| Morehead State (0-0) at Tennessee(0-0
Lindsey Nelson Stadium - Knoxville, Tenn. ? | Games 1-3 | | Feb. 13-15, 2003 | | Lindsey Nelson Stadium (4,000) | | The Series | Overall: Tennessee leads 17-1
Last Series: Feb. 7-9, 2003 in Knoxville (UT 13-0, UT 8-2, UT 16-3) | | Probable Pitchers | Feb. 13 - 3 p.m.
MSU - Lance Johnston, RHP, Sr. (1st year at MSU)
UT - Luke Hochevar, RHP, So. (6-5, 4.64 ERA in 2003) | Feb. 14 - 2 p.m.
MSU - Casey Campbell, RHP, Sr. (2-8, 7.79 ERA in 2003)
UT - Derek Tharpe, LHP, Sr. (6-6, 3.95 ERA in 2003) | Feb. 15 w 2 p.m.
MSU - Adrian Duran, RHP, Jr. (1st year at MSU)
UT - Scot Drucker, RHP, Jr. (1st year at UT) | | Up Next | Feb. 20-22 at No. 2 Miami (Fla.)
Game times: 7 p.m., 7 p.m., 1 p.m. | Complete UT Release (pdf)
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John Wilkerson / Jeff Jacoby Rankings
Tennessee: Not Ranked
Morehead State: Not Ranked THE COACHES:
Tennessee Volunteers
Rod Delmonico (Liberty 1980)
Overall Record: 14th year --550-299 (.648)
versus Morehead State: 13-1
2004 Schedule/Results
FINAL 2003 Statistics Morehead State Eagles
John Jarnigan (Ohio Wesleyan 1984)
Overall Record: 9th year--187-247-2 (.431
2004 Schedule
FINAL 2003 Statistics |
| Projected Lineup | | TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS | | Pos - Name | Quick Notes | | C | Nick Crowe
(5-11, 180, R/R, Jr.) | Starting fourth position in three years (2B as Frosh, 3B & 1B as Soph.) | | 1B | Chris Kemp
(6-4, 205, L/R, Jr.) | Belted 14 career home runs at Spartanburg Methodist CC | | or | Brett Chappell
(6-3, 225, R/R, Sr.) | Made five starts at first in 2003, batting .276 in 23 games | | 2B | Eric King
(5-10, 177, R/R, Jr.) | Two-time Northern California All-America at Los Medanos College | | SS | Brian Cleveland
(6-1, 183, R/R, Sr.) | Returns to anchor infield after hitting .271 with home runs and 32 RBI | | 3B | Chase Headley
(6-2, 195, S/R, So.) | Transfer from Pacific where he hit .330 with a Big West leading 39 walks | | LF | Rob Fitzgerald
(6-3, 188, L/R, Jr.) | A two-way player who holds a .175 career average in 57 at-bats | | or | Eli Iorg
(6-3, 200, R/R, So.) | Transfer from Samford where he hit .296 in 2002; Atlantic Sun All-Freshman | | CF | Josh Alley
(5-9, 179, L/L, So.) | Moves to center from left; Batted .313 with 32 starts in left in 2003 | | RF | Michael Rivera
(5-10, 194, R/R, So.) | Returns after suffering season-ending thumb injury; Hit .283-2-26 | | DH | Kyle Norrid
(6-0, 205, R/R, So.) | Leading returning home run hitter with six | | | |
| Tennessee vs. Morehead State The Volunteers open their 95th baseball season with an all-time record of 1583-1203-14 when they host the Morehead State Golden Eagles in a three-game series for the second consecutive year.
The Vols are 11-3 on opening day under head coach Rod Delmonico and 61-31-2 in all-time lidlifters. It is the second straight year and just the sixth time since 1990 that Tennessee has opened at home.
The Volunteers are 112-47 in the month of February. They were 8-0 last season, matching the best start in school history.
UT plays 16 of its first 19 games at home before playing 12 of 20 on the road. NATIONAL RANKINGS: Tennessee is listed at No. 38 in College Baseball?s preseason Top 40 and No. 46 in Baseball America?s preseason top 50. Morehead State is not ranked.
The Vols will play eight teams ranked in the preseason polls, including No. 2 LSU and No. 3 Miami. They also match up with No. 7 South Carolina, No. 12 Auburn, No. 15 Florida, No. 17 Mississippi, No. 30 Mississippi State and No. 40 Vanderbilt. UP NEXT: Tennessee makes it first road trip of the season to face the second-ranked Miami Hurricanes at Mark Light Field in Coral Gables, Fla., Feb. 20-22. Game times are 7 p.m., 7 p.m. and 1 p.m.
This is the fourth straight year Miami and Tennessee have played. The teams met in the 2001 College World Series where the Canes eliminated the Vols on the way to a national title. UT won one of three games at Miami in 2002, while the Hurricanes swept the Vols in Knoxville last year.
Miami has won four straight over Tennessee and leads the series 11-5. NEW FACES: A total of 11 new faces dot Tennessee?s roster for the 2004 season. There are three freshmen, five junior college transfers and three four-year transfers.
