LHP Chris Stamos (1 GS, 3-0, 3.45 ERA, 15.2 IP, 15 K, 9 BB, .96 WHIP) vs. RHP Trey Pooser (3-0, 4.11 ERA, 35 IP, 33 K, 13 BB, 1.23 WHIP)

RHP Drew Beam (9 GS, 5-1, 3.16 ERA, 51.1 IP, 45 K, 10 BB, 1.27 WHIP) vs. LHP Dominic Niman (7-2, 3.40 ERA, 53 IP, 47 K, 14 BB, 1.09 WHIP)

LHP Zander Sechrist (9 GS, 1-0, 3.34 ERA, 32.1 IP, 37 K, 6 BB, 1.14 WHIP) vs. RHP Mason Moore (7-0, 3.45 ERA, 47 IP, 43 K, 22 BB, 1.17 WHIP)

Bats To Know

Tennessee:

1B Blake Burke — .422/.483/.859, 13 HR, 33 EBH, 36 RBI, 16 BB, 21 K

2B Christian Moore — .352/.429/.754, 15 HR, 27 EBH, 36 RBI, 18 BB, 28 K

3B Billy Amick — .359/.455/.796, 12 HR, 20 EBH, 30 RBI, 16 BB, 21 K

OF Kavares Tears — .377/.493/.737, 11 HR, 19 EBH, 30 RBI, 27 BB, 25 K

LF Dylan Dreiling — .333/.461/.789, 13 HR, 25 EBH, 44 RBI, 26 BB, 30 K

Kentucky:

Nick Lopez — .403/.459/.636, 4 HR, 20 EBH, 29 RBI, 14 BB, 10 K

Ryan Waldschmidt — .339/.500/.578, 6 HR, 14 EBH, 25 RBI, 27 BB, 20 K, 13 SB

Ryan Nicholson — .312/.432/.670, 11 HR, 17 EBH, 37 RBI, 20 BB, 26 K,

Emilien Pitre — .310/.420/.521, 5 HR, 19 EBH, 35 RBI, 26 BB, 24 K, 19 SB

Devin Burkes — .235/.369/.353, 2 HR, 10 EBH, 23 RBI, 17 BB, 10 K

Last Three Series

Tennesse:

• Swept LSU in Knoxville
• Won two out of three at Auburn
• Won two out of three against Georgia at home

Kentucky:

• Swept Auburn on the road
• Swept Alabama in Tuscaloosa
• Swept Ole Miss in Oxford

Prediction

Tennessee heads to Kentucky for its most highly touted series of the season to date. It’s a top five matchup that pits two teams with different styles against one another.

With Kentucky’s small ball style, Tennessee’s defense will be key this weekend. The Vols have been better there this season and this weekend will be a real test.

I think Tennessee is a slightly better team but with this series being on the road and with the ball park and weather playing to Kentucky’s advantage I’m taking the Wildcats to win the series. This one feels like a true toss up and I think all three games will be competitive.

Kentucky wins two out of three

If at first you don’t succeed, try again with a snake around your neck.

A Tennessee man was arrested after trying to rob a gas station three times, with the final attempted stickup involving a 5-foot-long snake, police said.

Reginald Cook, 26, first tried to rob the Shell gas station on Elvis Presley Boulevard, in Memphis, at around 2:00 a.m. on Monday, local WREG reports.

The suspect had entered the store to make a purchase, but later demanded money from the cashier, who refused, according to the police affidavit.

Cook promptly left, but he returned 30 minutes later to demand the money again — this time reaching into his pockets to make it seem as though he had a weapon, according to the cashier’s testimony.

After the second unsuccessful robbery, police said Cook came back with a shorter temper and a five-foot snake wrapped around his neck.

“Give me the damn money,” Cook allegedly shouted to the frightened cashier.

As Cook reached into his backpack — implying again that he was about to arm himself — the cashier pulled out his own weapon in self-defense, the affidavit states.

The store employee called 911, and police arrived shortly afterward and arrested Cook without further incident.

Memphis Police found a railroad spike and a rock inside Cook’s backpack. Officers also confiscated the snake, according to the affidavit.

Cook was charged with two counts of attempted aggravated robbery, with his bond set at $4,000.

His family had visited the Shell station the following day to apologize for the incident and offered to pay for any damages caused by Cook, according to the local outlet.

More than half of all states have some type of law allowing teachers and other school employees to carry guns on campus.

Tennessee lawmakers are considering a controversial bill that would allow some teachers to go armed in classrooms in the wake of Nashville’s Covenant School shooting last year that killed six people, including three children. 

The bill passed in the Senate and now awaits action in the House, despite vocal protests from Democrats, students and parents.

In a nation plagued with deadly school shootings, here is a closer look at laws in other states for guns in schools.

Which states allow teachers to carry firearms on school grounds?

More than half of all states have some type of law allowing teachers and other school employees to carry concealed guns on campus, according to data compiled by the Giffords Law Center.

Iowa is the most recent state to push for more guns, with lawmakers this week sending a bill to the governor that would allow teachers and other school employees to obtain permits to carry guns on school grounds.

Just 16 states and the District of Columbia have laws specifically prohibiting teachers from carrying guns – Alabama, California, Delaware, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Most states, including Tennessee, allow non-law enforcement school security to carry guns on campus, and of the states that allow teachers and other school employees to carry guns, many require permission from the school district.  

Spotlight on teacher gun laws

California, a state with some of the nation’s strictest gun laws, allows non-law enforcement to carry guns without needing permission from the school district, but it prohibits teachers and other school employees. 

Texas, Florida, Arizona, Mississippi and South Dakota allow teachers and other employees to carry if they are designated school guardians or part of a program.

Tennessee and Arkansas prohibit teachers in public schools from carrying guns but allow exemptions for private schools. 

Six states – Delaware, Nebraska, North Carolina, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Maine – prohibit guns for non-law enforcement school security, teachers and other staff. 

What do schools allow for the general public?

Most states prohibit members of the general public from carrying guns on campus, but a handful – Kansas Michigan Mississippi New Hampshire Oregon Utah and Wyoming – allow the guns if the individual has a concealed carry permit.

Just over half of all states, including Tennessee, allow people with concealed carry permits to keep loaded, unlocked guns in their cars on campus.

How would Tennessee’s law arming teachers work?

Tennessee’s law would allow facilities or staff to carry concealed guns on their respective campuses. The state already allows non-law enforcement school security to carry.

The individual would have to get permission from the district and a law enforcement agency. The district would not be required to notify parents if a gun is in their child’s classroom.

A teacher would have to follow these additional requirements: 

• Have a valid handgun carry permit
• Undergo a background check
• Complete 40 hours of additional training
• Pass a psychological evaluation