Feb. 6, 2017

2017 Schedule

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Baseball Time in Tennessee is just 11 days away! To count down to the start of the 2017 season, UTSports.com will profile a player each day on the Vols' 2017 squad. The countdown began Jan. 18 and will run up until UT's season opener on February 17 against Memphis at FedEx Park.

TENNESSEE BASEBALL'S NO. 11

2000 |Jeff Baumtrog
1983-86 | Brad Blizzard
1987 |Billy Paul Carver
1991 | Greg Chignoli
1972-73 | Wendell Clowers (Away)
1981 | Tobin Davidson
2001-02 | Erik Filsinger
2009-10 | Blake Forsythe
1998-99 | Matt Garrett
2007 | Yan Gomes
1996-97 | Clay Greene
2008 | Shawn Griffin
1972 | Larry Hardin (Home)
1976 | Randy Helton
2012-13 | Zach Luther
1973| Gary Mashburn (Home)
1988 | Brian McCord
1979-80 | Randy McDaniel
1992-93 | Jason Pantages
1965 | Tom Pritchard
1990 | Danny Ramirez
2014-17 | Kyle Serrano
2006 | Chris Siewert
1966-67 | Terry Smith
1982| John Warren (Away)
1978 | Bruce Walker (Home)
1969-71 | Richard Walkney (Home)
1974,75 | John Yarbrough (Away)

Need to Know

In February, Tennessee will travel to Memphis to open their 2017 season with a three-game set (Feb. 17-19) against the University of Memphis at FedEx Park, home of the Tigers. The Big Orange then heads west during their second week of the season for a single-game matchup at Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles, Calif. (Feb. 22) before travelling to San Diego to participate in the Tony Gwynn Classic on Feb. 24-26.

Following the four-game stint in California, the Volunteers will return to Knoxville for their first home series of the season on March 3-5. The series also signifies the first-ever meeting between Norfolk State and UT.

The Orange & White open their 2017 Southeastern Conference schedule with the South Carolina Gamecocks in Knoxville on March 17-19, marking the second consecutive year for UT to begin conference play at home. Tennessee later plays host to SEC rivals Georgia (March 31-April 2), Auburn (April 13-15) and Arkansas (May 4-6) before closing out regular season play against Missouri (May 18-20) at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

This year, the Volunteers' SEC road schedule includes trips to Mississippi State (March 24-26), Florida (April 7-9), Texas A&M (April 21-23), Vanderbilt (April 28-30) and Kentucky (May 12-14).

On the season, the Volunteers, led by Head Coach Dave Serrano and his staff, are scheduled to play 15 of their 55 regular season games against five 2016 NCAA postseason participants, including 2016 SEC Tournament Champion Texas A&M.

Countdown to Baseball: 11 Days

Redshirt junior right-handed pitcher Kyle Serrano is the 28th Vol to wear the orange and white No. 11.

In 2016, Serrano made one start for the Volunteers before missing the remainder of the season with Tommy John surgery. In his one start against Memphis in February, the righthander tossed 3.2 innings while allowing one earned run on three hits with three strikeouts. Despite missing most of the season, Serrano was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 40th round of the 2016 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

Entering his junior year in 2016, Serrano was listed as No. 18 on D1Baseball.com's Top 20 Juniors List, as well as the No. 42 MLB Draft Prospect by Baseball America. He went 3-2 and tossed 36.2 innings in the 2015 summer season for the Cape Cod League's Orleans Firebirds, recording 38 strikeouts, walking eight batters and posting a 3.68 ERA. Serrano went on to throw 3.1 scoreless innings for the Firebirds in the Cape Cod League postseason, registering one save and seven strikeouts.

The Knoxville native led the Volunteers' pitching staff as a sophomore in 2015, posting a 5-4 record over 22 appearances (eight starts) with a 4.47 ERA and 47 strikeouts over 54.1 innings of work. As a freshman in 2014, he went 3-3 with a 4.55 ERA in 19 appearances (nine starts), fanning 40 batters in 59.1 innings.

In his career on Rocky Top, Serrano owns an 8-8 all-time record with a 4.45 ERA and 90 strikeouts over 117.1 innings, including one save and a .238 opposing batter's average.