What does Tennessee baseball need in order to avoid series sweep at Kentucky

Entering a three-game series at Kentucky, it appeared as if Tennessee baseball’s offense had turned a corner.

After scoring at least six runs in all but two of their last nine SEC games, there was reason to believe the inconsistencies that had previously plagued the Vols’ offense had been remedied.

But in their first two games at Kentucky (29-15, 11-12 SEC), both lopsided losses, those offensive woes returned at Kentucky Proud Park in Lexington. Tennessee (30-17, 10-13) has managed just four total runs in the series, dropping the first matchup on May 1, 9-2, and Game 2 on May 2 in eight innings, 12-2.

As it prepares for the series finale on May 3 (1 p.m. ET, SEC Network+), UT finds itself needing an offensive spark to avoid being swept.

“A lot went wrong again,” first-year UT coach Josh Elander said on May 2. “Not a good approach by our guys, swinging at too many pitches out of the strike zone. Good stuff by (Kentucky starter Jaxon Jelkin) today, but we didn’t get out of the gates. … Not a good formula in any capacity today.”

Tennessee has had to play from behind in both games

Slow starts have become a dangerous habit for the Vols through two games against the Wildcats. Their two runs in the series opener didn’t arrive until Henry Ford hit a home run in the eighth inning, the team by then already down 9-0.

They generated a few opportunities before but weren’t able to cash in on three separate chances with a runner in scoring position — once seeing a potential Jay Abernathy RBI single prevented by a full-extension diving catch in shallow left field.

In the second game, Tennessee didn’t manage a baserunner off Jelkin until the fifth and were caught trying to make up an early deficit again. During a mid-game flurry that saw the deficit lessened to 4-2 by a Blaine Brown home run, Tennessee worked the tying run to the plate in the sixth with the heart of the order up.

That was the closest they would get; the next nine batters went down in order and Kentucky pounced on the Vols’ bullpen to run-rule them.

Postseason stakes put extra importance on series finale

In Tennessee’s first 12 SEC matchups, it averaged 5.7 runs per game, contributing to a 4-8 start in league play. But in the nine following conference games, beginning with a sweep of Mississippi State, that number jumped to 7.3 runs per game and included two series wins, boosting the Vols’ SEC record to 10-11. That stretch removed doubt from their NCAA Tournament resume and put them in position to earn a bye in the single-elimination conference tournament.

Now, Tennessee enters the series finale needing a result before facing No. 4 Texas next week – which owns arguably the most feared pitching staff in the SEC.

“At this point, there needs to be more sense of urgency and a little bit more pride,” Elander said. “Very, very frustrating day all the way around, especially after the performance last night. We have to come into tomorrow and basically throw this game in the trash and reset and be ready to go and salvage the weekend tomorrow.”

Emmett Siegel covers Tennessee baseball for Knox News. Email: emmett.siegel@knoxnews.com; X: @EmmettSiegel_