Tennessee will get a tough test this weekend in the Astros Foundation College Classic. Six teams have made the trip to Houston for the nine game tournament. The programs in attendance are Arizona, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Rice, Tennessee, and Texas A&M. None of the SEC teams will play each other which means the Vols won’t have the benefit of playing any familiar opponents. Tennessee heads into this weekend as the team to beat in this tournament as Tony Vitello looks to win his fifth neutral site non conference tournament in his career.
Tennessee comes into the weekend as one of the nation’s top offenses this season. The Vols are top 10 in the country in batting average and on base percentage, as well as leading the country in slugging percentage, home runs, and runs scored. While the competition that Tennessee has faced to this point in the season has been called into question, they still hold the 3rd best RPI in the nation and the best in the SEC.
In addition to arguably the top offense in the country, the Vols boast an elite pitching staff. This could quite possibly be the deepest staff that Tony Vitello has ever assembled. The Vols lead the country in strikeouts per nine innings, as well as being top five in WHIP, K/BB, ERA, and H/9. The first two weekends, the Vols were short handed on the pitching staff with injuries to AJ Russell and Dylan Loy, as well as Tegan Kuhns dealing with an illness. All three made their debut in the midweek week game against North Alabama on Tuesday and will be ready to contribute in Houston if they are called upon.
Game One:
Tennessee v Oklahoma State
4:05 PM ET, Friday, Feb. 28
The Vols are 4-1 all time against Oklahoma State, however the Pokes are not the type of opponent anyone in the country can overlook. Despite dropping games against Texas and Clemson in the opening week of the season, the Cowboys have already been tested in the Shriners Children's College Showdown against three power programs. That early season test is something that will give them an advantage over the Vols who have yet to play away from home and have just the 53rd ranked strength of schedule. While the Vols are favored to win, this will be their biggest test to this point in the season.
Game Two:
Tennessee vs Rice
12:05 PM ET, Saturday, Mar. 1
Rice opened their season in Puerto Rico where they struggled, going 0-3. While they are just 2-5 to start the year, they have played a very difficult schedule. Their losses to this point are to Villanova, Michigan, Virginia, USC, and Arizona. The Owls have been tested but have not stood up to those tests yet. The Rice offense can score some runs, however most of their issues have come on the mound, where they are allowing over 6 runs per game to their opponents. The Vols will be the best offense they have faced so far and quite possibly the best they will see the entire year. Tennessee will send out Marcus Phillips to make his third career start. Look for the Vols to try and jump on Rice out of the gate and try to put the game away early. If Rice can hang around, they will have a shot late to pick up their biggest win of the year. Tennessee and Rice have only met once in history, and, as it happens, that game was played in the same ballpark at what was then called Minute-Maid Stadium back in 2012. At the time, Rice was the number 4 team in the country while the Vols were in their first season with head coach Dave Serrano.
Game Three:
Tennessee v Arizona
11:05 AM ET, Sunday, Mar. 2
Arizona has won five straight coming into the weekend in Houston. Despite starting the season 0-3 in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown against Ole Miss, Clemson, and Louisville, the Wildcats have shown they are a quality program with Omaha aspirations. Last weekend, Arizona swept a quality San Diego team, outscoring them 28-10. Arizona has the offensive capabilities to keep up with the Vols and can run out some high level arms as well. With this game being the last game of the weekend for each team, the depth of both of these rosters will be tested in what looks to be a high-level matchup. Tennessee and Arizona have only met once before, and it was in 2023 when the Wildcats beat Tennessee in the first game of the season.
Tennessee Players to Watch:
Player | AVG | HR | RBI | GP-GS |
Dean Curley | .385 | 3 | 8 | 8-8 |
Gavin Kilen | .409 | 3 | 10 | 8-8 |
Hunter Ensley | .370 | 2 | 10 | 8-8 |
Levi Clark | .600 | 3 | 13 | 7-4 |
Player | ERA | W-L | IP | SO | GP-GS |
Liam Doyle | 0.87 | 2-0 | 10.1 | 25 | 2-2 |
Marcus Phillips | 1.04 | 0-0 | 8.2 | 12 | 2-2 |
Nate Snead | 1.23 | 1-0 | 7.1 | 9 | 2-1 |
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