Tennessee
No. 17 Tennessee Baseball @ No. 8 Arkansas Score, Updates Game Two | Rocky Top Insider
SCORE: Tennessee 4, Arkansas 8 | T7
***SCROLL DOWN FOR LIVE AT-BAT BY AT-BAT FEED***
No. 17 Tennessee baseball (41-12, 16-11 SEC) is set to battle No. 8 Arkansas (41-12, 18-10 SEC) Friday in game two of a three-game series in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
First pitch in Baum Walker Stadium will be at 7:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network +.
For a full preview of the series, including projected pitching matchups and a prediction, click here.
Tennessee enters Friday’s contest coming off a 10-7 series-opening win on Thursday. Marcus Phillips turned in a solid start and Tennessee’s offense exploded for 10 runs.
Read the full recap of game one HERE.
Tennessee enters the final series of the regular season struggling in SEC play. The Vols have lost four straight series and five of their past six, with four of those coming at home.
The offense hasn’t lived up to its potential while the bullpen has been shaky and the defense bad.
With the recent struggles, Tennessee likely needs to win the series this weekend to host an NCAA Regional. If Tennessee just wins one game, the Vols will need a really strong run in the SEC Tournament to improve their hosting chances.
But with Tennessee surprisingly taking game one, the Vols are well-positioned to win the series as they are the better team on paper Friday night with ace Liam Doyle on the mound.
BRACKETOLOGY: Bracketology: Tennessee Baseball Projected To Go On The Road In NCAA Tournament
The Vanderbilt series loss saw Tennessee drop even further in the latest D1 Baseball Top 25 poll to No. 17.
See where Tennessee landed in all major polls below.
RANKINGS: Where Tennessee Baseball Ranks Following Series Loss Against Vanderbilt
Opponent Scout
Arkansas got off to a strong start to the season losing just one game before the start of SEC play. Conference play has been topsy turvy for the Razorbacks with them losing four of their last five series after winning their first four series of the season.
When Arkansas has won series, they have almost always swept. The Razorbacks have series sweeps against South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Missouri and most impressively Texas two weeks ago in Fayetteville.
Arkansas’ offense has some serious pop, ranking seventh nationally and third in the SEC in slugging percentage. The Aloy brothers have led the way for Arkansas’ offense. Wehiwa Aloy is an SEC Player of the Year candidate and enters the weekend hitting .364 with 17 home runs, 16 doubles and 54 RBIs. Kuhio Aloy is hitting .356 with 13 home runs, 14 doubles and 66 RBIs.
Five Arkansas players have double digit home runs this season with seven players hitting eight-plus home runs. Charles Davalan is hitting .349 with 13 home runs while Cam Kozeal is hitting .340 with 12 home runs.
Arkansas’ pitching staff ranks fifth in the SEC with a 3.96 team-ERA. Dylan Carter (2.23 ERA in 32.1 IP) and Aiden Jimenez (2.51 ERA in 32.1 IP) have been the top arms in Arkansas’ bullpen.
The Vols will be looking to end their recent struggles against the Razorbacks this week. UT’s last series win against Arkansas came in 2005 while its last series win in Fayetteville was back in 2001, per UT. Tony Vitello is currently 2-9 against Dave Van Horn.
Injury/Availability Notes
- In game two against Kentucky, a foul ball unfortunately hit Tennessee relief pitcher Tanner Wiggins in the mouth. Tony Vitello said there were teeth involved in Wiggins’ injury, and the sophomore underwent surgery afterward on his jaw.
- Read more about Wiggins’ status HERE.
- UNC transfer first baseman Alberto Osuna remains ineligible.
- But two Mondays ago, Osuna again took legal action still seeking eligibility. Read more HERE.
TRANSCRIPT: What Tennessee HC Tony Vitello Said Following Series Opening Win At Arkansas
For all of RTI’s baseball coverage so far this season, click here.
For the latest RTI Diamond Pass podcast recapping the Vanderbilt series and looking at why Tennessee must finish strong to close the regular season, click HERE.
