KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee will look to get back on track in Southeastern Conference play as it hosts defending national champion LSU in an important series this weekend at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Both the Volunteers and Tigers are off to unexpected slow starts in league play and will be looking for a big series win this weekend in Knoxville.
PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
Game 1 – Friday (5:30 pm on SEC Network):
UT: RHP Landon Mack (7 GS, 3-2, 3.89 ERA)
LSU: RHP Casan Evans (7 GS, 2-1, 5.00 ERA)
Game 2 – Saturday (6 pm on ESPN2):
UT: RHP Tegan Kuhns (6 GS, 1-3, 4.08 ERA)
LSU: RHP William Schmidt (7 GS, 4-1, 2.55 ERA)
Game 3 – Sunday (1 pm on SEC Network+):
UT: LHP Evan Blanco (7 GS, 2-2, 4.00 ERA)
LSU: RHP Gavin Guidry (2 GS, 3-3, 6.64 ERA)
SERIES HISTORY
Vols vs. Tigers
Overall: LSU leads, 65-34
in Knoxville: UT leads, 21-20
in Baton Rouge: LSU leads, 40-10
at Neutral Sites: LSU leads, 5-3
Last 10 Meetings: UT leads, 6-4
Last Meeting: April 27, 2025 (L, 12-2 in Baton Rouge)
Tennessee has won eight straight games against LSU in Knoxville dating back to 2021.
NOTABLE
Vols-Tigers Always High Stakes
In recent years, the Tennessee-LSU rivalry has turned into one of the best in all of college baseball. The two programs have accounted for the last three national championships and have combined to make five Men’s College World Series appearances since 2021.
The Vols and Tigers have played 18 times since 2021 with six of those contests having occurred in the postseason. UT has won eight straight against the Bayou Bengals in Knoxville, including a 5-0 record in 2021 on their way to Omaha.
Need Outs? We’ve Got an App for That
Another true freshman who has been a standout for Tennessee this season is Cam Appenzeller. The Ieft-handed pitcher has been lights out all year long and has yet to allow a run in conference play, tossing 13.1 shutout innings with 13 strikeouts and just one walk allowed in three appearances against Georgia, Missouri and Vanderbilt.
Appenzeller was the driving force behind UT’s game-two win over Missouri, posting 4.2 scoreless innings of relief against the Tigers, allowing just two hits while striking out a career-best seven batters to earn his first SEC victory. He entered the game with the bases loaded and nobody out in the top of the fifth inning and retired the next three batters in order to get the Vols out of the jam unscathed.
The Chatham, Illinois, native followed that performance with a career-high six shutout innings last Saturday at Vanderbilt, holding the powerful Commodores’ lineup to just four hits.
Midseason Accolades for Cam and Henry
Appenzeller and junior third baseman Henry Ford both received midseason honors this week for their standout performances thus far. Appenzeller was named to the Baseball America Freshman of the Year Award Midseason Watch List and the Perfect Game Midseason Freshman All-American Team while Ford was tabbed to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List.
Home Cooking
Tennessee has once again been tough to beat at home this season. The Vols are 16-4 when playing in Knoxville and have been one of the nation’s best at home this decade, posting an impressive 202-39 (.838) record at Lindsey Nelson Stadium since 2020.
