March 6, 2017

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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Following Tennessee Baseball's sweep of Norfolk State at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, the Volunteers travel to Johnson City, Tenn., for Tuesday action against ETSU (March 7).

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Game Times & Broadcast Info

Opponent: ETSU Buccaneers
Dates: Tuesday, March 7
Game: Tues. 3/7 at 6:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Thomas Stadium (Johnson City, Tenn.)
Radio (March 7): UTSports.com
Live Stats:ETSUBucs.com

Tennessee (9-1)

Roster Schedule 2017 Stats

ETSU (7-4)

Roster Schedule 2017 Stats

Tennessee enters Tuesday's matchup at ETSU on a current eight-game winning streak, dating back to a series-clinching win over Memphis on Feb. 19. Sunday's 11th-inning walkoff helped the Vols to their longest win streak (eight games) since starting 12-0 during the 2014 campaign. As a team, Tennessee racked up 13 hits in the 5-4 victory.

On the season, the Volunteers 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.

Tues. March 7 at 6:30 p.m. ET - RHP Connor Darling vs. TBD

Tennessee vs. ETSU

All-time vs. ETSU: Tennessee leads, 62-16
In Knoxville: Tennessee leads, 35-7
In Johnson City: Tennessee leads, 27-9
Last 10 Games: Tennessee leads, 7-3
Last Meeting: Vols won, 11-2, in Knoxville (5/17/16)
Win Streak: Tennessee holds a four-game win streak over ETSU, dating back to March 10, 2015
Dave Serrano vs. ETSU: 7-3 since 2012

Tennessee heads to Johnson City for the first of three midweek games between the programs this season. The Vols hold a 35-7 advantage over the Buccaneers in games played in Johnson City, including an 11-2 win on March 9, 2016.

Scouting the Bucs

East Tennessee State heads into Tuesday's contest having just dropped two of three games at Florida A&M last weekend, including a 13-12 loss in extra innings in the series finale.
Winners of six of their last nine games, ETSU has won four series this season. ETSU is 6-2 at Thomas Stadium.
Nationally, ETSU is in the Top 50 in multiple NCAA Division I offensive categories -- batting average (4th), on-base percentage (5th), slugging percentage (18th), scoring (19th), doubles per game (34th), home runs (41st), and home runs per game (49th).
The Bucs have six players hitting over .300 on the season. Hunter Parker leads the team with a .526 batting average including a team-best 20 hits.
On the mound for the Bucs, Ryan Simpler, Jamin McCann and Blake Smith have combined for nine starts this year. Blake Smith owns the best ERA on the starting staff with a 2.60, and Simpler has the best opponents' batting average at .292. Simpler and McCann have combined for 30 strikeouts in 33.0 innings pitched

Vols Climb into Top 25

Following a three-game sweep in their 2017 home opener against Norfolk State, the Tennessee Volunteers (9-1) have earned a Top 25 ranking at No. 25 by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper (March 6).
The ranking marks UT's highest regular-season ranking since the 2014 squad was tabbed No. 21 on April 14, 2014 by Perfect Game.
The Top 25 ranking by CBN marks the first for Vol Baseball since February 2015, when D1Baseball.com ranked Tennessee No. 25 in the nation to begin the season.
CBN last ranked Tennessee on March 17, 2014 as the No. 14 team in the nation.

Tennessee on [Rocky] Top

UT on NCAA charts (as of March 6):

Team Batting Average: 8th (.341)
Team On Base Percentage: 14th (.425)
Team Slugging Percentage: 19th (.507)
Team Triples: T-21st (5)
Team WL Pct: T-13th (.900)
Team Walks Allowed/Nine Innings: 21st (2.60)
Jeff Moberg: .476 average (24th), 20 hits (32nd), four home runs (25th) .551 OBP (38th), 15 runs scored (28th), .857 slugging percentage (16th) and 36 total bases (18th)
Jordan Rodgers: .450 average (44th)
Justin Ammons: six doubles (T-29th)
Andre Lipcius: six doubles (T-29th)
Benito Santiago: two triples (12th)
Hunter Martin: 23 strikeouts (46th), three wins (T-1st)

As a team, Tennessee ranks among the SEC's Top 5 in the following categories:

Batting Average: 1st (.341)
Slugging Percentage: 4th (.507)
On Base Percentage: 3rd (.425)
Doubles: 5th (24)
Triples: T-2nd (5)
Wins: T-3rd (9)
Fewest Hits Allowed: 2nd (78)
Fewest Runs Allowed: T-3rd (39)
Fewest Walks Allowed: 1st (26)
Fielding Double Plays: T-4th (8)

Vols rank among the SEC's Top 15 in the following categories:

Jeff Moberg: .476 average (1st), .857 slugging percentage (1st), .551 OBP (3rd), 15 runs scored (T-4th), 20 hits (4th), four home runs (T-3rd) and 36 total bases (T-2nd)
Jordan Rodgers: .450 average (4th), .725 slugging percentage (7th), .477 OBP (15th), 18 hits (T-11th), 14 RBI (7th), three home runs (T-6th) and 29 total bases (T-11th)
Justin Ammons: .390 average (15th), .479 OBP (14th), six doubles (T-2nd)
Pete Derkay: .512 OBP (8th)
Andre Lipcius: .489 OBP (12th), six doubles (T-2nd)
Benito Santiago: two triples (T-2nd)
Hunter Martin: 23 strikeouts (5th), three wins (T-1st) and two walks (T-6th)
Garrett Stallings: 1.23 ERA (10th) and one walk (2nd)
Zach Linginfelter: zero walks (1st)

Knoxville Connections

The Bucs have seven players on the 2017 squad who claim Knoxville as their hometown, including Matt Turner who competed with Vol sophomore Will Neely at Hardin Valley Academy.
VFL Drake Owenby's younger brother, Hagen Owenby, catches for ETSU. In 2016, he led the Bucs in batting average (.374), at bats (235), hits (88), home runs (17) and slugging percentage (.660).
Tennessee's Zach Linginfelter played with ETSU's Dillon Cate on Sevier County High School's baseball team in 2013.

Spartans Swept Away

Redshirt senior Jeff Moberg led off the 11th frame of Sunday's finale with a single and advanced to second on a groundout by Jay Charleston. Justin Ammons then punched him through with a shot to deep left-center field for the game winner.
On Saturday (3/4), a solo homer in the first by Moberg helped the Big Orange jump out to a quick lead as UT held off Norfolk State, 5-2.
On the mound, lefty Zach Warren faced 16 batters through 4.2 innings before allowing a hit. Freshman Zach Linginfelter, who took the hill to start the sixth, fired seven strikeouts through 3.0 scoreless innings of work, allowing just one hit. Senior Jon Lipinski then came in the ninth and picked up his first save of the season.
Tennessee opened it's first-ever meeting with Norfolk State in spectacular fashion on Friday (3/3) as the Vols notched four homers, including back-to-back dingers off the bats of Jordan Rodgers and Benito Santiago in the third inning. In the game, UT plated 10 runs on 10 hits while holding NSU to two runs on seven hits.

He's Only Just Begun...

Tennessee outfielder Justin Ammons was named Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week on Monday, Feb. 27.
Ammons became the first Volunteer freshman to receive Player of the Week honors since VFL Nick Senzel was named SEC Player of the Week in 2014. He's also the first player to receive SEC Freshman of the Week honors, specifically, since Zach Osborne was selected during the week of May 18, 2009
Over four games in California from Feb. 21-26, Ammons hit .471 (8-for-17) with a team-leading five doubles, one triple, a .550 on-base percentage and .882 slugging percentage. His 15 total bases tied with teammate Jeff Moberg for most over the team's four games.
The Memphis native combined for a .500 (6-for-12) average in the Tony Gwynn Classic with four doubles, a triple and five runs scored, including a four extra-base hit performance in UT's tournament finale vs. UC Irvine on Saturday, Feb 25.
With three doubles and one triple vs. UCI, Ammons tied a UT school record for most extra-base hits in a single game with four, last accomplished by Drew Steckenrider vs. Vanderbilt on May 4, 2012 (four doubles).

The 2017 Volunteers

The Vols' 2017 roster boasts 17 newcomers including 14 true freshmen, two JUCO transfers and one graduate transfer.
To start the 2017 season, Tennessee has scored first in nine of its 10 games for a 9-1 record and has produced double-digit hits in eight of its 10 games this season.
Through UT's first nine games, 14 total newcomers made their Tennessee debuts in 2017 (including 11 freshmen).
Despite losing seven positional starters from the 2016 season, UT returns 18 lettermen including six true seniors.
Redshirt senior Jeff Moberg owns team highs in batting average (.476), home runs (4) and runs scored (15). His batting average ranks first in the SEC. The second baseman also boasts the highest slugging percentage (.857) in the conference.
Senior Jordan Rodgers returns to third base for the Vols, hitting .282 with 56 RBI as a junior in 2016.
To begin SEC play last season, Rodgers led the NCAA in RBI and finished the year tied for fourth in the SEC with 56 RBI. On April 1, 2016 vs. Kentucky, he also became the third Vol in Tennessee history to hit for the cycle.

On Deck for the Vols

On March 10-12, the Orange and White will play Cincinnati in their final non-conference home weekend series before the start of SEC play. UT will then travel to Murfreesboro, Tenn., to play MTSU on March 14 before hosting Austin Peay on March 15.

The Vols open their 2016 SEC schedule with the South Carolina Gamecocks in Knoxville from March 17-19, marking the second consecutive year UT will begin conference play at home.

University of Tennessee Athletics

Baseball Central: Vols at ETSU (March 7)