VIDEO: Tony Vitello Reacts to Series-Opening Win Over Arkansas
Lineups, pitching matchup and additional pre-game notes are below, followed by the LIVE at-bat by at-bat game thread.
TENNESSEE STARTING NINE:
SS Gavin Kilen (L)
1B Andrew Fischer (L)
CF Hunter Ensley (R)
LF Dalton Bargo (L)
2B Dean Curley (R)
RF Reese Chapman (L)
C Cannon Peebles (S)
DH Levi Clark (R)
3B Manny Marin (R)
Lineup Notes:
- Levi Clark over Blake Grimmer at the DH spot. The only change in the lineup from Thursday.
- Marin still at third, Peebles behind the dish, Bargo in left.
ARKANSAS STARTING NINE:
LF Charles Davalan (L)
SS Wehiwa Aloy (R)
RF Logan Maxwell (L)
DH Kuhio Aloy (R)
C Ryder Helfrick (R)
2B Cam Kozeal (L)
3B Brent Iredale (R)
1B Reese Robinett (L)
CF Justin Thomas Jr. (R)
Pitching Matchup:
Vols Jr. LHP Liam Doyle (9-2, 2.17 ERA, 14 app., 13 starts, 74.2 IP, 37 H, 19 R, 18 ER, 23 BB, 127 K, 12 XBH, .145 opp. batting avg., 0.80 WHIP)
vs.
Razorbacks R-So. Aiden Jimenez (4-1, 2.51 ERA, 17 app., 0 starts, 1 SV, 32.1 IP, 27 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 7 BB, 34 K, 5 XBH, .229 opp. batting avg., 1.06 WHIP)
Pitching notes:
- Doyle stays in his Friday night role but not game one role. Tennessee wanted to keep Doyle on his regular routine after throwing 100 pitches last week. Also gives Doyle’s blister more time to improve before tonight.
- The blister has flared up after 70-80 pitches occasionally for Doyle. Some times worse than others. Just something the Vols ace is likely going to have to deal with moving forward.
- First start of the season for Jimenez as Arkansas shakes up its rotation. He’s been a bullpen arm that hasn’t done extended relief much. Most pitches he’s thrown is 57. Hasn’t gone more than 3.1 innings since March 22.
- Expect Jimenez to be more of an opener and throw 3ish innings. Would be surprised if he gets into 5-inning/80-pitch territory.
Uniforms
Tennessee: Dark Mode
Arkansas: White Pinstripes
*NOTES*
- The run-rule is MANDATORY in SEC play. If Tennessee or Arkansas leads by 10 or more runs after the seventh inning, the game is over.
1st Inning:
T1
-Gavin Kilen flies out to CF.
-Andrew Fischer grounds out to P.
-Hunter Ensley singles to SS.
-Dalton Bargo grounds out to 2B.
END OF TOP HALF
B1
-Charles Davalan singles to 2B.
-Wehiwa Aloy strikes out swinging.
-Logan Maxwell singles to left-center. Davalan to third.
-Kuhio Aloy strikes out swinging on three pitches.
-Ryder Helfrick strikes out swinging on three pitches.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 0, Razorbacks 0
2nd Inning:
T2
-Dean Curley doubles to right-center.
-Reese Chapman lines out to 2B.
-Levi Clark grounds out to 2B. Curley to third.
-Cannon Peebles slaps an RBI single to left field. Curley scores.
-Manny Marin singles to left field. Peebles to second.
-Gavin Kilen fouls out to 3B.
END OF TOP HALF
B2
-Cam Kozeal singles to center field.
-Brent Iredale drives a two-run homer to left-center.
-Reese Robinett strikes out swinging.
-Justin Thomas Jr. singles to 2B.
-Charles Davalan rips a double to right-center. Thomas Jr. to third.
-Wehiwa Aloy sends an RBI groundout to 2B. Thomas Jr. scores. Davalan to third.
-Logan Maxwell strikes out looking on three pitches.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 1, Razorbacks 3
3rd Inning:
T3
-Andrew Fischer doubles to right-center.
