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Tennessee (24-25) at South Carolina (37-11)
| Games 50-52 | | May 10-12 , 2002 | | Television:
Friday -- CSS
Saturday -- FOXSN | | Sarge Frye Field (6,000)
Columbia, S.C. | | The Series | | South Carolina leads 26-20
Last Series: Mar. 16-18, 2001 in Knoxville
SC 6-0, UT 5-2, UT 5-3 | | Probable Pitchers | May 10 at South Carolina 7 p.m.
UT - Ben Riley, LHP, So. (5-2, 4.64 ERA)
SC - Gary Bell, LHP, Sr. (7-2, 5.26 ERA) | May 11 at South Carolina 4 p.m.
UT - Jeffery Terrell, LHP, Jr. (4-7, 4.42 ERA)
SC - David Marchbanks, LHP, So. (7-2, 3.95 ERA) | May 12 at South Carolina 1:30 p.m.
UT - TBA
SC - Steven Bondurant, LHP, Jr. (5-3, 3.93 ERA) | | | 2002 Tennessee
Season Ticket Information | RADIO: The Vol Radio Network. The games can be listened to locally in Knoxville on WNOX (990 AM/99.1 FM). The team of John Wilkerson and Jeff Jacoby make the call. Pregame is 15 minutes prior to first pitch.
 Listen to Vol Network Broadcast
Rankings
BA - UT (nr), USC (4)
CB - UT (nr), USC (5)
BW - UT (nr), USC (5) Complete UT Release (pdf)
  Download Free Acrobat Reader THE COACHES:
Tennessee Volunteers
Rod Delmonico (Liberty 1980)
Overall Record: 13th year -- 516-275(.652)
at Tennessee: 13th year -- 516-275(.652)
2002 Schedule/Results
2002 Statistics South Carolina Gamecocks
Ray Tanner (North Carolina State 1980)
At S. Carolina: 6th year -- 254-106(.706)
Overall Record: 15th year -- 649-279-3(.699)
2002 Schedule
2002 Statistics |
| Tennessee at a Glance
 | 1B - Matt Sternberg is on career-high 12-game hitting streak; Started last three games at first | Tennessee is clinging to hopes of reaching the Southeastern Conference Tournament for the second straight year. The Vols currently sit in 10th place overall in the league standings, 2.5 games behind Mississippi State for the eighth and final spot. The Vols travel to Eastern Division leader South Carolina this week before winding up the season at home against Vanderbilt.
UT has to win at least three of its last six games to have a chance of overtaking the Bulldogs for the final spot. MSU plays at SEC leader Alabama this weekend before hosting Mississippi in the final weekend.
Tennessee has won 11 of its last 19 games after starting 13-17. The Vols have also won eight of their last 16 in SEC play after beginning 1-7.
The Volunteers have played nearly half of their 49 games against ranked opponents, going 6-16.
Head coach Rod Delmonico past former Auburn coach Paul Nix for seventh on the SEC's all-time coaching victories list with a 2-1 win over LSU 5/4. He also picked up the 500th win of his career versus UNC Asheville 3/8, becoming the ninth coach in SEC history to reach the milestone and the third fastest, doing it in 760 games.
Tennessee won its last nine non-conference games to finish at 15-10 in non-league action this season.
A total of 12 players have missed playing time this season due to injury (OF Jordan Czarniecki [finger], C Javi Herrera [hand/shoulder], OF Ryan Moffett [fractured orbital], 2B Hunter Rigsby [ankle], 2B Nick Crowe [foot], INF Rob Fitzgerald [hand], P Ben Riley [mono], P Jay Sadlowe [shoulder], P Erik Filsinger [shoulder], P Dusty Johnson [elbow], P Patrick Hicklen [elbow], P Brandon Crowe [elbow]). VOLS SWITCH INFIELDERS
In the latter stages of the final game of the Mississippi series 4/29, head coach Rod Delmonico made a switch among the infielders, sending regular third baseman Matt Sternberg to first, moving second baseman Nick Crowe to third while inserting Hunter Rigsby in at second and removing starting first baseman Dennis Gomez.
