The Official #10 Auburn @ #12 Tennessee Series Thread (Sat. May 3 11AM EDT) (Sun. May 4 1PM EDT) (Sun. May 4 45 mins after) (All games SECNET+)

#1

NO SIR EEE

The Sultan Of Swat
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#1
#10 Auburn Tigers
(31-14 Overall) (11-10) SEC

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@
#12 Tennessee Volunteers
(36-9) Overall (13-8) SEC
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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 5/12 Tennessee is back at home as it continues its difficult finishing stretch to the regular season with No. 5/10 Auburn coming to town this weekend for another important SEC series at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

The Tigers are the second of four straight ranked conference foes that the Vols face over the final four weeks of the regular season. UT will look to right the ship after dropping three of its last four SEC weekends, including back-to-back series at home for the first time since 2017.

BROADCAST INFO

Andy Brock (PxP) and VFL Cody Hawn (analyst) will call the action all series long on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app.

Fans can also listen to the official radio broadcast, featuring the Voice of Tennessee Baseball John Wilkerson and VFL Redmond Walsh, on the Vol Network (FM 99.1 / AM 990) as well as on UTSports.com, the Tennessee Athletics Mobile App and the Varsity App.

PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS

Game 1 – Friday (6:30 pm):
UT: LHP Liam Doyle (11 GS, 7-1, 2.23 ERA)
AU: RHP Samuel Dutton (11 GS, 5-2, 2.48 ERA)

Game 2 – Saturday (6 pm):
UT: RHP Marcus Phillips (11 GS, 3-3, 2.93 ERA)
AU: RHP Cam Tilly (13 APP, 1 GS, 2-1, 4.60 ERA)

Game 3 – Sunday (1 pm):
UT: RHP AJ Russell (4 GS, 0-0, 2.45 ERA)
AU: TBA

SERIES HISTORY

Vols vs. Tigers
Overall: Tigers lead, 98-43
in Knoxville: Tigers lead, 41-22
in Auburn: Tigers lead, 56-21
at Neutral Sites: Tigers lead, 1-0
Last 10 Meetings: Tigers lead, 6-4
Last Meeting: W, 19-5 (7 Inn.) on April 7, 2024 (Auburn, Ala.)

While Auburn has controlled the all-time series between the two programs, Tennessee has won each of the last two series. The Vols won their first road series at Auburn since 2005 when the two teams met On the Plains last season.

After dropping the opening game, the Big Orange posted a pair of run-rule victories over the Tigers to take the series. UT hit 14 home runs in its three games against Auburn last year, which was the most ever by the Vols in an SEC weekend series.

NOTABLE

Doyle Making His Case for National Pitcher of the Year
Tennessee ace Liam Doyle is having an All-American caliber junior season for the Vols and has arguably been the most dominant starting pitcher in the country through 11 weeks.

For the season, Doyle boasts a 7-1 record and a 2.23 ERA in his 11 starts while leading the country in strikeouts (110) and ranking second in strikeouts per nine innings (15.31). The Derry, New Hampshire, native, has reached double-digit strikeouts five times this season, including twice in SEC play. His 2.23 ERA leads the league while his seven victories are tied for third in the SEC and 20th nationally.

Doyle was nearly unhittable in the month of April, posting a 3-0 record with a 1.29 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 28.0 innings pitched over four starts while holding opposing hitters to a .087 average. In last weekend's start at No. 3/7 LSU, the lefthander allowed just one hit in 6.2 shutout innings.

The Century Mark in Homers
With a pair of home runs from Stone Lawless in Tuesday's midweek win over Northern Kentucky, the Vols reached the 100-homer mark for the fourth consecutive season. UT's 100 long balls rank third in the nation while their 2.22 homers per game are fourth nationally.

Tennessee is just the second SEC program to ever hit 100 or more home runs in four straight seasons, joining LSU, who did so from 1996-99. The Big Orange have homered in all but five games this year and has hit multiple home runs 28 times, posting a 27-1 record when doing so.

Vols Against Ranked SEC Opponents
During the Tony Vitello era, the Vols have played 43 SEC series against ranked teams and has won 27 of those series with a 74-55 overall record. Since 2021, the Vols are 22-7 in such series with a 58-29 overall record, including nine series wins.

