita*

-Kennedy Jones singles through the left side. Jackson to second.

*Evan Stone pinch-running for Kennedy Jones*

-KJ Scobey reaches on a fielder’s choice to SS. Jackson out at third, 6-5. Stone to second.

• What an incredible play by Ariel. Prevented a hit and gets a key out to keep runners at first and second.

-Beau Hollins sends an RBI single to right field.

-Jordan Carrion singles through the right side.

• Bases loaded with one out for Gavin Braland.

-Braland grounds into a 3-6-3 double play.

• Another incredible play by Antigua. Excellent throw to first.
• Play is under review. Fischer’s foot may have been on the green base instead.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 5, Gamecocks 5

9th Inning: 

T9

*Stone to LF*

-Reese Chapman grounds out to 2B.

-Jay Abernathy singles to right field.

-Cannon Peebles smokes a two-run homer to right-center.

-Ariel Antigua lines out to SS.

-Dean Curley grounds out to 3B.

END OF TOP HALF

B9

-Henry Kaczmar is walked on four pitches.

-Nathan Hall grounds into a 4-3 double play.

• Great stretch by Fischer. He’s had some great plays at first today.
• Call was challenged and UPHELD.

-Ethan Petry grounds out to SS.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 7, Gamecocks 5

END OF GAME

FINAL: Tennessee Vols 7, South Carolina Gamecocks 5