| Mississippi | 27-23-1 | | Meetings since 1990 | | 4/21/1990 | Knoxville | 4-15 | L | | 4/21/1990 | Knoxville (7) | 3-6 | L | | 4/22/1990 | Knoxville | 7-1 | W | | 4/20/1991 | Oxford | 3-7 | L | | 4/20/1991 | Oxford (7) | 1-2 | L | | 4/21/1991 | Oxford | 5-3 | W | | 4/4/1992 | Oxford | 1-7 | L | | 4/4/1992 | Oxford (7) | 8-6 | W | | 4/5/1992 | Oxford | 8-2 | W | | 4/10/1993 | Knoxville | 12-10 | W | | 4/10/1993 | Knoxville (7) | 5-4 | W | | 4/11/1993 | Knoxville | 1-4 | L | | 4/5/1996 | Knoxville | 4-3 | W | | 4/6/1996 | Knoxville | 10-3 | W | | 4/7/1996 | Knoxville | 6-1 | W | | 4/5/1997 | Oxford | 7-2 | W | | 4/5/1997 | Oxford | 7-8 | L | | 4/6/1997 | Oxford | 9-4 | W | | 3/17/2000 | Oxford | 12-2 | W | | 3/18/2000 | Oxford | 8-2 | W | | 5/4/2001 | Knoxville | 5-4 | W | | 5/5/2001 | Knoxville | 7-1 | W | | 5/6/2001 | Knoxville | 5-4 | W | | 5/16/2001 | Hoover, Ala. (7) (SEC) | 6-17 | L | | 4/26/2002 | Oxford | 8-5 | W | | 4/27/2002 | Oxford | 14-6 | W | | 4/28/2002 | Oxford | 2-9 | L | TENNESSEE Vs. OLE MISS Tennessee and Mississippi have met 51 times with the Vols holding a 27-23-1 series advantage since the first meeting in 1917. Tennessee has won eight of the last 10 games and the last seven series' dating back to 1992. Ole Miss last won a series in Knoxville in 1990 and posted its last series win coming in 1991 in Oxford.
The Volunteers are 1-2 against the Western Division this year after playing at Auburn. They have three series' against the West remaining against Alabama and Arkansas at home with a road trip to LSU. Tennessee at a Glance The Tennessee Volunteers (17-11, 4-5 SEC) have won two straight after suffering a three-game sweep at the hands of the Florida Gators last weekend. The Vols posted their third shutout of the season in a three-hitter over Wofford on Tuesday and then used a seven-run third while tossing a season-best two-hitter in an 11-3 win against ETSU on Wednesday.
Walter Sevilla has homered in the last two games, connecting on two-run shot versus Wofford and a three-run blast against ETSU. He collected his 100th career against the Terriers, joining Javi Herrera and Jordan Czarniecki in the 100-hit club this season.
Czarniecki etched his name in the UT record book when he recorded eight putouts against ETSU, the most ever by a Vol outfielder. Alabama's Aaron Clark holds the SEC mark for outfielders with 12 versus Tennessee in 2000.
After going 7-11 in March, the Vols are 2-0 on a nine-game home stand to start April. They went 4-5 during another nine-game home stand earlier this season.
Fourteenth year head coach Rod Delmonico is seeking his 200th Southeastern Conference victory this weekend against Mississippi. He sits with a 198-183 mark in league games, while ranking seventh all-time in SEC history with 536 wins. He needs 16 wins to tie Florida's Dave Fuller (1948-75) for sixth.
Tennessee has played a tough schedule thus far, facing off against a ranked team in each of the last four weekends. They swept No. 10 South Carolina, took one from No. 10 Auburn while being swept twice by No. 14 Miami and No. 15 Florida.
UT tied the best start in school history at 8-0 established by the 1992 team. It was the longest win streak since two eight-game streaks in 2001. After getting off to the 8-0 start, Tennessee jumped back into the national polls at No. 24 by Collegiate Baseball. The Vols were ranked as high as No. 17 by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association on Mar. 3, while settling at No. 22 in the ESPN/Sports Weekly and No. 23 in the Collegiate Baseball polls. They are unranked this week.
The Vols drew 7,754 fans for the Miami series which was the largest attendance for a three-game series since drawing 8,889 for the LSU series in 1997. The season-high crowd of 3,105 against Miami 3/8 was UT's largest regular season draw since 3,337 versus LSU 3/29/1997.