Two of the newcomers, Sean Watson and Eric King, were previously drafted in their respective careers. Watson was a 21st-round selection by San Francisco in 2003, while King was a 25th-round pick by Pittsburgh in 2002. NEW POSITION: The biggest move in the offseason came with Nick Crowe moving to catcher. The junior will be a starter at his fourth position in three years. He made 46 starts at second base as a freshman in 2002, before making 17 starts at third and 32 starts at first in 2003. CAPTAINS: Captains for the 2004 season are pitchers Patrick Hicklen, Ben Riley and Luke Hochevar, along with outfielder Michael Rivera.
Hicken is a third-year team captain while Riley enters his second. CLIMBING WINS CHART: Head coach Rod Delmonico needs eight victories to move past Florida?s Dave Fuller (1948-75) into sixth place on the SEC career victories list.
Delmonico has 550 wins, trailing Fuller?s 557. Former Auburn coach Hal Baird is fifth with 634 victories.
In fact, Delmonico and Mississippi State?s Ron Polk are the only active coaches in the league with more than 500 career victories. HOCHEVAR HIGHLY RATED: Sophomore right hander Luke Hochevar enters the 2004 season rated highly among scouting services. After pitching the second half of the season in the Cape Cod League last summer with the Cotuit Kettleers (1-1, 1.10 ERA, 6 saves, 11 G, 16.1 IP, 21 K, 3 BB), he was ranked as the 20th-best prospect by Baseball America and the No. 10 right handed pitcher.
In the 2004 Baseball America college preview, Hochevar was listed as having the best fastball in the league as well as being the conference?s top draft prospect for 2005. He was also listed as the No. 11 sophomore in the nation.
In the preseason issue of Prospects Plus issued by Baseball America, Hochevar is rated as the No. 9 collegian and No. 3 right handed pitcher for 2005 draft. He was previously drafted in the 39th round by the Dodgers in 2002. WATSON &HEADLEY HERALDED: Freshman right handed pitcher Sean Watson is listed as the No. 39 freshman in the country by Baseball America. He was drafted by the Giants in the 21st round in 2003.
Sophomore third baseman Chase Headley is listed as the No. 5 top newcomer in the SEC by SEBaseball.com. SERIES BUSINESS: Under Coach Delmonico, the Volunteers have done well in three-game series play. Tennessee has won 82 of 157 series (52 percent) in Delmonico?s 14 seasons. Of the Vols? 82 series wins, 36 (44 percent) have been sweeps. PACK IT UP AFTER SIX: Since 1994, the Vols have been pretty much unbeatable when leading after six innings. Over the last 10 years, UT has compiled a 322-22 (94 percent) mark when leading after six.
STREAKIN?: Both Brian Cleveland and newcomer Chase Headley bring team-high five-game hitting streak into the 2004 season. Cleveland is 6-for-17 (.352) during his streak with a career-high of eight games. Headley finished his final five games at Pacific in 2003 in the flurry, going 11-for-23 (.423). His career-long hitting streak is 16 games. Nick Crowe is next with a three-game streak, while Rob Fitzgerald has hit in two straight. VOLS IN MAJOR LEAGUES: Eight former Vols are set to play in the Majors this season, and a ninth, Chris Burke, is on Houston?s 40-man roster. Tennessee tied with Arizona State for 10th place in the number of big leaguers in 2003.
R.A. Dickey, RHP, Texas (2003 -- 9-8, 5.09 ERA, 1 sv, 116.2 IP, 94 K)
Mike DiFelice, C, Detroit (2003 Royals -- .254, 3 HR, 25 RBI)
Todd Helton, 1B, Colorado (2003 -- .358, 33 HR, 117 RBI)
Luke Hudson, RHP, Cincinnati (2003 -- injured did not play)
Mike Lincoln, RHP, St. Louis (2003 Pirates -- 3-4, 5.20 ERA, 5 sv, 36.1 IP, 28 K)
Augie Ojeda, SS/3B, Minnesota (2003 Cubs -- .120, 0 HR, 0 RBI)
Joe Randa, 3B, Kansas City (2003 -- .291, 16 HR, 72 RBI)
Bubba Trammell, OF, Los Angeles (2003 Yankees -- .200, 0 HR, 5 RBI) VOLS INK EIGHT FOR 2005: Tennessee signed eight players during the early signing period for the 2005 season. Here are some notes on the signing class.
* Jay Rainville is rated as the No. 8 high school player in the nation and a projected first rounder by the Major League Scouting Bureau ... Louisville Slugger preseason All-America ... 28-3, 0.92 ERA, 370 Ks, 49 BB in career.
* James Adkins is listed at No. 101 by Baseball America and the No. 5 player in the state of Tennessee.
* Jonathan Arencibia is ranked at No. 183 by Baseball America and the No. 36 player in the state of Florida and the No. 4 catcher.
* Jabe Beard returns as the ace of the defending national champion Southern Nevada Coyotes, the preseason favorite capture the crown in 2004. Baseball America preseason All-America.
* Adam Howard is listed at the No. 17 junior college prospect ... Previously drafted by Pirates in 2002 (34th).
* Will Jostock is the No. 1 player in the state of Michigan and the No. 55 among Baseball America?s top 600 prep players of 2004.
* Chris Malone is a preseason Northern California All-America as compiled by the California Community College Baseball Coaches Association. | |
