SCORE: Tennessee 6, Mississippi State 2 | FINAL (Vols clinch series)

***SCROLL DOWN FOR LIVE AT-BAT BY AT-BAT FEED***

Tennessee baseball (22-12, 5-8 SEC) is set to battle the ninth-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs (26-8, 7-6 SEC) Saturday in game two of a three-game series in Starkville, Mississippi.

First pitch at Dudy Noble Field is at 7:00 p.m. ET on SEC Network +.

For a full preview of the series, including first pitch times, broadcast details and a prediction, click HERE.

Tennessee enters Saturday looking to clinch the series after achieving a crucial 6-5 series-opening win Friday. The Vols used one of their better offensive performances of the season and yet another elite Cam Appenzeller relief outing to claim the victory.

Appenzeller was brilliant in 5.0 innings of work, totaling a career-high eight strikeouts on a career-high 78 pitches while allowing two earned runs on three hits and one walk.

Appenzeller has followed Landon Mack in all but one outing this year, last week against LSU. The stack returned, but it was the first time the pair both pitched on Friday as Mack recently moved to the Friday night starting role.

Tennessee opting to use Appenzeller as the first man out of the bullpen to follow Mack made lots of sense given UT’s frequent use of the stack, and Appenzeller has clearly been UT’s best bullpen arm. Going to your best reliever is very common in series openers, and Tennessee did so with the game tied in the fifth inning.

Garrett Wright led the way with three hits, and Henry Ford and Levi Clark homered.

Read the full recap of Tennessee’s series opening win over MSU below.

GAME ONE RECAP: Tennessee Baseball Takes Crucial Series Opener At Mississippi State

Offense and relief pitching beyond a few arms has led to Tennessee’s struggles in conference play.

Specifically, blowing leads has become a troubling theme as of late. In the Vols’ last three SEC losses before this weekend, they led by five runs entering the bottom of the ninth, three runs entering the eighth and five runs after the first five innings.

Tennessee will aim to pull off an upset this weekend in Starkville as Mississippi State has looked like one of the SEC’s best teams at times this season, specifically before last weekend when it got swept by Georgia.

After winning game one, Tennessee has a great opportunity to claim an upset series win and get its season back on the right track. But Tennessee has only won consecutive SEC games once all season (games two and three vs. Missouri).

Opponent Scout

• 2025 Record: 36-23 (15-15 SEC)
• 2025 Postseason: NCAA Tallahassee Regional (2-2)
• 2026 SEC Preseason Poll: 3^rd
• Head Coach: Brian O’Connor
  • Overall Record: 943-395-2 (23^rd year)
  • Record at MSU: 26-7 (1^st year)
• Preseason All-Conference Selections (2): 
  • 3B Ace Reese (1^st Team), DH/UTL Noah Sullivan (1^st Team)

SERIES HISTORY:

• Overall: Bulldogs lead, 60-39
• In Knoxville: Bulldogs lead, 20-19
• In Starkville: Bulldogs lead, 37-16
• At Neutral Sites: Vols lead, 4-3
• Last 10 Meetings: Vols lead, 9-1

Info courtesy UT Athletics in italics

For all of RTI’s baseball coverage so far this season, click here.

For the latest RTI Diamond Pass podcast discussing the LSU series loss, click HERE.

VIDEO: Josh Elander Discusses Series-Opening Win at Mississippi State

Lineups, pitching matchup and additional pre-game notes are below, followed by the LIVE at-bat by at-bat game thread.

TENNESSEE STARTING NINE: 

MISSISSIPPI STATE STARTING NINE: 

CF Aidan Teel (L)

LF Bryce Chance (R)

3B Ace Reese (L)

DH Noah Sullivan (R)

RF Jacob Parker (L)

2B Gehrig Frei (S)

1B Reed Stallman (L)

SS Ryder Woodson (R)

C Kevin Milewski (R)

Pitching Matchup:

Vols So. RHP Tegan Kuhns (1-3, 3.89 ERA, 8 app., 7 starts, 39.1 IP, 38 H, 19 R, 17 ER, 8 BB, 47 K, 13 XBH, .247 opp. batting avg., 1.17 WHIP)

vs.

