University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols host Appy State/ETSU this week
April 21, 2008 | Baseball
The Tennessee baseball team looks to notch its 19th and 20th home wins of the season this week when its hosts a pair of non-conference games against Appalachian State on Tuesday and ETSU on Wednesday at Robert M. Lindsay Field at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. First pitch for both games is set for 7 p.m., and Wednesday???s game against the Bucs will be televised regionally on SportSouth.
The Volunteers sport a 23-16 (10-8 SEC) record entering midweek play and have won their last five non-conference home games. UT is 18-4 overall at home this year.
First-year Tennessee head coach Todd Raleigh is quite familiar with the Appalachian State program, having coached against the Mountaineers for the past eight seasons in the Southern Conference. Raleigh owns a 16-8 career record against ASU, located in Boone, N.C.
The Mountaineers own a 20-21 (5-10 SoCon) record on the year, but they are 11-9 on the road. As a team, Appalachian State is batting .303 while averaging 7.6 runs and 10.8 hits per game. The Mountaineers pitching staff has fashioned a 6.49 ERA this season.
Vols sophomore Jeff Lockwood (1-1, 7.13 ERA) will start on the mound Tuesday, while ASU will send left-hander Nick Terry (3-3, 7.22 ERA) to the hill. Tennessee Director of Baseball Operations Alan Beck coached Terry last season at Young Harris College in Georgia.
Tennessee leads the all-time series with Appalachian State 10-2, dating to 1977.
Wednesday night???s home game against ETSU closes out this year???s home-and-home series between the Vols and Bucs. Tennessee dropped a 10-9 decision against ETSU on April 9 in Johnson City, Tenn.
The Buccaneers are 11-29 (8-16 Atlantic Sun) this season and are batting .293 with a 6.65 staff ERA. ETSU has clubbed 53 home runs through 40 games. The Bucs have struggled on the road this season, however, posting a 4-15 record away from home.
Wednesday???s starting pitchers have not yet been announced.
Tennessee leads the all-time series with ETSU 55-10, dating to 1967. The Vols have won 14 of the last 17 meetings in the series.