When the Vols win, they win big as as nine of the 17 wins have been decided by five runs or more. They have also won six games in their final at-bat this season (Citadel, ODU, BGSU G1, SC G1, SC G3, TT) but are 2-3 in one-run games. VOLS RANK 23RD IN LATEST RPI
After dropping three games to Florida, Tennessee fell to No. 23 from No. 15 in the latest RPI rankings published by Boyd Nation at www.boydsworld.com. The Vols have been aided in their schedule strength by playing four ranked teams over the last four weekends in Miami, Auburn, South Carolina and Florida. VOLS TRY TO REGAIN HITTING STROKE
The Volunteers have swung the bat a little better lately, collecting 17 hits over the last two games while benefiting from 10 walks in scoring 15 runs. The nine hits against Wofford is the highest total in the last seven games. UT's last 10-hit performance came with 10 hits against South Carolina 3/22.
They have been limited to eight or fewer hits in six of the last seven games and are batting .225 during that span with 48 hits and 40 runs scored. The team batting average has dropped from .313 to .293.
Tennessee has homered in a season-high seven straight games with eight round trippers during that span. They have hit a home run in nine of the last 10 with 11 during that span. Over the last 11 games, Javi Herrera has three, Walter Sevilla, Kyle Norrid and Brian Cleveland have two each, with Jordan Czarniecki and Chad LeGate with one.
The Vols collected their first triple in 18 games when Josh Alley sliced a three-bagger to right field against ETSU 4/2. It was the first triple since the West Virginia game Mar. 2 and the fourth of the season.
In UT's 11 losses, they are 10-for-74 (.135) with runners in scoring position. They have scored 30 runs in those defeats, being held to two or fewer runs seven times.
They have collected at least 10 hits in 13 games and plated at least 10 runs six times. It has at least four doubles six times, including a season-high six versus West Virginia 3/2.
UT has its biggest offensive output of the season in a win over Louisville 3/4 when it scored 18 runs on 19 hits.
Tennessee's nine steals versus Morehead State 2/8 marked the fifth highest stolen base effort in school history. The Vols were a perfect 9-for-9 with Walter Sevilla stealing three, Jordan Czarniecki and Chad Legate getting two apiece while Brian Cleveland and Javi Herrera had one each.
Czarniecki, who is 17-of-20 on the season, is UT's active leader with 41. He needs six to enter UT's career top 10. Sevilla is right behind with 33, while going 8-for-12. The Vols lead the league with 44 steals. UP NEXT
Tennessee closes out the home stand with a single games versus NAIA Tennessee Wesleyan Apr. 9 at 7 p.m., before hosting the Georgia Bulldogs, Apr. 11-13. STARTING PITCHER NOTES Ben Riley -- Is 1-2 in his last seven starts since getting a win over Morehead State in the season opener ... Has allowed three or fewer earned runs in seven of eight starts ... Team leader in innings pitched ... Opponents hitting .179 off him ... Pitched at least five innings in all eight starts with a season-high 8.0 in win versus South Carolina 3/23 ... Worked into the eighth in three of last four starts ... Earned win over Morehead State 2.7, striking out a season-high seven in five shutout innings ... Named SEC Pitcher of the Week honors for his performance ... Has not missed a start in his career ... Is 7-5 in 23 career starts with a 4.36 ERA ... Worked at least five innings in 19 of 23 starts ... Is 2-1 with a 6.00 ERA in March ... Is 4-3 in SEC action with a 4.80 ERA.
Last Start -- Walked a season-high six in a no-decision against Florida 3/28 ... Pitched 6.1 innings, allowing three runs on two hits with five strikeouts.
Versus Mississippi -- Earned fourth win of season against the Rebels 4/26/02 ... Scattered 13 hits of 8.1 innings, allowing five runs (two earned) with six strikeouts and five walks ... Vols won 8-5 . Derek Tharpe --Is 2-1 in last five starts ... Has given up just one earned run in five of his eight starts ... Leads team with 48 strikeouts ... Worked at least five innings six times, including at least 7.0 in last three starts ... Opponents are hitting .271 off him ... Tossed season-high 8.1 innings in win over SC 3/22 ... Is 3-2 with a 2.29 ERA in seven appearances against SEC opponents, covering 39.1 innings ... Worked 6.0 innings in win vs. West Virginia 3/2 ... Posted a career-high 11 strikeouts in first UT start vs. Morehead State 2/8 ... Owns a 7-17 career Division I record with a 4.87 ERA ... Is 6-14 with a 4.66 ERA in 29 career starts ... Has seven complete games to his credit ... Owns a 0-2 mark with a 8.53 ERA in April ... Transfer from Samford who made 14 starts at Samford in 2002.