Bulldogs So. RHP Duke Stone (5-0, 3.75 ERA, 9 app., 7 starts, 36.0 IP, 30 H, 18 R, 15 ER, 15 BB, 55 K, 10 XBH, .221 opp. batting avg., 1.25 WHIP)

Pitching Notes:

• Kuhns gets the Saturday start for the second straight week. Began the season as the Friday guy before moving out of the rotation for the Vandy series, then back in last weekend. Was great out of the bullpen in game one at Vanderbilt.
  • Kuhns’ outing was relatively short last week as Tennessee quickly turned to Appenzeller after a leadoff walk in the fifth.
  • Tennessee needs a longer outing out of Kuhns tonight to put it in good position for Sunday. But expect Brandon Arvidson and/or Bo Rhudy to follow Kuhns.
• Stone has been Miss State’s Sunday guy primarily this year, but the Bulldogs have shaken up the order of their rotation a bit recently.
  • Stone started last Saturday and allowed two runs on five hits in 4.0 IP vs. Georgia. Walked three and struck out 10.
    • It was overall a nice bounce back from his outing the week prior, when he walked a whopping SEVEN batters in 5.2 IP vs. Ole Miss, but still only allowed one run and four hits.
    • Stone is yet to reach 100 pitches, and hasn’t pitched into the seventh inning yet this year.

Uniforms

Tennessee: Black tops with grey pants and orange accents

Mississippi State: Maroon and white pinstripes with maroon hats and accents

*NOTES*

• Run-rule is MANDATORY in SEC play. If Tennessee or Mississippi State leads by 10 or more runs at the end of the seventh inning or later, the game is over.

1st Inning: 

T1

-Garrett Wright flies out to RF.

-Reese Chapman ropes a solo homer to right field.

• 377 feet.
• Chapman’s 4th HR of the season.

-Henry Ford strikes out swinging.

-Blake Grimmer strikes out swinging.

END OF TOP HALF

B1

-Aidan Teel strikes out swinging.

-Bryce Chance flies out to RF.

-Ace Reese flies out to CF in left-center.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 1, Bulldogs 0

2nd Inning: 

T2

-Trent Grindlinger singles to left field.

-Blaine Brown pops up to SS in shallow left field.

-Manny Marin singles to right field. Grindlinger to second.

-Levi Clark knocks an RBI ground-rule double to left-center. Grindlinger scores. Marin to third.

-Jay Abernathy reaches on am RBI fielder’s choice to 1B, sac bunt. Clark to third. Marin scores.

• Great squeeze play.
• Awesome job by Marin to get his hand in and touch home plate, too, as the first baseman threw home.

Abernathy steals second.

-Garrett Wright sends a sac fly to RF. Clark scores. Abernathy to third.

-Reese Chapman out at first 1B to P.

END OF TOP HALF

B2

-Noah Sullivan strikes out swinging.

-Jacob Parker is walked.

-Gehrig Frei strikes out swinging on three pitches.

-Reed Stallman grounds out to 1B unassisted.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 4, Bulldogs 0

3rd Inning: 

T3

-Henry Ford grounds out to 3B.

-Blake Grimmer strikes out looking.

-Trent Grindlinger slaps a single to right field.

-Blaine Brown lines out to RF in right-center.

• Hard-hit ball.
• Stone at 43 pitches already

END OF TOP HALF

B3

-Ryder Woodson is strikes out looking.

-Kevin Milewski strikes out swinging.

-Aidan Teel strikes out swinging.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 4, Bulldogs 0

4th Inning: 

T4

-Manny Marin drops a single into right field.

-Levi Clark flies out to RF.

-Jay Abernathy lines a single to center. Marin to second.

-Garrett Wright singles up the middle. Abernathy to second. Marin to third.

• Bases loaded with one out for Reese Chapman.

-Reese Chapman grounds into a 4-6-3 double play.

END OF TOP HALF

B4

-Bryce Chance grounds out to SS.

-Ace Reese grounds out to 2B.

-Noah Sullivan lines out to CF.

• 7-pitch inning for Kuhns.
• Retired eight straight. Logged three 1-2-3 innings.
• Kuhns has only allowed one baserunner.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 4, Bulldogs 0

5th Inning: 

T5

-Henry Ford fouls out to 1B.