Against top 10 foes during SEC conference weekends, Tennessee has claimed 11 series victories under Vitello while posting 35 total wins against top-10 SEC opponents in the regular season. The Vols have won three of their four series against ranked opponents this season after sweeping No. 6 Florida (March 14-16) and taking two of three games from No. 10 Alabama (March 20-22) and No. 6 Ole Miss (April 11-13).

OPPONENT SCOUT

Auburn Tigers (31-14, 11-10 SEC)
  • 2024 Record: 27-26 (8-22 SEC)
  • 2024 Postseason: N/A
  • 2025 SEC Preseason Poll: 12th
  • Highest Ranking: No. 5 (Baseball America)
  • D1Baseball.com Ranking: No. 10
  • Head Coach: Butch Thompson
    • Overall Record: 353-248-1 (11th year)
    • Record at AU: 314-227-1 (10th year)
  • Preseason All-Conference Selections (2):
    • C Ike Irish (1st Team)
    • 1B Cooper McMurray (2nd Team)

ON DECK

The Vols welcome Indiana State to Knoxville for a midweek matchup against the Sycamores on Tuesday night at 6 p.m.
 
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#8
#8
Last thing. Auburn’s pitcher/catcher have the freedom to call their own pitches. I’m sure they scout and all, but that will be interesting.
You don’t see that very often at this level of college baseball IMO. I’m sure they meet with coaches and through scouting develop a game plan on how to pitch to certain players. They may have the freedom to select pitches but they have a good idea what the coaches want. They must be having success with this philosophy as Auburn is having a great year.
 
#9
#9
You don’t see that very often at this level of college baseball IMO. I’m sure they meet with coaches and through scouting develop a game plan on how to pitch to certain players. They may have the freedom to select pitches but they have a good idea what the coaches want. They must be having success with this philosophy as Auburn is having a great year.
I guess Tim Hudson is no longer their volunteer pitching coach. He was calling the pitches 2 years ago when they played.
 
#11
#11
You don’t see that very often at this level of college baseball IMO. I’m sure they meet with coaches and through scouting develop a game plan on how to pitch to certain players. They may have the freedom to select pitches but they have a good idea what the coaches want. They must be having success with this philosophy as Auburn is having a great year.

I agree.
 
#15
#15
What are we thinking about this game series ? We have only lost nine games seems some are doubting Tony’s ability to coach. Is it the offense we are more worried about or the pitching? I think we will be fine. D1 has us at what 12? Watching the Georgia game tonight they put out a D1 top seeds and we were like 6 or 7. Don’t understand that logic. Why are we not six or seven ranked lol.
 
#17
#17
What are we thinking about this game series ? We have only lost nine games seems some are doubting Tony’s ability to coach. Is it the offense we are more worried about or the pitching? I think we will be fine. D1 has us at what 12? Watching the Georgia game tonight they put out a D1 top seeds and we were like 6 or 7. Don’t understand that logic. Why are we not six or seven ranked lol.

We lost 2 SEC series in a row would be my guess. Need to limit errors, limit walks, the hitting can’t overcome those things at times and we have to figure out pitching on Sundays. JMO.
 
#18
#18
What are we thinking about this game series ? We have only lost nine games seems some are doubting Tony’s ability to coach. Is it the offense we are more worried about or the pitching? I think we will be fine. D1 has us at what 12? Watching the Georgia game tonight they put out a D1 top seeds and we were like 6 or 7. Don’t understand that logic. Why are we not six or seven ranked lol.
It’s the ”recency factor” that have folks concerned. Although TN has only lost 9 games all year, they have lost 7 of their last 12 SEC games (3 of 4 series/last 2 home series).

I don’t think it’s losing faith in Tony as much as we have a very young team that is having growing pains and/or possibly “hitting a wall”.

@vol66 summed it up nicely. Errors, walks, lack of timely hitting (way too many runners LOB) and Sunday pitching ( giving up over 11 RPG last 4 Sundays/Game 3s getting run-ruled twice in the process) have bitten us over the games we have lost during this stretch.

As far as the D1 Tourney projections not aligning to this week‘s polls….that is a projection how they see things sitting at the end of the season. They are projecting us to do well these last 3 SEC series (especially with 2 at home) and moving up by the end of the season. If we take care of business, the 6/7 seed is in range as AU, Vandy and Arky are currently #4, #3 & #6 in RPI respectively (TN is currently #10).
 

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