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Tennessee (8-0) vs. West Virginia (2-3)
| Games 9-10 | | Mar. 1-2, 2003 | | Television: None | | Lindsey Nelson Stadium (4,000) | | The Series | Overall: Tennessee leads 4-1
Last meeting: UT won 12-5; Feb. 17, 2001 | | Probable Pitchers | Mar. 1 - 1 p.m.
UT - Ben Riley, LHP, Jr. (1-0, 2.25 ERA)
WVU - Jason DiAngelo, RHP, Sr. (0-2, 6.75 ERA) | Mar. 2 - 2 p.m.
UT - Derek Tharpe, LHP, Jr. (1-0, 3.68 ERA)
WVU - Zac Cline, LHP, So. (1-0, 0.00 ERA) | | Up Next | March 4-5 versus Louisville
3 p.m., 3 p.m. | Complete UT Release (pdf)
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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.
Baseball Radio Broadcast Schedule Rankings:
Tennessee: 24 CB / 25 NCBWA
West Virginia: Not ranked
Pitching Notes THE COACHES:
Tennessee Volunteers
Rod Delmonico (Liberty 1980)
Overall Record: 14th year --527-278 (.655)
2003 season : 8-0
2003 Schedule/Results
2003 Statistics West Virginia Mountaineers
Greg Van Zant: (WVU 1984)
Overall Record: 9th year --231-204-1 (.530)
2003 Schedule
2002 Statistics |
| TENNESSEE VS. West Virginia | West Virginia Mountaineers | 4-1 | | 3/12/1994 | Knoxville | 5-0 | W | | 3/13/1994 | Knoxville | 10-4 | W | | 5/23/1996 | Clemson, S.C. (NCAA) | 4-8 | L | | 5/25/1996 | Clemson, S.C. (NCAA) | 10-4 | W | | 2/17/2001 | Charleston, S.C. | 12-5 | W | Tennessee and West Virginia have met five times with the Volunteers holding a 4-1 series lead. The last meeting came in 2001 in Charleston, S.C., where the Vols won 12-5.
The teams played a couple games in Knoxville in 1994 before squaring off at the 1996 NCAA Atlantic Regional where the Mountaineers handed UT an opening round loss. The Vols would eventually eliminate them from the field on the way to the regional finals.
Head coach Rod Delmonico is 4-1 against West Virginia and 10-4 against Big East Conference teams.
? TENNESSEE AT A GLANCE
The Tennessee Volunteers have tied the best start in school at 8-0 established by the 1992 team. It is the longest win streak since two eight-game streaks in 2001. The last time the Vols had a winning streak reach at least 10 games came in 2000 when they reeled off 10 straight wins from 2/20-3/8. The most consecutive wins in school history is 16 set in 1994.
The Volunteers have won three games in their final at-bat during the eight-game win streak. (The Citadel, Old Dominion, Bowling Green G1).
Six of UT's eight wins have been decided by five runs or more, while only one win has been by one run.
In week one it was strong starting pitching that carried the Vols to a series sweep over Morehead State, but over the last two weeks the bullpen has pitched well, picking up five wins and two saves while posting a 1.68 ERA in 21.1 innings with 21 strikeouts and five walks.
Luke Hochevar and Dusty Johnson have each picked up two wins in their last two relief outings, while Beau Massey has earned a win and a save. The trio has not given up a run in 15.1 innings while striking out 17 with just two walks and eight hits given up.
The Volunteers in the midst of a nine-game home stand, having gotten off to a 2-0 start with a doubleheader sweep of Bowling Green State last weekend. After this weekend's series against West Virginia, the schedule steps up a notch with 2002 NCAA Regional representatives Louisville (3/4-5) and Miami (3/7-9) coming to town.
UP NEXT
Tennessee continues its nine-game home stand with a pair of midweek games against the Louisville Cardinals of Conference USA, Mar. 4-5 at 3 p.m. ET both days. The Volunteers lead the series 8-3 since the teams first met in 1927. Louisville took two of three in the last series in 1999 in Knoxville. UT is 7-2 against UL in Knoxville.
Head coach Rod Delmonico is 7-2 against Louisville and 28-9 versus CUSA teams.
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VOLUNTEERS BACK IN THE TOP 25
After a one year hiatus, the Tennessee Volunteers jumped back into the top 25 at No. 24 in Collegiate Baseball. They were at No. 26 in the Collegiate Baseball's Top 30 last week.
