University of Tennessee Athletics
BASEBALL CENTRAL: Volunteers vs. Tennessee Tech (March 22)
March 21, 2016 | Baseball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Volunteers return to Lindsey Nelson Stadium for a mid-week, non-conference showdown against Tennessee Tech this Tuesday, March 22 at 7 p.m. ET, featured live via national broadcast on the SEC Network.
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Tennessee at Tennessee Tech Gameday
- Opponent: Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles
- Date: Tuesday, March 22, 2016
- First Pitch: 7 p.m. ET
- Venue: Lindsey Nelson Stadium (Knoxville, Tenn.)
- Radio: UTSports.com
- Broadcast: SEC Network
- Live Stats:UTSports.com
Tennessee (12-7, 1-2 SEC)
Roster Schedule StatsTennessee Tech (10-8, 3-3 OVC)
Roster Schedule StatsTennessee (12-7, 1-2 SEC) went 2-2 over their four games from Tuesday, March 15 -- Sunday, March 20, including a 1-2 mark in their 2016 SEC Opening Weekend series on Rocky Top vs. No. 8-ranked Ole Miss. UT is now 4-4 at home, 4-0 during away games and 4-3 in neutral site games this season.
Entering Tennessee's midweek contest vs. Tennessee Tech (10-8, 3-3 OVC), the Vols also have five starting position players hitting above .300 (Chris Hall - .377; Nick Senzel - .358; Derek Lance - .358; Vincent Jackson - .328; Jordan Rodgers - .301).
- Tuesday, March 22: RHP Daniel Vasquez (1-2, 5.65) vs. TTU RHP Nick Osborne (0-0, 4.22)
Tennessee vs. Tennessee Tech All-Time
- Overall vs. Tennessee Tech: UT leads, 67-29-1
- In Knoxville: UT leads, 39-9
- Last Meeting: Vols won, 10-1, in Cookeville
- Last Meeting in Knoxville: Tech won, 5-1
- Last 10 Games: UT leads, 8-2
Vols on the Charts
Following their SEC Opening Weekend vs. No 8-ranked Ole Miss, Tennessee owns a collective .312 team batting average, the fourth-best mark in the league. Additionally, UT's 38 stolen bases are second in the SEC, while they lead the conference with 22 double plays turned over 19 games in 2016.
Among SEC opponents, the Volunteers also rank sixth in runs scored (155), seventh in hits (205) and fifth in on-base percentage (.404).
Tennessee on NCAA charts:
- Jordan Rodgers - 36 RBI (1st in NCAA), 1.89 RBI/game (1st in NCAA)
- Nick Senzel - 26 runs scored (T-13th in NCAA), 1.37 runs/game (11th in NCAA), 21 walks (T-9th in NCAA), 1.37 RBI/game (T-16th in NCAA)
- Jeff Moberg - 28 runs scored (T-5th in NCAA), 1.75 runs/game (1st in NCAA)
- Zach Warren - four wins (T-8th in NCAA)
- Stolen Bases - 38 (14th in NCAA)
- Team Double Plays - 22 (T-10th in NCAA)
- Team Double Plays/Game - 1.16 (11th in NCAA)
- Team On-Base Percentage - .404 (24th in NCAA)
- Total Runs Scored - 155 (21st in NCAA)
- Team Scoring - 8.2 runs/game (15th in NCAA)
Volunteers rank among the SEC's Top 10 in the following categories:
- Chris Hall - five HBP (T-5th)
- Jeff Moberg - .415 average (4th), .519 OBP (2nd), 28 runs scored (T-2nd), nine doubles (T-3rd)
- Jordan Rodgers - 36 RBI (1st), three triples (T-2nd)
- Nick Senzel - 26 runs scored (5th), 26 RBI (5th), nine doubles (T-3rd), 21 walks (T-2nd), nine stolen bases (T-7th), .505 OBP (4th)
- Vincent Jackson - five HBP (T-5th)
- Zach Warren - 1.55 ERA (7th), four wins (T-4th)
- Jon Lipinski - three saves (T-5th)
Through four weeks of play, Tennessee currently sits in sixth place in the SEC Eastern Division (12-7, .632).
A Good Look at the Golden Eagles
Tennessee Tech is off to a 10-8 start (3-3 in Ohio Valley Conference) this year under longtime Head Coach Mike Bragga (13th season at TTU). Last week, TTU went 4-0 after defeating Kennesaw State in midweek action and taking a three-game sweep over UT Martin.
The Golden Eagles return two key offensive stat leaders from 2015 in junior outfielder Tyler Brazelton and sophomore first baseman/designated hitter Ryan Flick. Brazelton, hitting .258 with a team-high four homers entering Tuesday's contest, led TTU with a .315 average and 39 runs scored last season. Flick posted team-best numbers in doubles (16), homers (10) and RBI (57) in 2015 and this year, he's hitting .270 over 16 games.
Junior transfer Chris Brown is currently pacing the 2016 Golden Eagles' offense, holding a stout .365 average, while first baseman Chase Chambers has produced a team-leading 17 RBI and 18 runs scored in his sophomore campaign.
On the mound, Tennessee Tech's pitchers have posted a combined 152 strikeouts in 158.0 innings, wiht a 5.47 team ERA. TTU relief pitchers have posted seven of their 10 wins this season, while sophomore righty Travis Moths owns 25 punchouts in his 25.1 innings, tops on the TTU staff.
SEC Opening Weekend Recap
The Ole Miss Rebels took two of three games against Tennessee in Knoxville last weekend, while all three games were decided by three runs or less.
Tennessee senior Derek Lance was the hero in Friday night's SEC Opener, delivering a two-out, walk-off base hit to lift the Vols past Ole Miss, 3-2, at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. With the score knotted at 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth, Max Bartlett and Lance combined to provide just what the Vols needed to grab a series-opening win. It was Lance's only hit on the night and just his sixth RBI of the season but it proved decisive in handing the Rebels just their second loss of the season.
UT nearly battled back from a three-run deficit, but couldn't find a late-inning rally as it dropped Game Two with No. 8 Ole Miss, 6-4, on Saturday. Three Vols posted multi-hit outings on the afternoon, led by Vincent Jackson's 3-for-5 day.
Junior Jordan Rodgers notched a towering homer and four RBIs, but Tennessee dropped the series finale to No. 8 Ole Miss on Sunday, falling 10-7. Rodgers, who had entered the series with an NCAA-leading 31 RBIs, picked up four more to lead the Vols. Chris Hall (2-for-3), Leno Ramirez (2-for-4; double), Tyler Schultz (2-for-3), and Derek Lance (2-for-3, double) all had multi-hit days as UT pounded out 11 hits against the Rebels.
On Deck for the Vols
The Volunteers travel to visit the Alabama Crimson Tide (13-6, 2-1 SEC) for a three-game conference series in Tuscaloosa, Ala., from Friday, March 25 -- Sunday, March 27. Friday night's series opener will be available for viewing via SEC Network+ stream, while UT's Saturday and Sunday matchups will be broadcast nationally on SEC Network.
