May 2, 2017

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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Volunteers host the ETSU Buccaneers for the final of three midweek matchups this season on Tuesday, May 2 at 6:00 p.m. ET at Lindsey Nelson Stadium

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Game Time & Broadcast Info

Opponent: ETSU Buccaneers
Date: Tuesday, May 2
Game: Tues. 5/2 at 6:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Lindsey Nelson Stadium (Knoxville, Tenn.)
Radio: UTSports.com
Live Stats: UTSports.com

Tennessee (22-18, 6-14 SEC)

Roster Schedule 2017 Stats

ETSU (20-22, 3-12 SoCon)

Roster Schedule 2017 Stats

The Vols (22-18, 6-14 SEC) enter Tuesday's matchup versus ETSU (20-22, 3-12 SoCon) after splitting the weekend series with Vanderbilt in Nashville. Following a 1-0 loss on Friday, Tennessee fought back in Game Two to plate nine runs in the final two innings, including four on senior Jordan Rodgers' eighth-inning grand slam.

On the season, the Volunteers are scheduled to play 15 of their 55 regular season games against five 2016 NCAA postseason participants.

Pitching Matchup

Tues. May 2 at 6:00 p.m. ET - LHP Zach Warren (2-4, 5.32 ERA) vs. RHP Logan Gentry (0-0, 5.40 ERA)

Tennessee vs. ETSU

All-time vs. ETSU: Tennessee leads, 63-17
In Knoxville: Tennessee leads, 35-7
In Johnson City: Tennessee leads, 27-10
Last 10 Games: Tennessee leads, 7-3
Last Meeting: Vols won, 8-1, in Kodak, Tenn., at Smokies Stadium (4/26/17)
Dave Serrano vs. ETSU: 8-4 since 2012

Tennessee plays ETSU in the final of three midweek games between the programs this season on Tuesday. The Big Orange struck early in the Smoky Mountain Challenge on April 26, plating one run in the first inning en route to recording an 8-1 win at Smokies Stadium -- home of the Tennessee Smokies. Jeff Moberg (3-for-5, RBI) and Jordan Rodgers (2-for-3, 3 RBI) paced UT's offense as the Vols' bats combined for five extra-base hits, including Rodgers' sixth home run of the season.

Scouting the Bucs

East Tennessee State heads into Tuesday's contest having just dropped a series to Wofford last weekend. The Bucs won the series opener on Friday, outscoring Wofford, 6-5.
Offensively, the Bucs have seven players hitting over .300 on the season. Christian Bailey leads the team with a .386 batting average including a team-best 68 hits and 41 RBI.
On the mound for the Bucs, Ryan Simpler, Jamin McCann and Blake Smith have combined for 31 of ETUS's 42 starts this year. Simpler owns the best ERA on the starting staff at 3.70 and McCann has thrown the fewest free passes at 20. Simpler and Smith have combined for 138 strikeouts through 138.2 innings pitched.

Tennessee on [Rocky] Top

UT on NCAA charts (as of May 1):

Team ERA: 38th (3.64)
Team Hits Allowed/Nine Innings: 34th (8.14)
Team WHIP: 32nd (1.28)
Jordan Rodgers: 1.54 hits per game (35th)
Hunter Martin: three complete games (11th) and 11 games started (25th)

As a team, Tennessee ranks among the SEC's Top 10 in the following categories (as of April 30):

Batting Average: 8th (.272)
On Base Percentage: 9th (.364)
Team Triples: 2nd (12)
Team Walks: 9th (172)
Team Stolen Bases: 7th (46)
Team ERA: 8th (3.64)
Batters Struck Out Looking: 10th (106)
Runners Picked Off: 8th (5)
Fewest Hits Allowed: 4th (327)
Fewest Runs Allowed: 4th (173)
Fewest Walks Allowed: 5th (134)
Fewest Doubles Allowed: 2nd (56)
Fewest Home Runs Allowed: 3rd (22)
Double Plays Turned: T-8th (32)

Vols rank among the SEC's Top 10 in the following categories (as of April 30):