That is they way they lined up for last weekend's LSU series as Gomez pitched out of the bullpen due to injuries in the pitching staff. WILSON RETURNS TO SQUAD
Senior outfielder Dan Wilson returns to the squad for the final six games after regaining academic eligibility. Wilson missed the first 49 games after failing to meet the necessary requirements during the fall term.
He hit .294 with five home runs and 37 RBI as the starting right fielder last year, making the Knoxville Regional All-Tournament Team. GRADUATING VOLS
Current Vols Hal Bibee Jr. and Adam Smith will graduate this spring, along with former Vols Joe Bertolino (2001), Will Curtiss (2001), Justin Parker (2001) and Brad Love (2000). Note: Year list is final year of eligibility
Current players on track to graduate this summer or fall are Ryan Moffett, Brandon Hopkins, Matt Sternberg and Dan Wilson. ON DECK
Tennessee returns home to close out the season with a series against Vanderbilt. The Vols have won three of the last four series against the Commodores. Game times are 7 p.m., 4 p.m. and 2 p.m. MEDICAL UPDATE
PROBABLE -- P Dusty Johnson (left elbow).
DOUBTFUL -- P Jay Sadlowe (right shoulder).
OUT FOR SEASON -- P Patrick Hicklen (right elbow). C Javi Herrera (right shoulder surgery). P Erik Filsinger (right shoulder). P Brandon Crowe ("Tommy John" surgery on his right elbow last July). A LOOK AT SOUTH CAROLINA
The South Carolina Gamecocks saw their six-game winning snapped with a 4-2 loss to Mississippi last Sunday. After starting 20-3, they have gone 17-8 over the last 25 games.
The Gamecocks are led by SEC Player of Year candidate in first baseman Yaron Peters. Peters leads South Carolina in average (.396), home runs (17), RBI (66) and runs scored (56). He has belted 10 of his home runs in league play while still maintaining a .374 average and driving in 30 runs.
Preseason All-America Drew Meyer is also having a solid season at shortstop, batting .384 with 27 steals. He has made only five errors while playing the toughest position.
The Gamecocks boast four players with at least 10 home runs and have 85 as a team. They average 7.96 runs per game overall and 7.1 rpg in SEC play.
Blake Taylor leads the SEC in saves with 14 while posting a 4-0 mark and team-low 1.62 ERA. He averages over one strikeout per inning.
South Carolina also boasts a pair of seven-game winners in left hander David Marchbanks (7-2, 3.95 ERA) and left hander Gary Bell (7-2, 5.26). Right hander Chris Speigner is 6-0, while left hander Steve Bondurant (5-3, 3.93) has been the No. 3 starter. SOUTH CAROLINA SERIES
South Carolina leads the all-time series with Tennessee, 26-20, since the first meeting in Columbia, S.C., in 1912. Since 1992, when the Gamecocks joined the SEC, UT holds a 17-15 edge in games played.
The Vols have only won one series in Columbia since 1992 and that came in a three-game sweep in 1994. UT has lost four straight at South Carolina and is 9-16 all-time in Columbia.
Tennessee has won the last two games overall after winning its first series since 1997 over South Carolina last year.
SEC NOTES - Tennessee is 9-15 in the Southeastern Conference for the first time since 2000. After starting 1-7, the Vols have won eight of their last 16 league games.
- The Vols have two SEC series victories against Kentucky and Mississippi. It also posted a three-game league winning streak with one over Georgia and two over the Wildcats.
- They finished 5-10 against Western Division teams and are 4-5 versus the Eastern Division.
- Three times this season, UT has been held to eight or fewer runs in a series (Alabama - 6, Auburn - 6, LSU - 8).
- The Vols have scored just 10 runs over their last four league games while collecting 23 hits and batting .181. They are 5-for-42 (.119) with runners in scoring position during that span.
- After making nine errors in the first nine games, the Vols have 40 in the last 15. They have played six error-free games.
- The pitching staff has allowed at least six runs in 18 of the 24 league games and at least 10 hits 19 times, including 13 of the last 14 contests.
