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The postseason is here for Tennessee baseball.
Tennessee enters the SEC Tournament fresh off a series win at Oklahoma, but it will have to flip the page fast with just three days between the end of the regular season and its first game at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Alabama.
The Vols (37-19) are the No. 10 seed in the single elimination format. They’ll play No. 15 seed South Carolina (22-34) in the first round on May 19 (5:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network).
They would have to rattle off five wins in six days to win the championship, a tall task for a team that hasn’t won more than three straight SEC games this season. Still, Tennessee will be favored to advance against the Gamecocks, who’ve lost their last 12 games.
Here’s what awaits the Vols in Hoover:
If Tennessee beats South Carolina, a matchup with No. 7 seed Arkansas (36-19) would be next in the second round on May 20 (5:30 p.m., SEC Network). The Vols didn’t play Arkansas in the regular season but they hold similar profiles in most metrics.
Arkansas is six spots ahead of Tennessee in RPI at No. 25 and the Vols are just ahead of Arkansas in Diamond Sports Ranking, a computer rating system that ranks Tennessee No. 17 nationally and Arkansas No. 20.
The winner of that game gets No. 2 seed Texas (40-12) in a quarterfinal on May 22 (4 p.m., SEC Network) and a likely matchup with ace Dylan Volantis. Tennessee took two of three games against the Longhorns only two weekends ago, although Texas bounced back nicely by sweeping Missouri.
Whichever team advances to the semifinals is expected to face either No. 6 seed Auburn or No. 3 seed Texas A&M on May 23 (5 p.m., SEC Network), unless No. 14 seed LSU or No. 11 seed Oklahoma pull off multiple upsets.
The championship game is set for May 24 (2 p.m., ABC).
Tennessee will have to plan its starting rotation carefully with a tight turnaround. Tegan Kuhns and Evan Blanco will be on short rest after throwing against Oklahoma, making coach Josh Elander’s task even trickier.
Sophomore Nic Abraham started the final two midweek games of the season but has limited SEC experience. The Vols could also turn to reliever Brandon Arvidson, who was effective in the postseason last year, or freshman Cam Appenzeller.
Most pertinent for the Vols moving forward is the status of starting pitcher Landon Mack, who missed his last two starts with arm soreness. If he can’t go, the SEC Tournament can offer some insight into how Elander would navigate the NCAA Tournament without him.
Tennessee’s position as a projected No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament is secure. Even an SEC championship run might not be enough to earn Tennessee a home regional, but dropping to a No. 3 seed also appears off the table after the series win against Oklahoma.
This will be the first year that all No. 1 and No. 2 seeds will be ranked 1-32, whereas before only No. 1 seeds were ranked 1-16. No. 2 seeds will be slotted into regionals corresponding with their rankings, meaning as Tennessee’s ranking rises, the No. 1 seed in its regional will be weaker.
Earning a higher No. 2 seed also comes with a higher likelihood of hosting a super regional should the top seed in the adjacent regional not advance.
Emmett Siegel covers Tennessee baseball for Knox News. Email: [email protected]; X: @EmmettSiegel_
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: How far Tennessee baseball, pitching staff, can go in SEC Tournament
Continue reading...
Tennessee enters the SEC Tournament fresh off a series win at Oklahoma, but it will have to flip the page fast with just three days between the end of the regular season and its first game at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Alabama.
The Vols (37-19) are the No. 10 seed in the single elimination format. They’ll play No. 15 seed South Carolina (22-34) in the first round on May 19 (5:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network).
They would have to rattle off five wins in six days to win the championship, a tall task for a team that hasn’t won more than three straight SEC games this season. Still, Tennessee will be favored to advance against the Gamecocks, who’ve lost their last 12 games.
Here’s what awaits the Vols in Hoover:
Tennessee’s SEC Tournament path
If Tennessee beats South Carolina, a matchup with No. 7 seed Arkansas (36-19) would be next in the second round on May 20 (5:30 p.m., SEC Network). The Vols didn’t play Arkansas in the regular season but they hold similar profiles in most metrics.
Arkansas is six spots ahead of Tennessee in RPI at No. 25 and the Vols are just ahead of Arkansas in Diamond Sports Ranking, a computer rating system that ranks Tennessee No. 17 nationally and Arkansas No. 20.
The winner of that game gets No. 2 seed Texas (40-12) in a quarterfinal on May 22 (4 p.m., SEC Network) and a likely matchup with ace Dylan Volantis. Tennessee took two of three games against the Longhorns only two weekends ago, although Texas bounced back nicely by sweeping Missouri.
Whichever team advances to the semifinals is expected to face either No. 6 seed Auburn or No. 3 seed Texas A&M on May 23 (5 p.m., SEC Network), unless No. 14 seed LSU or No. 11 seed Oklahoma pull off multiple upsets.
The championship game is set for May 24 (2 p.m., ABC).
How will Josh Elander manage Tennessee’s pitching?
Tennessee will have to plan its starting rotation carefully with a tight turnaround. Tegan Kuhns and Evan Blanco will be on short rest after throwing against Oklahoma, making coach Josh Elander’s task even trickier.
Sophomore Nic Abraham started the final two midweek games of the season but has limited SEC experience. The Vols could also turn to reliever Brandon Arvidson, who was effective in the postseason last year, or freshman Cam Appenzeller.
Most pertinent for the Vols moving forward is the status of starting pitcher Landon Mack, who missed his last two starts with arm soreness. If he can’t go, the SEC Tournament can offer some insight into how Elander would navigate the NCAA Tournament without him.
What's at stake for NCAA Tournament seeding?
Tennessee’s position as a projected No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament is secure. Even an SEC championship run might not be enough to earn Tennessee a home regional, but dropping to a No. 3 seed also appears off the table after the series win against Oklahoma.
This will be the first year that all No. 1 and No. 2 seeds will be ranked 1-32, whereas before only No. 1 seeds were ranked 1-16. No. 2 seeds will be slotted into regionals corresponding with their rankings, meaning as Tennessee’s ranking rises, the No. 1 seed in its regional will be weaker.
Earning a higher No. 2 seed also comes with a higher likelihood of hosting a super regional should the top seed in the adjacent regional not advance.
Emmett Siegel covers Tennessee baseball for Knox News. Email: [email protected]; X: @EmmettSiegel_
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: How far Tennessee baseball, pitching staff, can go in SEC Tournament
Continue reading...
