Vols Set To Face Razorbacks
photo by UT Sports
No. 12/17 Tennessee concludes its regular-season slate with an important series at No. 5/8 Arkansas this week as the Vols look to position themselves for another deep postseason run.
The Big Orange will be looking to rebound from their recent struggles and enter next week's SEC Tournament on a high note. A series win this weekend would go a long way in securing a potential national seed in this year's NCAA tournament.
BROADCAST INFO
Thursday's series opener will be televised on ESPN2 with Tom Hart (PxP), Chris Burke (analyst) and Kyle Peterson (analyst) on the call. Hart and Burke will also broadcast games two and three on Friday (SEC Network+) and Saturday (SEC Network).
Fans can also listen to the official radio broadcast, featuring the Voice of Tennessee Baseball John Wilkerson, on the Vol Network (FM 99.1 / AM 990) as well as on UTSports.com, the Tennessee Athletics Mobile App and the Varsity App.
PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
Game 1 – Thursday (8 pm ET):
UT: RHP Marcus Phillips (13 GS, 3-4, 3.55 ERA)
ARK: LHP Zach Root (13 GS, 6-3, 3.88 ERA)
Game 2 – Friday (7:30 pm ET):
UT: LHP Liam Doyle (13 GS, 9-2, 2.17 ERA)
ARK: TBA
Game 3 – Saturday (3 pm ET):
UT: RHP Tegan Kuhns (8 GS, 2-2, 3.78 ERA)
ARK: RHP Gage Wood (6 GS, 1-1, 5.51 ERA)
SERIES HISTORY
Vols vs. Razorbacks
Overall: Razorbacks lead, 42-28
in Knoxville: Series tied, 15-15
in Fayetteville: Razorbacks lead, 23-12
at Neutral Sites: Razorbacks lead, 4-1
Last 10 Meetings: Razorbacks lead, 9-1
Last Meeting: L, 7-2 on April 16, 2023 (Fayetteville, Ark.)
The Vols will be looking to end their recent struggles against the Razorbacks this week. UT's last series win against Arkansas came in 2005 while its last series win in Fayetteville was back in 2001. Tennessee's lone victory over the Hogs under head coach Tony Vitello was an 8-7 wall-off win at home on May 15, 2021.
NOTABLE
40 Wins the Standard
With Tuesday's midweek win over Belmont, the Vols reached the 40-win mark for the sixth straight season (2019 COVID season not included), setting a new program record and breaking the previous longest streak of five straight 40-plus win seasons from 1993-1997. Prior to Vitello's tenure, UT had recorded just nine 40-win seasons in program history and hadn't reached the 40-win mark since 2005. The Vols are one of just 11 teams to reach 40 wins entering the final weekend of the regular season.
Comfortable on the Road
A consistent theme with Vitello's Tennessee teams has been their success away from home in conference play. After going 3-12 on the road with no series wins in his first season at the helm in 2018, the Vols have won multiple SEC road series five times since 2019 including four or more series victories in 2021 (5), 2022 (4) and 2024 (4). UT has a 54-48 overall record on the road in SEC play under Vitello with 19 series wins in that span.
Doyle's Dominance on Full Display
Tennessee ace Liam Doyle is having an All-American caliber junior season for the Vols and has arguably been the most dominant starting pitcher in the country throughout the regular season.
For the season, Doyle boasts a 9-2 record and a 2.17 ERA in 14 appearances (13 starts) while leading the country in strikeouts (127) and strikeouts per nine innings (15.31). His 280 career strikeouts rank seventh among active Division I pitchers while his 13.55 strikeouts/nine innings ranks second. Doyle has reached double-digit strikeouts six times this season, including three times in SEC play after 12 punchouts over seven shutout innings last Friday night vs. No. 10/11 Vanderbilt.
The Derry, New Hampshire, native, enters this weekend's series ranked sixth in program history for single-season strikeouts and could jump all the way to third with another double-digit strikeout outing this week. He needs 28 more punchouts to break Luke Hochevar's program record of 154 in 2005.
Fischer on Fire
Junior first baseman Andrew Fischer has been an on-base machine for the Big Orange this season, leading the team with a .494 on-base percentage and an SEC-high 54 walks. Fischer (53 games) is the only player in the SEC to have reached base in every game this season. Dating back to his time at Ole Miss last season, he has reached base safely in 56 consecutive contests.
The New Jersey native has also provided big-time power, leading the SEC and ranking tied for third nationally with 21 homers this season. Ten of his homers have come during conference play, which is tied for second in the league. Fischer is red hot entering this week's series at Arkansas, having homered in four of his last five games overall, including four round trippers in his last three contests.
OPPONENT SCOUT
Arkansas Razorbacks (41-11, 18-9 SEC)
- 2024 Record: 44-16 (20-10 SEC)
- 2024 Postseason: NCAA Fayetteville Regional (1-2)
- Highest Ranking: 5 (USA Today, NCBWA)
- D1Baseball Ranking: 8
- 2025 SEC Preseason Poll: 3rd
- Head Coach: Dave Van Horn
- Overall Record: 1,508-708 (37th year)
- Record at Arkansas: 923-468 (23rd year)
- Preseason All-Conference Selections (3):
- SP Gabe Gaeckle (1st team)
- SP Landon Beidelschies (2nd team)
- RP Christian Foutch (2nd team)
ON DECK
The Vols will head to Hoover, Alabama for the 2025 SEC Tournament which runs from Tuesday, May 20 through Sunday, May 25 at the Hoover Met. Tennessee will find out it's seed and tournament draw following this weekend's series.