-Blake Grimmer grounds out to 1B unassisted.

-Trent Grindlinger singles up the middle.

• 3 hits for Grindlinger so far tonight. One to left, one to right, one up the middle.

-Blaine Brown flies out to RF in right-center.

END OF TOP HALF

B5

-Jacob Parker doubles to left-center.

-Gehrig Frei singles through the right side. Parker to third.

-Reed Stallman strikes out swinging.

-Ryder Woodson rips an RBI double down the left-field line. Frei to third. Parker scores.

-Kevin Milewski pops up to P.

-Aidan Teel flies out to LF.

• Tegan works out of the jam only allowing one run. Big moment.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 4, Bulldogs 1

6th Inning: 

T6

-Manny Marin flies out to CF in right-center.

-Levi Clark grounds out to SS.

-Jay Abernathy drives a double into right field.

-Garrett Wright ropes an RBI double down the left-field line.

• Beautiful complementary baseball from Abernathy and Wright there to score a run.
• Abernathy legs out a double and Wright takes advantage.

*Pitching change: LHP Dane Burns (1-0, 0.00 ERA) in to pitch for Stone*

-Reese Chapman grounds out to 1B unassisted.

END OF TOP HALF

B6

-Bryce Chance reaches on a fielding error by 2B.

• Routine ground ball ate him up. Bad mistake.

-Ace Reese flies out to RF.

-Noah Sullivan flies out to LF.

• Looked like Blaine initially may have misjudged it, but ultimately spotted it and made a diving catch.
• Nice play.

-Jacob Parker out at first 1B to P.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 5, Bulldogs 1

7th Inning: 

T7

-Henry Ford grounds out to SS.

-Blake Grimmer grounds out to 1B unassisted.

-Trent Grindlinger strikes out swinging.

• First time he’s been retired.

END OF TOP HALF

B7

-Gehrig Frei powers a solo homer to right-center.

• First pitch of the at-bat. Kuhns needs to be pulled.

*Pitching change: R-Jr. LHP Brandon Arvidson (1-0, 4.56 ERA) in to pitch for Kuhns*

• Thought the sixth should’ve been the end of the line for Kuhns. Works out of a jam in the fifth beautifully then gets through the heart of the order in the sixth. Comes out in the seventh and MSU has the most momentum its had all game.

–Tegan Kuhns FINAL LINE: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 3 XBH, 58 strikes on 87 pitches–

• Season-best outing from Kuhns

-Noah Stallman singles through the left side.

• Shift was on like crazy. Hit right through the six-hole.

-Ryder Woodson grounds into a 6-4-3 double play.

*Chone James pinch-hitting for Kevin Milewski*

-James singles up the middle.

-Aidan Teel grounds out to 3B.

• Bad throw, but good pick by Levi.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 5, Bulldogs 2

8th Inning: 

T8

*James to C*

-Blaine Brown pops up to 2B.

-Manny Marin pokes a double down the 1B line.

• Three-hit night for Marin. Vols hitting stays consistent, esp at bottom of the order.

-Levi Clark strikes out swinging.

-Jay Abernathy rips an RBI double through the left side.

• What a development. Jay 3-3 with two RBI and two doubles. Also a beautiful bunt on a squeeze play.

*Pitching change: RHP Jack Gleason on to pitch for Burns*

-Garrett Wright flies out to RF.

END OF TOP HALF

B8

*Grimmer to 1B*

*Ariel Antigua to 2B for Levi Clark*

-Bryce Chance pops up to SS.

-Ace Reese flies out to CF in left-center.

-Noah Sullivan flares a single to right field.

-Jacob Parker strikes out swinging.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 6, Bulldogs 2

9th Inning: 

T9

-Reese Chapman strikes out swinging.

-Henry Ford strikes out swinging on three pitches.

-Blake Grimmer strikes out looking.

END OF TOP HALF

B9

-Gehrig Frei strikes out swinging.

• Arv wins a six-pitch battle.

-Reed Stallman lines out to CF.

-Ryder Woodson singles to left field.

-Chone James strikes out swinging.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 6, Bulldogs 2

END OF GAME

FINAL: Tennessee Vols 6, Mississippi State Bulldogs 2 (Vols clinch series)