It was smooth sailing for Tennessee this afternoon in Knoxville as the Volunteers opened up the Josh Elander era with a win. Tennessee did Tennessee things, jumping out to an early lead and never looking back on their way to a blowout win.

Reese Chapman got things going this afternoon, driving in Blaine Brown on an opposite field double. Brown singled in his first at bat as a Volunteer, setting the table for the Tennessee offense. Chapman would come back in the 3rd inning with another double, driving in another. Stone Lawless would knock him in with yet another double.

Tennessee took a 3-0 lead into the 4th inning and Teagan Kuhns was dealing. Nicholls had nothing for the right-hander, who is coming off of a strong summer in the Cape Cod league.

Henry Ford smacked a 2-run shot to dead center to push Tennessee out to a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the 4th. The former Virginia Cavalier hit leadoff for the Volunteers today and immediately made his presence felt.

Ariel Antigua drove in another in the 5th and then another in the 7th.

Kuhns would end up going 6.2 innings on the night. He tossed 86 pitches, striking out eight batters and walking only one. Kuhns surrendered only two hits.

Tennessee, up 8-0 in the bottom of the 8th, would launch back to back solo shots to end this one with a run-rule. JUCO hitter Tyler Myatt hit the first to right, then Stone Lawless hit one to left.

The Volunteers won 10-0 to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

Lawless, Antigua and Ford all drove in two runs. Tennessee had 11 hits in total on the day. Nic Abraham came in to finish things up on the mound, getting four outs and giving up no hits.

Tennessee and Nicholls will play game No. 2 on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET. SEC Network+ (ESPN App) will once again have the call.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — The push to bring the Super Bowl to Nashville is putting a spotlight on Tennessee’s tax laws as state lawmakers look for ways to make the state more attractive to the NFL.

The issue came up during the state Finance Ways and Means Committee meeting Thursday, amid reports that Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold may have lost money playing in the big game in California because of that state’s duty tax. Also called the “jock tax,” it means athletes who play there get billed by the state.

State Rep. William Lamberth, R-Portland, said Tennessee does not have a jock tax.

“We do not have a ‘Jock Tax’ and I hope it makes us more competitive for many other sporting events out there because unless that person lives in this state, and buys things in this state, they’re not paying taxes in this state, and that’s how we run a good robust government with low taxes,” Lamberth said.

The commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development said there could be an announcement on a Super Bowl in Nashville as soon as this year.