Jeff Moberg: .340 average (9th), three triples (T-3rd) and 9 HBP (T-9th)
Jordan Rodgers: .368 average (4th), .571 slugging percentage (5th) and 60 hits (8th)
Pete Derkay: .444 OBP (7th), 31 walks (6th) and 1.000 fielding percentage (T-1st)
Andre Lipcius: 344 putouts (5th) and 29 double plays fielded (T-6th)
Dom Thornton: 1.000 fielding percentage (T-1st)
Hunter Martin: 73.1 innings pitched (2nd), 73 batters struck out (6th) and 27 batters struck out looking (T-3rd)
Garrett Stallings: fewest walks allowed (12 - T-6th)
Zach Linginfelter: fewest hits allowed (37 - T-6th)
Jon Lipinski: 15 games finished (T-4th)

The 2017 Volunteers

The Vols' 2017 roster boasts 17 newcomers including 14 true freshmen, two JUCO transfers and one graduate transfer.
Keep on Walking: With two walks in Saturday's game, Pete Derkay extended his team-leading count to 31. The outing marked his first game with multiple walks since April 4 against MTSU. He tallied three free passes in the game.
Rodger(s) That: Senior Jordan Rodgers' 8th-inning grand slam on Saturday marked the first for a Vol since VFL Vincent Jackson did so vs. Tennessee Tech (March 22, 2016).
More on Martin...: Senior Hunter Martin ranks tied for third in the SEC with 27 batters stuck out looking as well as second with 73.1 innings pitched on the year. With his complete game effort last Friday at Vanderbilt, Martin boasts three complete games on the year. He is the first UT pitcher to record multiple complete games in a single season since Zack Godley did so in 2013 (6).
The Vols have combined for 100 extra-base hits this year, including 24 home runs (surpassing 2016's complete season total).
Despite losing seven positional starters from the 2016 season, UT returns 18 lettermen including six true seniors.

Knoxville-Johnson City 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.

Weekend Recap

Friday (4/28)

Tennessee scattered five hits against the Vanderbilt Commodores on Friday night, but struggled to push a run across as the Volunteers dropped the series opener at Hawkins Field, 1-0.
Tennessee threatened in the fifth and sixth innings as the Vols put runners in scoring position each time.
In his 11th start of the year, Hunter Martin (4-5) dealt his third complete effort in as many games (also, vs. Auburn and at Texas A&M). The righty allowed one run on four hits and fanned eight of his 31 batters faced in the loss.
Martin is the first Volunteer pitcher to record multiple complete games in a single season since Zack Godley (6) did so in 2013

Saturday (4/29)

In Tennessee's second game of the series at Vanderbilt, the Volunteers used a late rally and grand slam by senior Jordan Rodgers to drive past the Commodores, 9-3, at Hawkins Field.
To lead off the eighth, Tennessee loaded the bases with a walk, hit-by-pitch and single to right field. Jeff Moberg then singled to right field with one out to score the Vols' first run of the series. Two at-bats later and with the bases loaded in the eighth, Rodgers tallied his team-leading seventh home run of the series, a grand slam over the left field wall, to lift the Orange and White past Vanderbilt, 5-3. The Vols went on to plate four more runs in the ninth for a 9-3 final.
On the mound, Stallings tossed a career high 7.1 innings in his fifth start of the season for the win.
Relief pitcher Zach Linginfelter (1.2) entered the game in the eighth with a runner on second and one out. He threw back-to-back strikeouts to get out of the inning and faced five batters in the ninth to pick up the save.

Sunday (4/30)

After an hour and 15 minute rain delay, Sunday's series finale between Tennessee and Vanderbilt was cancelled due to inclement weather at Hawkins Field and will not be rescheduled.

On Deck for the Vols

SEC play continues for the Vols as they welcome the Arkansas Razorbacks to Lindsey Nelson Stadium for a three-game set on Thursday, May 4 - Saturday, May 6.

University of Tennessee Athletics

BASEBALL CENTRAL: Vols Host ETSU (May 2)