University of Tennessee Athletics
Tennessee Hosts Georgia as Vols Pursue Regular-Season Crown
May 19, 2005 | Baseball
May 19, 2005
The No. 11 Tennessee baseball team hosts Georgia for a three-game series at Lindsey Nelson Stadium this weekend. The Volunteers enter their final regular-season homestand just a half game back in the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division standings and have a shot at winning their first regular-season league title since 1995.
Friday and Saturday's games both begin at 7 p.m., and Sunday's series finale starts at 2 p.m. Vols seniors Joey Andrews, Rob Fitzgerald, Chris Howell, Eric King and Alex Suarez will be honored on the field during a Senior Day ceremony prior to Sunday's contest.
Tennessee (37-16, 16-10 SEC) has won six of nine SEC series this season and currently occupies second place in the SEC Eastern Division standings. As a team, the Vols are hitting a league-best .331 with a staff ERA of 3.69. Juniors Eli Iorg and Chase Headley share the team lead with .386 batting averages. Tennessee is one of three teams that have already clinched a berth in next week's SEC tournament (along with Florida and LSU).
Georgia (29-23, 11-15 SEC) is the reigning SEC co-champion and stands in fifth-place in the SEC Eastern Division standings. The Bulldogs are looking to clinch one of the remaining five spots in next week's SEC tournament field. As a team, UGA is batting .270 with a staff ERA of 4.56. Junior outfielder Bobby Felmy leads the Bulldogs with 63 hits and a .315 average at the plate.
Friday's pitching matchup features Tennessee ace and national pitcher of the year candidate Luke Hochevar (12-2, 1.81 ERA) versus Georgia right-hander Michael Hyle (3-4, 4.01 ERA). The Vols send right-handed sophomore Craig Cobb (5-3, 5.28 ERA) to the hill Saturday, while the Bulldogs counter with right-hander Sean Ruthven (2-4, 4.52 ERA). Tennessee's Sunday starter will be freshman left-hander James Adkins (7-3, 3.34 ERA). UGA has not announced its Sunday starter.
Tennessee leads the all-time series with Georgia 102-94, dating to 1909. The Vols have won seven of their last 10 meetings with the Bulldogs, including a three-game sweep in Athens, Ga., last season.