-Hunter Ensley flies out to LF.
-Dalton Bargo smacks an RBI double to left field.
-Dean Curley singles to SS. Bargo to third.
*Pitching change: LHP Cole Gibler (1-1, 4.50 ERA) on to pitch for Jimenez*
-Reese Chapman strikes out swinging on three pitches.
-Levi Clark works a walk.
- Really good AB from Clark.
- Bases loaded with two outs for Cannon Peebles.
-Cannon Peebles knocks a two-run single to center. Curley and Bargo score. Clark to second.
-Manny Marin reaches on a fielder’s choice to 3B. Peebles out at second, 5-4.
END OF TOP HALF
B3
-Kuhio Aloy HBP.
-Ryder Helfrick mashes a two-run homer to left-center.
-Cam Kozeal grounds out to 1B unassisted.
-Brent Iredale singles to left field.
-Reese Robinett strikes out looking.
Iredale steals second.
-Justin Thomas Jr. works a walk.
-Charles Davalan strikes out looking.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 4, Razorbacks 5
4th Inning:
T4
-Gavin Kilen strikes out swinging.
-Andrew Fischer fouls out to 3B.
- Great play by the third baseman who made a sliding catch at the wall in foul territory.
- Jammed his head and shoulder area into the wall. He is staying in the game.
-Hunter Ensley grounds out to 3B.
END OF TOP HALF
B4
-Wehiwa Aloy strikes out swinging.
-Logan Maxwell hammers a solo homer to right field.
-Kuhio Aloy grounds out to 3B.
-Ryder Helfrick pops up to 2B.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 4, Razorbacks 6
5th Inning:
T5
-Dalton Bargo grounds out to 2B.
-Dean Curley grounds out to SS.
-Reese Chapman singles to 2B.
-Levi Clark reaches on a 6-4 fielder’s choice. Chapman out at second.
END OF TOP HALF
B5
-Cam Kozeal strikes out swinging.
-Brent Iredale is walked.
-Reese Robinett strikes out swinging.
-Justin Thomas Jr. singles to SS, advances to third on a throwing error by SS. Iredale advances to second on the error and scores on the error.
- Kilen’s feet got stuck in the grass it seemed. Errant throw to Dean goes into the outfield allowing Iredale to score and Thomas Jr. to reach third.
-Charles Davalan knocks an RBI single to right field. Thomas Jr. scores.
*Pitching change: Jr. RHP Austin Breedlove (3-0, 3.32 ERA) on to pitch for Doyle*
Davalan caught stealing at second, 2-4.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 4, Razorbacks 8
6th Inning:
T6
-Cannon Peebles grounds out to SS.
-Manny Marin strikes out swinging.
-Gavin Kilen singles to right-center.
*Pitching change: LHP Parker Coli (2-0, 0.57 ERA) on to pitch for Gibler*
-Andrew Fischer doubles to right field. Kilen to third.
-Hunter Ensley lines out to RF.
END OF TOP HALF
B6
-Wehiwa Aloy lines out to LF.
-Logan Maxwell strikes out swinging.
-Kuhio Aloy is walked on four pitches.
-Ryder Helfrick strikes out looking.
- Breedlove fired up after that one.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 4, Razorbacks 8
7th Inning:
T7
-Dalton Bargo strikes out swinging.
-Dean Curley strikes out swinging.
-Reese Chapman doubles to right-center.
B7
Score: Vols 4, Razorbacks 8
8th Inning:
T8
B8
Score: Vols , Razorbacks
9th Inning:
T9
B9
Score: Vols , Razorbacks
FINAL: Tennessee Vols __, Arkansas Razorbacks __
Tennessee
Tennessee Football Commit, Phillip Fulmer’s Grandson on Rocky Top for Official Visit | Rocky Top Insider
As Tennessee football looks to build on its 2027 recruiting class, it’s also strengthening the relationship it has with its current commits. This includes the first player to pledge to the Vols in the cycle, linebacker JP Peace.
