University of Tennessee Athletics
Friday, March 29
Knoxville, Tenn.
6:30 PM
University of Tennessee
vs
Georgia
BSB PREVIEW: #5 Vols Host #22 Dawgs in SEC East Battle
March 28, 2024 | Baseball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 5/5 Tennessee caps off its current homestand with another conference series against a ranked foe this weekend as No. 22 Georgia visits Lindsey Nelson Stadium for an eastern division battle.
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The Vols notched their first SEC series victory of the year by winning two of three games against No. 17 Ole Miss last weekend in Knoxville and will look to continue their stellar play at home.
Single-game tickets for all games can also be purchased through Ticketmaster, the exclusive resale marketplace for Tennessee Athletics, by clicking HERE.
In order to keep Lindsey Nelson Stadium as full as possible, we are encouraging season ticket holders who are unable to use their tickets for a game(s) to transfer your tickets to another Vols fan (Instructions HERE).
If you're a season ticket holder and can't make it to a baseball game this season, you also now have the option to donate your tickets. Your tickets will be donated back to Tennessee Athletics and will be distributed to the military and/or local charities in the Knoxville area.
All ticket donations will be accepted until 5 PM the business day before a game. After donating your tickets a gift receipt equal to the ticket value will be emailed to you. You may save that receipt for your tax records.Â
Fans can also listen to John Wilkerson call the action all series long on the Vol Network (FM 99.1/AM 990). UT basketball VFL Steve Hamer will join Wilkerson on the call for Friday night's series opener. A free audio stream will also be available on UTSports.com, the Tennessee Athletics App and the Varsity App. Â
GAME 2: RHP Drew Beam (3-1, 3.34 ERA) vs. RHP Leighton Finley (2-1, 3.75 ERA)
GAME 3: TBD vs. RHP Christian Mracna (3-1, 3.57 ERA)
in Knoxville: Vols lead, 71-50
in Athens: Bulldogs lead, 71-53
at Neutral Sites: Vols lead, 3-0
Last Meeting: L, 9-4 – May 7, 2023 in Athens
Tennessee is 8-7 against Georgia under head coach Tony Vitello (2018-pres.) and has won three of the five series in that span, but neither side has swept the other in that time. The Bulldogs won last year's series in Athens after dropping the series opener, but the Vols got the better of their SEC East counterpart the last time the two programs met in Knoxville, winning two of three games in 2022.
This weekend's series will pit the nation's top two home run hitting teams against one another, as Georgia enters the weekend with an NCAA-leading 74 long balls while Tennessee ranks second with 68.
Both teams are averaging over 2.6 homers per game and boast multiple players with double-digit bombs this season. UGA's Charlie Condon leads the nation with 17 four baggers this year.
Home Run Record Within Reach
Junior slugger Blake Burke enters this weekend just one home run shy of tying Luc Lipcius' program record of 40 (2017-22). The California native hit his ninth of the year in Tuesday's midweek win over Tennessee Tech, which moved him into a tie for second in program history with Evan Russell (2018-22).
Fellow junior Christian Moore is hot on Burke's heels with 37 career homers after hitting three last week and is currently tied for fifth in UT history with Doug Hecker (1990-92).
Feeling Good at Home
UT has been extremely hard to beat at home inside the friendly confines of Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The Vols enter this weekend's series with a 19-1 record when playing in Knoxville this year and are 133-22 overall at home since the start of the 2020 season.
Freshman Phenom
Freshman infielder Dean Curley is having an incredible debut season for the Big Orange, batting .308 with a 1.167 OPS and ranking tied for second on the team with 26 RBIs. Curley's eight home runs this season are tied for the SEC lead and third nationally among freshmen. He also ranks second among freshmen in the SEC in RBIs, trailing only Texas A&M's Gavin Grahovac, who has 31.
MORE INFO
Game & Broadcast Info
- Opponent: Georgia Bulldogs
- Dates: March 29-31
- Location: Knoxville, Tenn. Â
- Venue: Lindsey Nelson Stadium
- Watch: SECN+/SECN
- Listen: Vol Network
- Live Stats: UTSports.com
- Game 1: Friday, March 29 – 6:30 p.m. (SEC Network+)
- Game 2: Saturday, March 30 – 5 p.m. (SEC Network)
- Game 3: Sunday, March 31 – 2 p.m. (SEC Network)
#5/5 Tennessee (22-4 | 3-3 SEC)
Roster Schedule Stats Notes#22/NR Georgia (21-4 | 3-3 SEC)
Roster Schedule Stats Notes UT Baseball Record Book Tickets Gameday Central Follow @UTGameday Official Gameday App Buy Tennessee GearÂ
The Vols notched their first SEC series victory of the year by winning two of three games against No. 17 Ole Miss last weekend in Knoxville and will look to continue their stellar play at home.
TICKET INFORMATION
Season and single-game tickets for all SEC home contests are SOLD OUT. Limited standing room only tickets will go on sale for all games 90 minutes prior to first pitch at the Lindsey Nelson Stadium ticket office.Single-game tickets for all games can also be purchased through Ticketmaster, the exclusive resale marketplace for Tennessee Athletics, by clicking HERE.