Last Start -- Struckout nine in 7.0 innings at Florida 3/29, allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits with three walks ... Surrendered three runs on four hits in first before giving up just two runs on four hits over next 6.0 IP. Dusty Johnson -- Scheduled to make his third start in eight days ... Has taken no decisions in his first two starts against South Carolina 3/23 and Florida 3/30 ... Left SC game with 6-2 lead after six innings ... In two leagues starts has allowed five runs on 15 hits in 9.0 innings in two starts with five strikeouts and three walks ... Began season in pen, making seven relief appearances and not allowing a run in first 13.0 innings ... Is 1-2 with a 7.75 ERA in SEC play in career ... Five of last six starts have all been in league play dating back to last season ... Is 6-2 in 13 career starts with a 4.91 ERA ... Owns a 5-1 mark at home and 3-0 record in April.
Last Start -- Tossed seven shutout innings with a career-high seven strikeouts in third win of season over Wofford 4/1 ... Gave up just two hits with one walk.
Versus Mississippi -- Logged 1/3 inning versus the Rebels 4/28/02, giving up two runs on two hits with one walk. RIVERA ON 10-GAME HITTING STREAK
Freshman Michael Rivera continues to swing a hot bat for Tennessee as he is on a 10-game hitting streak, the longest by a Vol this season. He is batting .435 (20-for-46) during the streak while posting a team-high 10 multi-hit games.
Rivera has hit in 17 of the last 18 games, batting .400 during that span. He became the first Vol since Stevie Daniel in 2001 to collect five hits in a game when he went 5-for-5 with four runs scored in UT's 18-2 win over Louisville 3/4.
He opened the season by starting the first 15 games in right field before moving to first base for the Auburn series and third base for the Purdue game. The utility player can play at any infield slot and had never played in the outfield until the season opener.
HERRERA REACHES 100 HITS; CZARNIECKI AND SEVILLA CLOSE IN
Junior catcher Javi Herrera matched his career high with four hits against Purdue, giving him 101 hits in his career. He collected hit No. 100 with a single in the seventh inning of his 100th game. His four straight hits raised his team-leading batting average to .394 and his league-leading on-base percentage to .506.
Also closing in on 100 career hits are center fielder Jordan Czarniecki who has 96 and second baseman Walter Sevilla who has 95.
HOCHEVAR THROWS FIRST COMPLETE GAME; MOVES TO BULLPEN
Freshman Luke Hochevar threw his first complete game in his third career start in UT's 9-6 win over Auburn. His record improved to 4-1 and a team-best 1.85 ERA among the starters. He leads the team in wins and strikeouts with 36.
He moves back to the bullpen for this weekend's series against South Carolina. He has not yielded run 12.1 innings of relief covering five appearances with 15 strikeouts and one walk.
He is 2-1 in three starts with a 2.91 ERA, striking out 21 in 21.2 innings while allowing 22 hits with five walks.
Hochevar began his career with a scoreless innings of 21.0 and went 24.0 innings without allowing an earned run. It was the longest scoreless innings streak since Patrick Hicklen opened his freshman campaign in 2001 with 22 1/3 scoreless innings.
HELP OFF THE BENCH
Tennessee's bench has been a productive unit thus far, as the reserves are hitting .387 with six doubles and 18 RBI. Vol pinch hitters are excelling as well, going 14-for-31 (.452) with six RBI.
Jimbo Watson leads all pinch hitters with a .750 average, going 6-for-8. Jeremy Cabbage has three pinch hits, while Josh Alley and Alex Suarez have two each.
The Vols got some help off the bench in its three games against Auburn as Jimbo Watson, Jeremy Cabbage, Alex Suarez and Justin Branson combined to go 6-for-9 with five RBI. Watson had four RBI in UT's 9-6 win. His two-run pinch hit single in the seventh tied it at five while he capped a three-run eighth with another two-run single.