Peace is a local recruit, initially playing for West High School in Knoxville before transferring to Maryville. He’s also as connected to the program as it gets. His father is Robert Peace, a former UT linebacker from 2000-03. His grandfather is former Tennessee national championship head coach and co-captain as a player, Phillip Fulmer.
Peace is ranked as a three-star recruit by 247 Composite. He is listed as the No. 583 player in the nation, No. 46 linebacker and No. 26 player from the state of Tennessee.
More From RTI: Kenneth Simon II Takes Official Visit to Tennessee Football After Flipping From Alabama
Other offers on the table for Peace include Florida State, Kentucky, Maryland, Ole Miss, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, App State, Georgia State, Marshall, Memphis, South Florida, Southern Miss, MTSU and UAB. However, he’s been strong in his commitment to UT, which he announced back on June 16, 2025.
While this marks Peace’s official visit, he’s made his way to campus plenty of times in the recruiting process. This includes as recently as March of this year for spring practice.
Peace is one of 16 commitments in the class for Tennessee to this point. The group ranks as the No. 42 class in the country on 247.
He’s one of two linebackers in the group, joining Kenneth Simon II. Simon is also a legacy recruit and is the son of former UT star linebacker Kevin Simon. He recently flipped his commitment from Alabama to Tennessee and ranks as the No. 139 player in the class by 247 Composite. Naturally, both Peace and Simon’s primary recruiter at UT is linebackers coach William Inge.
As the Supreme Court weakens voting rights protections, Tennessee’s Jim Crow history offers a stark warning about race, power and representation.
Southern states race to redraw district maps following SCOTUS ruling
Supreme Court decision, which split along conservative and liberal lines, essentially nullified section 2 of the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Recent developments concerning race and democracy have prompted much discussion about the American experiment and the meaning of citizenship. This series of guest essays examines major issues, such as race, slavery, Jim Crow and civil and voting rights, in the context of their collective meaning in our present.
These guest essays help us understand the importance of these topics in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The Supreme Court has nakedly attacked the most significant legislative achievement in American history: the Voting Rights Act. Justice Samuel Alito argued that Louisiana’s use of the law to support minority majority congressional districts was an unconstitutional “racial gerrymander.”
Louisiana v. Callais will be remembered as the culmination of a decades-long effort by conservative politicians and jurists to undermine one of the central underpinnings of American democracy. The brazenness of the Court’s action is as disturbing as it was predictable. Many have argued the Court’s actions will lead to a new Jim Crow.
As the nation comes to grips with a new legal paradigm regarding civil rights, imposed by an unelected and hyper-partisan Court, it is time to reexamine just what Jim Crow actually meant to Tennessee and the South, as well as what it might portend for our future.
What Jim Crow was and how it took hold
The Jim Crow era, de jure and de facto, existed from the end of Reconstruction to the late 1960s. The term is the center identifier for all the laws, rules, and customs that governed the period. It originated around 1828, when Thomas Dartmouth “Daddy” Rice originated the character of “Jim Crow” in New York. Wearing “blackface,” Rice regaled audiences with dance and song in blackface, using burnt cork makeup to give the appearance of Black skin.
By 1840, “Jim Crow” was incredibly popular because of its deeply offensive representations of Black people. The outrageous stereotypes meant to dehumanize Black America would, by the 1890s, take on an even more menacing tone.
How Tennessee built a segregated society
Tennessee was the first state to reenter the Union in June 1866. Our state had a long history of holding people in bondage. Enslaved people were chattel, meaning they were little more than property to be bought, sold and possessed. After the war, Tennessee designed laws to make Blacks into second-class citizens.
In 1875, Tennessee created one of the first frameworks for a segregated society, which allowed a variety of public-facing entities – hotels, businesses, transportation and others – to refuse service and/or admission to Black Tennesseans. This was in response to Congress passing the 1875 Civil Rights Act, which promised equal treatment for Black people in public places and the right to serve on juries.