- Tennessee is batting .241 with runners in scoring position in conference play, while going 8-for-16 with the bases loaded.
- Matt Sternberg has hit safely in last 10 league games, going 13-for-38 (.342).
- Nick Crowe has hit in six of last seven SEC games, going 9-for-28 (.321).
- Jordan Czarniecki has hit safely in 12 of last 14, going 25-for-57 (.439) with 23 RBI.
- Walter Sevilla has hit safely in 17 of the 24 SEC games with 11 multi-hit games.
- Walter Sevilla and Jordan Czarniecki have accounted for 84 of the 128 runs scored (65.6%).
OFFENSIVE NOTES - Tennessee has struggled offensively the last four games, batting 23-for-127 (.181) with 10 runs scored.
- The Vols have eight multi-home run games, with a season-high five coming at Minnesota 3/3. They have 10 home runs in the last 13 games after hitting just eight in the previous 21.
- The Vols have been held to five or fewer runs 27 times this season and 15 times in SEC play.
- The Vols have collected 12 their 15 triples in the last 18 games.
- UT is batting .265 with runners in scoring position. They have been held to one or less hit with RISP 19 times, including hitless seven times.
- UT went 2-for-23 with RISP in Alabama series, 3-for-21 vs. Auburn, 10-for-26 vs. Georgia, 16-for-45 vs. Kentucky, 4-for-29 vs. Florida, 10-for-34 vs. Arkansas, 12-for-48 vs. Mississippi and 4-for-27 vs. LSU.
- After going 3-21 (.143) with the bases loaded in the first 24 games, the Vols are 10-for-20 (.500) over the last 25.
- They have managed to drive in 51 runs with the bases loaded, doing it on 13 hits, 13 walks, five sacrifice flies and 11 ground outs.
- The Vols have 47 doubles over the last 19 games, collecting at least four on five occasions. They have doubled in 39 games, with a season-high five done six times, most recently against Kentucky 4/6
- Tennessee stole a season-high seven bases vs. UNC Asheville 3/10. The Vols are averaging 1.7 steals per game, led by Walter Sevilla's 24 and Jordan Czarniecki's 22. UT has been held without a steal 12 times.
- After starting the season 13-of-14 (92.9%) in the stolen base department, the Vols have been successful on 71 of their last 100 attempts (71.0%).
- UT recorded a season-high five straight 10-plus hit games from 4/13-20.
- They have 23 games with 10 or more hits, including two 20-hit games against Minnesota 3/3 and Morehead State 3/6.
- The Vols have played 13 error-free games this season and have 27 games with one or no errors.
PITCHING NOTES - The Vols are 7-5 over the last 12 games with a 5.98 ERA. They have struckout 91 and walked 48 during that span.
- Opponents are batting .322 while scoring 82 runs on 146 hits during that span. UT hitters are batting .280 with 82 runs on 118 hits.
- The three hits allowed versus Tennessee Tech 4/24, snapped a string of nine games in which the staff allowed at least 10 hits. It was also the fewest hits allowed since UT two-hit Minnesota 3/3 (28 games).
- The staff has allowed four or fewer earned runs 22 times, and just five times in the last 22 games. They had a four-game stretch 3/2-6 (Florida Atlantic, Minnesota, Morehead State) where they posted a 1.95 ERA.
- Tennessee has posted at least a 11 strikeouts 10 times, most recently vs. LSU (G2) 5/4 with 12. The staff struckout a season-high 13 twice against Eastern Michigan 2/22 and Arkansas 4/20.
- The Vols have hit 34 batters over the last 30 games, including a school record six at Arkansas 4/20. They plunked just 11 in the first 19, and eight of those came in the first five games.
- Tennessee's starting pitchers are 19-17 with a 5.25 ERA. They have worked at least 5.0 innings in 26 of the last 37 games.
- UT's bullpen is 5-9 with nine saves and a 5.90 ERA. The pen has worked at least four innings 20 times.
- No pitcher on the active staff for the 2002 season has more than one year experience pitching at the Division I level.
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