It is the first time UT has been ranked in a regular season poll was the final poll of 2001 when they were No. 4 by Collegiate Baseball, No. 5 by Sports Weekly/ESPN and No. 8 by Baseball America.
The Vols are also ranked No. 25 by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
PITCHING NOTES
- Ben Riley -- Is 1-0 in three starts this season, earning a win over Morehead State 2/7 ... Pitched at least five innings in three starts ... Is 6-3 in 18 career starts with a 4.66 ERA ... Worked at least five innings in 14 of 18 starts ... Is 4-1 in last eight starts with a 3.86 ERA dating back to last season ... Has not missed a start in his career ... Is 1-1 with a 5.10 ERA in March ... Owns a 3-0 mark with a 3.02 ERA in non-conference games ... Has a 3-2 mark in home games with a 3.56 ERA.
Last Start -- Took a no decision against Bowling Green 2/23 G1, allowing two runs on three hits in a season-high six innings with five strikeouts and three walks. Retired 15 of the first 18 hitters he faced
- Derek Tharpe -- Is 1-0 in three starts this season, picking up a win over Morehead State 2/8 ... Leads team with 19 strikeouts in 14.2 innings (11.7 K/9 inn.) ... Owns a 6-15 career record with a 5.19 ERA ... Is 5-12 with a 4.98 ERA in 25 career starts ... Has seven complete games to his credit ... Owns a 2-8 mark with a 4.85 ERA in March ... Transfer from Samford who made 14 starts at Samford in 2002.
Last Start -- Took a no decision against Bowling Green 2/23 G2, giving up one run on four hits in 5.0 innings with two strikeouts and two walks.
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APPROACHING MILESTONES
Walter Sevilla needs 10 hits for 100.
Jordan Czarniecki needs one double for 25 and one steal for 30.
Ben Riley needs seven strikeouts for 100.
Dusty Johnson need 6 1/3 innings for 100.  | HERRERA NAMED PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA
Junior catcher Javi Herrera was named third team preseason All-America by Baseball America, despite missing most of the 2002 season due to injury.
He was a first team Freshman All-America in 2001 after batting .296 with seven home runs and 45 RBI. He hit .200 in only 18 games last season.
Herrera rates as one of the top catchers in the nation, having played on the USA National Team in 2001, and would have been invited back for 2002 had he not gotten injured.
He ranks as the No. 23 college prospect by Baseball America and the No. 3 catcher behind South Carolina's Landon Powell and Florida State's Tony Richie. Herrera is also listed at No. 20 among the top 50 juniors in nation.
He is ranked as the No. 4 draft prospect in the SEC by Baseball America behind Landon Powell, c, South Carolina, Paul Maholm, lhp, Mississippi State and Aaron Hill, ss/3b, Louisiana State.
Another receiving preseason honors was Brian Cleveland who was named SEBaseball.com's preseason Newcomer of the Year. SEBaseball.com also selected Walter Sevilla to its First Team Preseason All-Conference squad and Jordan Czarniecki was named to its Second Team. Ben Riley received Honorable Mention. TEAMS CAPTAINS NAMED FOR 2003
Head coach Rod Delmonico tabbed Javi Herrera, Ben Riley, Jordan Czarniecki and Patrick Hicklen as team captains for the 2003 season. Herrera and Hicklen were team captains last year, but Hicklen will sit out this season rehabilitating from elbow surgery. Herrera is also coming off an injury plagued season that saw him limited to just 18 games played.
Riley returns as the team's leading pitcher, while Czarniecki is the leading offensive returnee, having paced the squad in 10 offensive categories last year. Czarniecki, who stole 24 bases last year, was rated as the second-best base runner in the league behind Auburn's Javon Moran by Baseball America THE NEW ESTABLISHMENT
The 2003 Tennessee Volunteers will be the most youthful cast of characters head coach Rod Delmonico has ever had. Of the 34 players on the roster, 28 players have one or no years of experience at the Division I level. Only pitchers Brandon Crowe, Dusty Johnson, Beau Massey, Patrick Hicklen, Scot Drucker and catcher Javi Herrera have more, and all of them have two years. Hicklen is out for 2003 after having Tommy John surgery on his right elbow last summer, and Drucker must sit out for one year after transferring from Florida. The 16 players who have played major college baseball have a combined 22 years of experience.
There are 20 newcomers, the most ever for a Rod Delmonico team, to go with 13 letterman and one squad member. |
