University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols Travel to Baseball at the Beach Tournament
February 25, 2009 | Baseball
Feb. 25, 2009
The Tennessee baseball team departs Thursday for its first road trip of the 2009 season. The Volunteers travel to Myrtle Beach, S.C., for the Baseball at the Beach Tournament, hosted by Coastal Carolina University. The five-team event takes place at both BB&T Coastal Field, the home of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, and Watson Stadium, the home of the Chanticleers.
Off to a 1-2 start this season, Tennessee faces a trio of non-conference opponents this weekend in West Virginia, No. 18 Coastal Carolina and Florida International. All three games begin at noon Eastern time.
UT's games on Friday and Saturday will be played at BB&T Costal Field with Sunday's game at Watson Stadium.
Friday's game with West Virginia is the first meeting between the two teams since 2003, a 13-3 Volunteer victory in Knoxville. Tennessee holds a 5-2 series lead.
Coastal Carolina is the only team Tennessee will face this weekend that also appears on their 2009 schedule. The Chanticleers will make their first trip to Knoxville on March 17 for a 4 p.m. Eastern time matchup with the Vols. UT holds a 3-0 all-times series edge.
The Vols' last meeting with Florida International came in 1991 in Miami, which the Volunteers won 16-8. The all-time series is tied at 3-3.
The additional team playing in the tournament is Brown University.
Starting pitchers for Friday's game are undetermined. Left-hander Nick Hernandez (0-0, 5.40 ERA) will pitch for the Vols on Saturday against Coastal Carolina right-hander Austin Fleet (1-0, 1.50 ERA). On Sunday, the Vols will pitch either left-hander Steven Gruver (0-1, 7.71 ERA) or right-hander Stephen McCray (0-0, 4.50 ERA) against either right-handed pitcher Tom Ebert (1-0, 0.00 ERA) or right-hander Scott Rembisz (0-0, 0.00 ERA). All pitching matchups are probable and subject to change.
The Vols participated in this tournament in 2006, dropping their first game 5-8 to Georgia Tech before defeating Coastal Carolina 10-6. Tennessee holds an all-time record of 57-42-1 (.575) at in-season tournaments.
MEDIA OPPORTUNITY WITH TENNESSEE BASEBALL TEAM
The Tennessee baseball team and coaching staff will be avaliable for interviews Thursday from 8:30-9:00 am before the team bus departs for Myrtle Beach, S.C., and the Baseball at the Beach Tournament.
