Baseball season is finally here.
The defending national champions take the diamond for their season-opening series on Friday, Feb. 14 for a meeting with the Hofstra Pride.
No. 4 Tennessee baseball is coming off its first title in program history, led by eighth-year head coach Tony Vitello. The historic 2024 season includes the first 60-win season in SEC history, an SEC regular season and postseason title and a finish on top of the college baseball world in Omaha, Nebraska.
Now, a new-look roster takes the turf in a construction zone at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Here’s what to know about the Vols’ series against the Pride, as well as how to watch the weekend games.
How to watch Tennessee baseball
The Vols’ first series of the season will be streamed on SEC Network+. Michael Wottreng will handle play-by-play duties for the weekend, while Will Heflin will serve as the analyst for Friday’s season opener and Cody Hawn will be the analyst for Saturday and Sunday.
First pitch on Friday is set for 4:30 p.m. ET, and Saturday’s action begins at 4 p.m. ET while Sunday starts at noon ET.
John Wilkerson and Vince Ferrara will have the radio call on UTSports.com and the Tennessee Athletics app.
Pitching rotation
Liam Doyle headlines as the opening-day starter. The Ole Miss transfer southpaw posted 84 strikeouts across 11 starts for the Rebels, posting a 5.73 earned run average.
Marcus Phillips will receive the ball on Saturday. The junior college project worked as a relief arm last season, showcasing potential in limited action. He produced quality innings in the postseason which worked into the offseason where he has now earned a starter role to begin the year.
“I think he’s worked hard in a bunch of different areas,” Vitello said. “He’s much more well-rounded as a pitcher and a competitor.”
Sunday is left to be determined. Nate Snead will see a ton of action during the weekend but could be the guy to follow Phillips on Saturday. Dylan Loy is also in the mix as a local southpaw product. He shined in his appearances in the College World Series.
Freshman Tegan Kuhns has generated the most buzz as an underclassman, which also gives him a chance to be a dark horse starting candidate. The bullpen features multiple talented arms as well, including Andrew Behnke alongside a plethora of transfers.
Starting lineup
While Vitello has been non-indicative of starters in the field, some players can be penciled in.
Sophomore Dean Curley and fifth-year senior Hunter Ensley are two guarantees in the lineup. The two were staples during the national championship run last season. Other likely starting candidates from last season include Dalton Bargo, Reese Chapman and Cannon Peebles – barring health.
To aid the pair of returnees, Tennessee attacked the transfer portal. The Vols added slugging third baseman Andrew Fischer from Ole Miss as well as middle infielder Gavin Kilen from Louisville. Transfer Alberto Osuna figures to be in the mix when his NCAA eligibility gets sorted out.
Freshman Jay Abernathy has impressed ever since making it to campus, and now he is in line to earn the starting spot in left field. Redshirt freshman Stone Lawless and true freshman Levi Clark could also eat innings behind the plates with injuries to Peebles.
“I’m trying to figure out who’s going to play first base and a bunch of other positions too,” Vitello said. “Really, we could go first, second, short and third. And part of that is we have a little more inner internal depth or internal competition.”
A brief look at the Pride
Hofstra enters the series coming off a 24-33 season last year. This is the first ever matchup on the diamond between the schools.
