High-ranked Tennessee baseball (D1baseball.com) will host the Georgia Bulldogs for his or her penultimate and last residence common season SEC collection. The Vols can be seeking to bounce again in Lindsey Nelson Stadium this weekend after shedding their first collection of the season final week in opposition to Kentucky. The Wildcats edged the Vols 3-2 in further innings in sport one and defeated UT 5-2 in a rain-delayed sport two. Tennessee averted their first collection sweep in three years, nonetheless, rebounding to drub the Cats 7-2 within the collection finale. 

The Vols made it two wins in a row on Tuesday with an 11-5 midweek victory over Bellarmine. Three Vols left the yard, and the Massive Orange tallied 14 hits of their twelfth midweek win. 

First pitch between Tennessee and Georgia for the collection opener is about for Thursday, Could 12, at 7 p.m. ET. ESPNU could have the stream. If the Vols take the collection opener, they will be two SEC victories away from clinching the common season SEC title. Subsequently, if Tennessee sweeps the SEC East rival this weekend, the Vols win the convention outright for the primary time since 1995. 

Tennessee may win the SEC with some assist from Vanderbilt. If the Commodores sweep Arkansas, Tennessee wins the SEC it doesn’t matter what they do in opposition to Georgia. The almost certainly mixture of occasions for Tennessee to win the convention this weekend is for the Vols to win two in opposition to Georgia and Arkansas lose one to Vanderbilt. 

However the BaseVols have preached an SEC title, whereas cool, just isn’t one thing on their thoughts. 

“Clearly, it would be cool, however I am severe… nobody actually talks about it. It is simply not one thing that’s talked about,” Vols junior outfielder Drew Gilbert famous after Tennessee’s midweek win over Bellarmine. 

Drew Gilbert and Tennessee’s focus is Georgia. So let’s have a look at what the Bulldogs carry to the desk. 

Georgia Breakdown

Georgia (32-16, 13-11 SEC) can be coming off a collection loss similar to Tennessee, as Vanderbilt downed Georgia in Athens final weekend. Nonetheless, the Bulldogs current one more robust SEC opponent for the Volunteers (43-6, 20-4 SEC). Whereas Georgia is 4-5 in SEC collection this yr, they bring about an skilled roster and one of many greatest pitching prospects of the category to Rocky High.

Georgia’s day two starter RHP Jonathan Cannon boasts a 2.38 ERA and 9-1 document in 10 begins this season and is the ranked No. 52 in MLB.com’s Prospect Rankings for the 2022 MLB Draft. However Cannon is an anomaly within the Bulldogs’ workers, as Georgia holds the second-worst mixed ERA (7.07) of any group in convention play and have allowed probably the most runs with 178. 

If any group can exploit Georgia’s poor pitching, it is Tennessee. The Vols’ three residence runs on Tuesday introduced their season whole to 113, which leads the NCAA by 13 over Previous Dominion (100). 

RHP Nolan Crisp (1-3, 5.17 ERA) will get the ball to start out issues off for Georgia on Thursday, and LHP Liam Sullivan (3-3, 4.91 ERA) will begin on day three. 

On the flip aspect of the Pink and Black’s pitching is their hitting, which is without doubt one of the greatest within the convention. Georgia enters the weekend second within the convention in batting common (.281) and third in hits and runs scored, with 238 and 153, respectively. Outfielder Connor Tate (.354 avg., 63 H 49 RBI, .607 SLG%, 30 BB, .452 OB %) and 3B/1B Parks Harber (.302 avg., 51 H, 43 RBI, .485 SLG%, 16 BB, .368 OB%) are the highest Bulldog bats for the Vols to be careful for. 

Whereas Georgia presents a problem on the plate for Tennessee, the Bulldogs are going through the SEC’s most harmful buzzsaw on the mound, because the Vols pitching workers has far in a approach the perfect ERA within the convention with a 2.47. 

Adjustments for Tennessee

Nonetheless, Georgia’s bats will face a Massive Orange rotation no different group has seen this season, as Tony Vitello and UT’s teaching workers determined to alter issues up a bit for the final common season residence collection. 

Sophomore RHP Chase Dollander (6-0, 2.66 ERA) will get the beginning nod for the collection opener, the primary time Dollander will begin on sport one this season. Tennessee’s regular day one starter–freshman RHP Chase Burns (7-1, 2.25 ERA)–just isn’t a projected starter in UT’s sport notes for the collection. 

And neither is fellow freshman starter Drew Beam, who has served as Tennessee’s day three starter all season. The Vols’ day three starter is listed as ‘TBD’ within the sport notes, whereas sophomore ace Blade Tidwell (1-1, 3.18 ERA) will begin in sport two for the third consecutive week. 

Dollander will get his first SEC begin since coming back from an elbow damage he sustained within the Alabama collection, and it comes per week after the Georgia Southern switch made his first SEC look upon return from his damage. Dollander was unbelievable in 4.0 innings of labor in sport two in opposition to Kentucky, permitting solely two hits and one run whereas dealing 5 strikeouts. There is no such thing as a doubt Dollander has earned the beginning for the way he is seemed since his return and the way he is pitched all season for the Volunteers exterior of the Baylor sport. 

Plus, beginning Dollander permits Burns or Beam, whichever freshman is not going to begin on Sunday, to get some much-needed relaxation because the postseason looms. Burns and Beam have been lights out for the start and center a part of the season, however the pair of freshmen haven’t been as sharp prior to now month. As well as, all of Tennessee’s prime arms can be wanted within the SEC Match, NCAA Regionals, Tremendous Regionals and the School World Collection if the Vols make it that deep, so the remaining will serve Beam/Burns and the Volunteers properly.

Notice: There’s a situation Burns nor Beam begin on Sunday. Camden Sewell, Ben Joyce and Zander Sechrist are all choices to start out for Tennessee if Vitello so chooses.

No matter who throws for the Vols, Tennessee has loads of choices to start out in opposition to the Bulldogs as they give the impression of being to earn their ninth convention collection win of the season. 

The right way to Watch All Three Video games

Sport One @ 7 p.m. ET: ESPNU

Sport Two @ 5:30 p.m. ET: SEC Community

Sport Three @ 1 p.m. ET SEC Community +

Tony Vitello’s Bellarmine recap/Georgia preview press convention is on the prime of the article. 

Photograph Credit score: Tennessee Athletics

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