University of Tennessee Athletics
Thursday, March 29
Columbia, SC
7:30 P.M. ET
University of Tennessee
at
South Carolina
Baseball Central: Tennessee at South Carolina
March 28, 2018 | Baseball
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Tennessee will look to win its second straight SEC series this week as the Volunteers take on South Carolina Thursday through Saturday at Founders Field in Columbia, S.C.
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The Vols and Gamecocks are both coming off midweek wins on Tuesday. The Big Orange enter the series on a four-game winning streak and will look to build on their best start to conference play since 2008.
Projected Starting Pitchers
Dave Neal (PxP) and VFL Chris Burke (analyst) will call all three games of the series. Thursday's series opener will air on ESPNU with Friday and Saturday's games being shown on the SEC Network. John Wilkerson will also call all three games on Sports Radio WNML (FM 991. / AM 990) and UTSports.com.
Series History vs. South Carolina
Overall: USC leads, 61-36
In Knoxville: USC leads, 23-20
In Columbia: USC leads, 35-14
Neutral Site: USC leads, 3-2
Last Meeting: L, 10-2 (3/19/17)
Tennessee is looking to end a six-game losing streak to USC and will attempt to win in Columbia for the first time since 2012.
Need to Know
South Carolina GamecocksÂ
The Vols kickoff a six-game homestand next Tuesday against Belmont at 6:30 p.m. The game will be streamed live on SEC Network + (WatchESPN).
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MORE INFO
Game Times & Broadcast Info
- Opponent: South Carolina Gamecocks
- Game 1: Thursday, March 29 – 7:30 p.m.
- Game 2: Friday, March 30 – 7 p.m.
- Game 3: Saturday, March 31 – 2 p.m.
- Venue: Founders Field (Columbia, S.C.)
- TV: ESPNU (Thur.) | SEC Network (Fri./Sat.)
- Radio: WNML / UTSports.com
- Live Stats: UTSports.com
Tennessee (17-9, 4-2 SEC)
Roster Schedule Stats Game NotesSouth Carolina (14-11, 1-5 SEC)
Roster Schedule StatsÂ
The Vols and Gamecocks are both coming off midweek wins on Tuesday. The Big Orange enter the series on a four-game winning streak and will look to build on their best start to conference play since 2008.
Projected Starting Pitchers
- LHP Garrett Crochet (2-2, 4.29 ERA) vs. TBA
- RHP Garrett Stallings (4-1, 2.55 ERA) vs. RHP Cody Morris (4-2, 5.04 ERA)
- RHP Will Neely (3-1, 2.95 ERA) vs. RHP Ridge Chapman (1-3, 3.68 ERA)
Dave Neal (PxP) and VFL Chris Burke (analyst) will call all three games of the series. Thursday's series opener will air on ESPNU with Friday and Saturday's games being shown on the SEC Network. John Wilkerson will also call all three games on Sports Radio WNML (FM 991. / AM 990) and UTSports.com.
Series History vs. South Carolina
Overall: USC leads, 61-36
In Knoxville: USC leads, 23-20
In Columbia: USC leads, 35-14
Neutral Site: USC leads, 3-2
Last Meeting: L, 10-2 (3/19/17)
Tennessee is looking to end a six-game losing streak to USC and will attempt to win in Columbia for the first time since 2012.
Need to Know
- Tennessee has won four straight after a blowout win over Western Carolina on Tuesday and a series sweep over Alabama last weekend.
- The Vols set new season highs with 17 runs and four homers in Tuesday's 17-3 win over the Catamounts.
- Redshirt sophomore Nico Mascia tied a program record with five runs scored while going 4-for-4 and reaching base in all seven of his plate appearances. The Knoxville native all hit three doubles and his first-career home run while driving in a career-high three runs.
- The series sweep over the Crimson Tide was the first for Tennessee in SEC play since May of 2015 when the Vols swept Mississippi State to finish the regular season.
- UT jumped 27 spots to No. 33 in this week's RPI.
- The Vols have now swept two opponents this year – Cincinnati and Alabama – marking the first time they have had a least two three-game series sweeps in a season since 2014.
- At 4-2, the Vols are off to their best start in SEC play since also starting 4-2 back on 2008.
- Freshman Evan Russell drove in the game-winning runs in Friday's series opener and the first game of Sunday's doubleheader, both via bases-loaded walks.
- With two complete games in Sunday's doubleheader, Tennessee's starting pitchers have now thrown five already this year, which is the most in a single season since VFL Zack Godley threw six by himself for the Vols back in 2013. The rest of the SEC has just three complete games combined.
- Both Garrett Stallings and Will Neely have now thrown two complete games this season. Neither had ever thrown one entering this year.
- UT has now gotten nine straight weekend starts of six innings or more.
- Freshman Garrett Crochet had another solid start on Friday night, tying a career high with eight strikeouts in 6.1 innings pitched.
- Stallings scattered six hits and gave up just one unearned run while striking out five in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader to improve to 4-1 on the season.
South Carolina GamecocksÂ
- Record: 14-11 (1-5 SEC)
- 2017 Postseason: N/A
- Picked to finish fourth in the Eastern Division of SEC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
- Returned eight starting position players and five pitchers from last season.
- Sophomore Carlos Cortes was named second team Preseason All-SEC.
- Rank fourth in the SEC and tied for seventh in the country with 38 home runs.
- Junior infielder LT Tolbert leads the team with 32 hits and 22 RBI while senior infielder Madison Stokes leads the team with a .390 batting average.
- Sophomore RHP Cody Morris leads the team with a 4-2 record and 30.1 innings pitched while junior RHP Adam Hill leads the staff with 49 strikeouts.
- Coming off a 5-4 midweek win over Davidson after being swept on the road by Georgia last weekend.
The Vols kickoff a six-game homestand next Tuesday against Belmont at 6:30 p.m. The game will be streamed live on SEC Network + (WatchESPN).
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Players Mentioned
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