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Following another weekend sweep at the Cox Diamond Invitational in Pensacola, Fla., the newly ranked Tennessee baseball team will cap off a four-game road trip with a midweek matchup against Troy on Tuesday night in the 3rd Annual Hoover Classic.
The Volunteers were ranked 21st in the USA Today Coaches' Poll that was released on Monday, their highest ranking since also being ranked No. 21 by Perfect Game on April 14, 2014. UT is also ranked No. 24 in the Collegiate Baseball News Poll and No. 25 in the D1Baseball Top 25 Poll. This week marks the program's first Top 25 ranking since coming in at No. 24 in the Collegiate Baseball News poll in March of 2017.
At 12-0, the Volunteers have matched the 2014 team for the best start to a season in program history. A win over the Trojans would give this year's squad sole possession of the best start in the history of Tennessee baseball. First pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m. ET time at Hoover Met Stadium.
Game Times & Broadcast Info
- Opponent: Troy Trojans
- Location: Hoover, Ala.
- Venue: Hoover Met
- Date (Time): Tue, March 5 (7 p.m. ET)
- Listen: Troy Radio
- Live Stats: UTSports.com
- Tickets: Buy Here
Roster Schedule Stats Game Notes (PDF)
Troy Trojans (6-5)
Roster Schedule Stats
Broadcast Info
Tuesday's game will not be televised or streamed, but fans can listen to Troy's radio call of the game by clicking HERE. Live updates will also be available throughout the game on Tennessee baseball's official Twitter account (@Vol_Baseball) and live stats can be viewed at this LINK.
Tickets
Tickets are $5 for general admission for adults and are available for purchase through the Hoover Met Ticket Office – kids 10 and under will be admitted for free. The gates will open at 5 p.m., and parking will be $5 (cash only).
Fans wishing to buy tickets can contact the ticket office at (205) 739-7364 or click HERE.
Projected Starting Pitchers
RHP Sean Hunley (2 GS, 2-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Sadler Goodwin (2 GS, 0-1, 6.75 ERA)
Series History vs. Troy
Overall: First Meeting
Need to Know
- Tennessee is one of only four unbeaten teams left in Division I entering Week 4 of the season. Florida State, NC State and Arizona State are the other three.
- UT is coming off a 5-0 week in which they batted .307 as a team and outscored their five opponents by a 32-8 margin.
- At 12-0, the Vols have matched their best start in program history and will look to surpass that mark with a win on Tuesday.
- Tennessee is ranked in four of the six major college baseball polls this week with its highest ranking being No. 21 in the USA Today Coaches' Poll. This week marks the first Top 25 ranking for the Vols in any poll since March of 2017.
- Seven players batted .313 or higher last week as the Big Orange posted midweek wins over Liberty and Middle Tennessee before sweeping the field at the Cox Diamond Invitational in Pensacola, Fla.
- Tennessee leads the nation with a 0.85 ERA entering play this week and has already posted six shutouts this season, the most since also shutting out six opponents in 2005.
- True freshman pitcher Camden Sewell gave up just one hit and struck out five in six shutout innings against Middle Tennessee last Wednesday in his first-career start to earn this first collegiate victory.
- The Vols' bullpen has been nearly untouchable, allowing just one run and nine hits while striking out 52 batters in 50.0 innings of work.
- Tuesday's projected starting pitcher Sean Hunley is off to another fast start this season after garnering freshman All-America honors in 2018. The sophomore right hander is 2-0 and has not allowed a run over his first two starts while holding opposing hitters to a .143 batting average.
- Twin brothers Andre and Luc Lipcius have been two of the Vols' most dangerous hitters so far and produced some more standout performances last week, combining for nine runs, 12 hits, three doubles, four home runs and 10 RBI. Andre hit his second-career grand slam to lift the Vols past Liberty on Tuesday while Luc hit a home run in both games of the team's Saturday doubleheader at the Cox Diamond Invitational. On the year, they have combined to hit five of Tennessee's 10 homers and are tied for the team lead with 10 RBI apiece.
- Memphis native Justin Ammons is also off to a red-hot start this season, leading the team with a .412 batting average and .580 on-base percentage. He comes into this week riding a six-game hitting streak after posting three multi-hit performances last week. The junior outfielder is also the only Vol to reach base in all 12 games this season.
Troy Trojans (6-5)
- 2018 Record: 42-21 (19-11 Sun Belt)
- 2018 Postseason: NCAA Athens Regional (1-2)
- The Trojans received an at-large bid to last year's NCAA Tournament after finishing third in the Sun Belt regular season standings and advancing to the conference tournament championship game. Troy was picked to finish third in the Sun Belt's east division this season.
- Troy is coach by Mark Smartt, who is in his fourth season as head coach and also helped lead the Trojans to back-to-back NCAA Division II National Championships as a player in 1986 and 1987.
- The Trojans boast two preseason all-conference selections in junior third baseman Drew Frederic and sophomore outfielder Rigsby Mosley. Frederic was also tabbed a preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball while Mosley was named the 2018 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year.
- Mosley and Frederic have lived up to their preseason hype so far as they rank first and second on the team in batting average at .405 and .341, respectively. Frederic is also tied for the team lead with three home runs.
- On the mound, Troy is expected to start senior RHP Sadler Goodwin, who enters the contest with a 0-1 record and 6.75 ERA in two starts this season.
The Vols return to Knoxville for a weekend series against Fresno State at Lindsey Nelson Stadium starting Friday at 6:30 p.m. All three games will be streamed live online via SEC Network+ and the WatchESPN app.
Fans can also listen to all three games this weekend on UTSports.com. Saturday and Sunday's games will also be broadcast on the radio through the Vol Network. Saturday's game can be heard on both FM 99. and AM 990 while Sunday's game will be broadcast on FM 99.1 only.
