University of Tennessee Athletics
Diamond Vols Host Belmont at Noon Wednesday
May 06, 2008 | Baseball
The Tennessee baseball team concludes its home non-conference schedule Wednesday when it hosts midstate foe Belmont at noon at Robert M. Lindsay Field at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. All kids age 17 and younger will receive free admission Wednesday, and local businesspeople also are encouraged to spend their lunch break at the ballpark.
Tennessee???s starting pitcher Wednesday will be sophomore right-hander Steve Crnkovich (5-5, 6.23 ERA). It will be the Downers Grove, Ill., native???s 10th start of the season. Belmont???s starter is expected to be junior left-hander Brian Kelley (1-6, 7.43 ERA).
Belmont, located in Nashville, Tenn., and a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference, enters the game with an 18-28 (13-14 A-Sun) record. The Bruins have not played a game since April 29 and are 5-16 on the road this season under 11th-year head coach Dave Jarvis.
Bruins junior Derek Wiley leads the team with 12 home runs and 46 RBI, while fellow junior Carlo Testa paces the club with a .382 batting average and 63 hits.
Tennessee???s top hitter recently has been junior third baseman Cody Brown. The team co-captain is batting a team-best .368 over UT???s last five games. However, the Vols are currently riding a five-game losing skid that they hope to curtail with a strong performance Wednesday.
Tennessee leads the all-time series with Belmont 3-2, dating to 2000. All five meetings have taken place in Knoxville, and the Vols have won each of the last two encounters.