By the start of the 20th century, Tennessee, like the rest of the South, erected all kinds of laws to trap Blacks into second-class citizenship. Everything was segregated, from housing to hospitals to cemeteries to water fountains to bathrooms to lunch counters. The Supreme Court gave its blessing to segregation in 1896 when it decided the infamous Plessy v. Ferguson decision. The federal government had given Tennessee and the rest of the South its blessing to enforce a deeply dehumanizing, two-tiered apartheid system.
The vast majority of Blacks were disenfranchised by a series of official acts of the Tennessee legislature in 1889. Laws regarding poll taxes and literacy tests restricted many from accessing the ballot. Lynchings served to intimidate Black Tennesseans from challenging the new laws.
At least 177 Black Tennesseans were lynched during Jim Crow. Ida B. Wells began her career in Memphis documenting the scourge of lynchings in her Free Speech newspaper. She was terrorized by angry whites, and after her press was burned by a white mob, she remained in the North, where she continued her work. The murders and mayhem undergirded Jim Crow in Tennessee.
Why change required sustained pressure
Today, it is not enough to say these laws have changed. Too often, it is noted that the country has moved past race. Brown v. Board of Education came to pass. The Civil Rights Act came to pass. The Voting Rights Act came to pass. The Fair Housing Bill came to pass. These advancements came about because of the courage of Black Americans, white and Jewish allies, and others who demanded change toward justice. Commentators point out these changes as if the country should be rewarded for finally delivering on basic rights already guaranteed by the Constitution.
Congress and the statehouses did not change because they felt morally responsible for the plight of Blacks. The changes came because people said “enough.”
How today’s disputes reflect unresolved history
In 2026, our problems remain rooted in the Jim Crow past. A great many Americans, including those in Tennessee, never accepted the racial progress of the 1950s and 1960s. Some argue our new congressional maps are simply an exercise in partisanship and power.
Poppycock! Such measures will result in the disenfranchisement of Tennesseans. If some are not able to elect representatives who are in alignment with their political and policy views, then something most vile has been reawakened in the Volunteer State.
Basic issues such as support for public schools, public works, infrastructure and investment will subside as political attention is devoted to areas of the state perceived to be more authentically Tennessean at the expense of Black and poor residents. The irony is that the supermajority has forgotten that less than 20 years ago, they were in the minority and were quite sensitive about violations of the rights of the minority.
The stakes for voting rights and representation
To argue that race no longer plays a role in American life simply does not pass the smell test. Conservatives are missing an opportunity to gain traction, followers and, most importantly, voters because many are unwilling to put down the barbed clubs of grievance and shortsightedness.
The Voting Rights Act was not a radical legislative solution. Its design was very basic and conservative in its purpose: to develop a series of mechanisms to enforce and ensure equal opportunity and access for all Americans to taste the richness of American democracy.
Daryl A. Carter, Ph.D., is associate dean, director, and professor of history at East Tennessee State University.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — FOX 17 News is monitoring for a few strong thunderstorms that are possible Sunday and Monday.
A few isolated storms are possible in the afternoon, but the best chance for any strong or severe storms will come Sunday night into Monday morning.
The overall threat for severe weather is low, but some of the strongest storms could bring gusty winds and heavy rainfall. The tornado threat is very low.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
Tuesday through Friday carries a 20% chance for some pop-up showers and thunderstorms.
-
Georgia20 seconds agoGeorgia pair charged with murder after bartender’s dismembered remains found in lake outside Atlanta
-
Hawaii3 minutes ago8 Most Welcoming Towns In Hawaii’s Countryside
-
Idaho8 minutes agoEvacuations lifted as crews continue to battle Gap Fire near Pocatello
-
Illinois15 minutes agoTornado watches, warnings across Illinois on Father’s Day
-
Indiana18 minutes agoIndiana mother fatally shot after suspect tries to rob son during Facebook Marketplace meetup
-
Iowa23 minutes ago2 Iowa State Basketball Commits See Rankings Improve
-
Kansas30 minutes agoLive updates: Kansas hit with another round of severe storms
-
Kentucky33 minutes agoBorn 35 Years Ago Today in Kentucky, the Grammy-Winning Wanderer Who Gave Voice to the Appalachian Working Class