Cabbage had a pinch hit in the first games, driving in one run in the sixth in the 9-6 win. Branson had a hit and a walk in his four plate appearances as a defensive replacement in right field, while Suarez got a single in his pinch hit appearance. VOLS LOOK TO REGAIN OFFENSIVE MOMENTUM
Through the first 11 games, Tennessee was batting .354 and averaging 9.7 runs per game. Over the last eight games the Vols are hitting .278 while averaging 3.6 runs per game. They have been held to four or fewer runs six times during that span with the lone win being a 9-6 triumph at Auburn G2.
In UT's eight losses, they are 9-for-66 (.136) with runners in scoring position. Six times they have been held to one or fewer hits. They have scored just 21 runs in those defeats, being held to two or fewer runs five times.
Despite that, the Vols are still hitting at a .322 clip with 48 doubles and 12 home runs while averaging 7.2 runs per game. They are batting .352 over the last three games with 38 hits.
They have collected at least 10 hits in 12 games and plated at least 10 runs five times. It has at least four doubles six times, including a season-high six versus West Virginia 3/2.
UT has its biggest offensive output of the season in a win over Louisville 3/4 when it scored 18 runs on 19 hits. PITCHING STAFF PUTTING UP SOLID NUMBERS
Tennessee pitching staff has been putting up some pretty good numbers through 19 games. In fact, the Vols' ERA is 3.39, while opponents are hitting .245, averaging 8.3 hits and 4.1 runs per game.
The Vols posted a 2.45 ERA in the Auburn series, giving up seven earned runs in 25.2 innings.
The staff opened the season without yielding an opponent home run in the first 46 innings until Old Dominion's Brandon LeNoir hit a two-run blast in the second inning.
They also average 8.17 strikeouts per nine innings while walking just 2.8. That's a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 3.0. The 1965 pitching staff holds the record of 8.91 strikeouts per nine innings.
The pitchers have posted at least 10 strikeouts in seven games with a high of 17 against Morehead State 2/8.
Even more impressive is the fact that the staff has given up three or fewer walks 14 times. UT's 1994 pitching staff holds the record of 3.04 walks per nine innings. The 1996 staff is second at 3.26. Twenty of the 50 walks issued came in three games against Louisville 3/5 and Miami 3/7-8.
The staff has not given up more than four earned runs in 14 contests and has been touched for only 39 extra-base hits among the 157 given up (25 percent). They have held the opponents to eight or fewer hits 13 times. ON THE BASES
Tennessee's nine steals versus Morehead State 2/8 marked the fifth highest stolen base effort in school history. The Vols were a perfect 9-for-9 with Walter Sevilla stealing three, Jordan Czarniecki and Chad Legate getting two apiece while Brian Cleveland and Javi Herrera had one each.
Czarniecki, who is 12-of-14 on the season, is UT's active leader with 36. Sevilla is right behind with 31, while going 6-for-9. SEC NOTES
* The Vols are 1-2 after the first week in SEC play. The last time UT was 1-2 was in 2000.
* UT held the lead or was tied entering the ninth inning in all three Auburn games
* Tennessee's pitching staff posted a 2.45 ERA against Auburn
* The Vols play their next two series against Eastern Division teams (South Carolina & at Florida) TENNESSEE ON TV
Comcast Sports Southeast / Charter Sports Southeast announced that it will televise all five of the University of Tennessee's Saturday Southeastern Conference home baseball games at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. As a result, start time for those five games has been moved to 7 p.m. ET.
The CSS schedule for Tennessee home baseball games is as follows: Mar. 22 South Carolina, Apr. 5 Mississippi, Apr. 12 Georgia, May 3 Alabama, May 10 Arkansas CSS will also air two other home games against Georgia 4/11 and Alabama 5/4 in addition to road games at Auburn 3/16, Kentucky 4/19, LSU 3/26 and Vanderbilt 5/17.
FOX Sports Net South will show the Saturday 3/29 Florida game while the Sunshine Network will air the Sunday Florida game. Cox Sports will televise the LSU game on Apr. 26 and the Louisiana Sports Network will show the LSU game on Apr. 27. Tennessee will be on live television 15 times during the 2003 regular season. | |
