TENNESSEE VOLS BASEBALL: 9-game homestand begins

 Fresh off a massive series sweep of No. 8/9 Mississippi State on the road, Tennessee returns to Rocky Top to kick off a two-week homestand on Tuesday night against UNC Asheville at 6 p.m.

The Vols and Bulldogs will square off for the second time this season when they meet on Tuesday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. UT won the first meeting by a score of 10-3 on Feb. 17 in its first midweek game of the year.

LHP Blaine Brown (3 GS, 0-0, 4.50 ERA) vs. RHP Garrett Crum (3 GS, 0-3, 9.21 ERA)

Vols vs. UNC AshevilleOverall: UT leads, 34-7in Knoxville: UT leads, 30-7in Asheville: UT leads, 4-0at Neutral Sites: 0-0Last Meeting: Feb. 17, 2026 (W, 10-3)The Vols have won 12 straight against the Bulldogs with 11 of those contents taking place in Knoxville.

Situational Hitting on PointA major factor in Tennessee's series sweep against Mississippi State was the impressive situational hitting throughout the weekend. In the Vols' three wins in Starkville, they combined to hit .415 (17-41) with runners on base, .357 (10-28) with runners in scoring position and .342 (13-38) with two outs. Nine of UT's 19 runs in the series were scored with two outs.

Cam Appenzeller continued his ridiculous string of dominant relief outings in last Friday night's series-opening victory at No. 8/9 Mississippi State. The freshman lefty earned his third SEC win and improved to 5-0 on the year after holding the Bulldogs' dangerous lineup to just two runs on three hits while pitching the game's final five innings in a 6-5 victory.

Appenzeller also posted a career-high eight strikeouts and was named the SEC Freshman of the Week for his efforts.MSU's two runs were the first Appenzeller has allowed in SEC play this season, ending a streak of 21.2 consecutive scoreless innings to begin league play. For the year, Appenzeller has a conference-leading 0.69 WHIP and also boasts a 1.49 ERA, which ranks second in the league. In SEC games, he has a 0.60 WHIP and 0.77 ERA with 27 strikeouts and just two walks in 23.1 innings of work.

UNC Asheville Bulldogs (16-20, 4-8 Big South)