In order to keep Lindsey Nelson Stadium as full as possible, we are encouraging season ticket holders who are unable to use their tickets for a game(s) to transfer your tickets to another Vols fan (Instructions HERE).
If you're a season ticket holder and can't make it to a baseball game this season, you also now have the option to donate your tickets. Your tickets will be donated back to Tennessee Athletics and will be distributed to the military and/or local charities in the Knoxville area.
All ticket donations will be accepted until 5 PM the business day before a game. After donating your tickets a gift receipt equal to the ticket value will be emailed to you. You may save that receipt for your tax records.Â
NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LINDSEY NELSON STADIUM
As we prepare for the next phase in renovations, please pardon our progress... and our dust. Once completed, Lindsey Nelson Stadium will offer fans an unrivaled experience and be among the nation's finest college baseball venues. We appreciate your support and patience when you enter Lindsey Nelson Stadium this season. Please be advised changes may occur from game to game.BROADCAST INFO
Friday's series opener will be streamed online via SEC Network+ and the ESPN app as Will Boling (PxP) and VFL Cody Hawn (analyst) call the action. The final two games of the series will be televised on the SEC Network with Dave Neal (PxP) and Lance Cormier (analyst) on the call.Fans can also listen to John Wilkerson call the action all series long on the Vol Network (FM 99.1/AM 990). UT basketball VFL Steve Hamer will join Wilkerson on the call for Friday night's series opener. A free audio stream will also be available on UTSports.com, the Tennessee Athletics App and the Varsity App. Â
PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
GAME 1: RHP AJ Causey (5-0, 1.91 ERA) vs. LHP Charlie Goldstein (3-0, 5.16 ERA)GAME 2: RHP Drew Beam (3-1, 3.34 ERA) vs. RHP Leighton Finley (2-1, 3.75 ERA)
GAME 3: TBD vs. RHP Christian Mracna (3-1, 3.57 ERA)
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Vols lead, 127-121in Knoxville: Vols lead, 71-50
in Athens: Bulldogs lead, 71-53
at Neutral Sites: Vols lead, 3-0
Last Meeting: L, 9-4 – May 7, 2023 in Athens
Tennessee is 8-7 against Georgia under head coach Tony Vitello (2018-pres.) and has won three of the five series in that span, but neither side has swept the other in that time. The Bulldogs won last year's series in Athens after dropping the series opener, but the Vols got the better of their SEC East counterpart the last time the two programs met in Knoxville, winning two of three games in 2022.
NOTABLE
Beware of the Long BallThis weekend's series will pit the nation's top two home run hitting teams against one another, as Georgia enters the weekend with an NCAA-leading 74 long balls while Tennessee ranks second with 68.
Both teams are averaging over 2.6 homers per game and boast multiple players with double-digit bombs this season. UGA's Charlie Condon leads the nation with 17 four baggers this year.
Home Run Record Within Reach
Junior slugger Blake Burke enters this weekend just one home run shy of tying Luc Lipcius' program record of 40 (2017-22). The California native hit his ninth of the year in Tuesday's midweek win over Tennessee Tech, which moved him into a tie for second in program history with Evan Russell (2018-22).
Fellow junior Christian Moore is hot on Burke's heels with 37 career homers after hitting three last week and is currently tied for fifth in UT history with Doug Hecker (1990-92).
Feeling Good at Home
UT has been extremely hard to beat at home inside the friendly confines of Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The Vols enter this weekend's series with a 19-1 record when playing in Knoxville this year and are 133-22 overall at home since the start of the 2020 season.
Freshman Phenom
Freshman infielder Dean Curley is having an incredible debut season for the Big Orange, batting .308 with a 1.167 OPS and ranking tied for second on the team with 26 RBIs. Curley's eight home runs this season are tied for the SEC lead and third nationally among freshmen. He also ranks second among freshmen in the SEC in RBIs, trailing only Texas A&M's Gavin Grahovac, who has 31.
OPPONENT SCOUT
Georgia Bulldogs (21-4, 3-3 SEC)- Head Coach: Wes Johnson (1st season)
- 2023 Record: 29-27 (11-19 SEC)
- 2023 Postseason: N/A
- Rankings: D1Baseball – NR | USA Today – 24 | Baseball America – 24 | NCBWA – 22 | Perfect Game – NR
- 2024 SEC Preseason Poll: 6th in Eastern Division
- Preseason All-Conference Selections (1)
- Charlie Condon (2nd Team)
- Stat Leaders:
- Batting Avg: Charlie Condon (.517)
- Runs: Charlie Condon (39)
- Hits: Charlie Condon (46)
- Home Runs: Charlie Condon (17)
- RBI: Charlie Condon (37)
- Stolen Bases: Five tied (2)
- Wins: Goldstein & Mracna (3)
- Saves: Brian Zeldin (4)
- ERA (min. 10 IP): Brian Zeldin (1.32)
- WHIP (min. 10 IP): Brian Zeldin (1.02)
- Innings Pitched: Leighton Finley (24.0)
- Strikeouts: Christian Mracna (31)
ON DECK
The Vols will not play a midweek game next week and will travel to Auburn next weekend for a matchup against the Tigers down on the Plains.
Players Mentioned
1B
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF
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