University of Tennessee Athletics
Baseball Vols Host Belmont in Final Non-Conference Tilt
May 06, 2003 | Baseball
May 6, 2003
Knoxville, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Volunteers (27-21) look to extend their winning streak to three games when they play host to the Belmont Bruins (24-17) in the final non-conference game of the year at Lindsey Nelson Stadium Wednesday, May 7 at 7 p.m. ET.
The contest is a tune-up for this weekend's key Southeastern Conference series against the No. 22 Arkansas Razorbacks. The Volunteers are tied with Vanderbilt for third place in the Eastern Division, 1 1/2 games behind second place Florida and three games behind first place South Carolina.
The SEC takes the top eight teams to the tournament and with all six teams from the Western Division at least three games ahead of the Vols in the standings, and South Carolina holding a three-game lead over Tennessee in the East, the Volunteers must win two more than Florida and one more than Vanderbilt over the final six league contests to place second in the division and secure a spot in the field.
The Vols, who are 17-7 in non-conference play and have won seven of their last eight non-league games, send junior left hander Dusty Johnson (6-1, 3.23 ERA) to the hill against Belmont. Johnson leads the staff with six wins and is looking for his fourth consecutive victory.
First baseman Nick Crowe is batting .395 over his last 10 games for Tennessee, while designated hitter Alex Suarez and center fielder Jordan Czarniecki put their respective five-game hitting streaks on the line.
Belmont, which had not played since April 29, is seeking its fourth straight win. The Bruins are 1-1 against SEC competition this season, posting a 1-0 victory over Vanderbilt while dropping an 18-4 decision to Alabama. They are in third place in the Atlantic Sun Conference with a 16-11 mark.
First baseman Dan Soukup leads Belmont with a .384 batting average, six home runs and 33 RBI. Catcher Jason Warpool and right fielder Stephen Sundstrom are also batting over .300 for the Bruins.
The Bruins are expected to use a number of pitchers in the game, with sophomore left hander Cody Blackard (4-4, 5.21 ERA) making his team-leading 12th start.
