COLUMBIA, Mo. – No. 5 Tennessee is back in action this Friday as it opens a road series at Missouri after a rare five-day layoff between games.

The Vols are coming off their sixth SEC series win of the year last weekend against Kentucky, taking Saturday’s rubber game by a score of 11-2.

Like UT, the Tigers have also had a few days to rest with no midweek game this week after getting swept at Alabama last weekend.

BROADCAST INFO

Friday’s series opener and Sunday’s finale will be streamed live on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app. Saturday’s game will be televised on the SEC Network with John Schriffen (PxP) and David Dellucci (color) calling the action.

Fans can also listen to the official Vol Network radio call for all three games on Sports Radio WNML (FM 99.1 / AM 990), as well as UTSports.com and the UT Gameday app. The Voice of Tennessee Baseball John Wilkerson will have the call.

PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS

Game 1: RHP Chad Dallas (7-1) vs. RHP Seth Halvorsen (4-2)
Game 2: LHP Will Heflin (2-2) vs. TBA
Game 3: RHP Blade Tidwell (5-2) vs. TBA

SERIES HISTORY

Overall: Missouri leads, 14-7
In Knoxville: Missouri leads, 8-4
In Columbia: Missouri leads, 6-3
Neutral Sites: N/A
Last Meeting: L, 10-8 (May 5, 2019)

After winning the first two series against the Tigers in 2013 and 2014, the Vols have struggled since, winning just three times in the past 15 meetings between the two programs. Tennessee will be looking to win its first series over Missouri since taking two of three games from the Tigers in Columbia back in 2014.

NOTABLE

Bomb Squad
The Big Orange have turned up the power in a big way over the past three weeks, blasting 27 home runs in their last 12 games, including 24 in their last nine SEC contests. UT hit multiple homers in all three games against Kentucky last week and has gone yard multiple times in seven of its last 10 games.

The Vols lead the conference with 34 long balls in league play. Their 61 total home runs rank 11th nationally and are their most in a season since hitting 81 in 2010.

Relishing Rubber Games
Tennessee has been very successful when it comes to rubber games this season. The Vols have posted a 4-1 record in such games after last Saturday’s 11-2 win over Kentucky and have outscored their opponents 48-28 in those contests.

SEC Success
Tennessee’s 14-7 conference record is its best through 21 games since going 15-6 in 1995. The Big Orange have won six of their seven SEC series so far, including all three on the road, marking the first time they have won their first three series away from home in league play since 1994.

Road Vols
The Vols have been one of the best road teams in the country this season. Their 11-4 record away from home is tied with Arkansas for the best in the SEC. Tennessee has won all four of its road series this season and has won its last four conference road series dating back to 2019.

Beck Takes Home SEC Weekly Honor
Sophomore slugger Jordan Beck was named the SEC Co-Newcomer of the Week on Monday after an impressive series against Kentucky last week.

The Hazel Green, Alabama, native finished the series tied for the team lead with a .538 batting average and seven hits while also totaling three extra-base hits and four RBI.

Beck had at least one hit in all three games against the Wildcats. He went 2-for-4 with three RBI and set a career high with three runs scored in Thursday’s series-opening 14-4 win. His three-run homer in the second inning tied the game and jumpstarted a seven-run outburst for the Vols in the frame. Beck set another career high with four hits in Saturday’s rubber game, including an RBI double that tied the game at one in the second inning.

OPPONENT SCOUT

Missouri Tigers

• 2021 Record: 12-29 (5-16 SEC)
• Rankings: Not Ranked
• 2019 Postseason: N/A
•  Head Coach: Steve Bieser (5th season) // Has coached 17 MLB Draft picks while at Mizzou
• Predicted SEC Finish: 6th (Eastern Division)
• Preseason All-SEC Selections: None
• Stat Leaders:
  • Batting Avg: Andrew Keefer (.284)
  • Runs: Brandt Belk/Torin Montgomery (22)
  • Hits: Andrew Keefer (38)
  • Home Runs: Torin Montgomery (5)
  • RBI: Torin Montgomery (25)
  • Stolen Bases: Brandt Belk/Joshua Day (6)
  • Wins: Seth Halvorsen (4)
  • ERA (min. 15.0 IP): Ian Lohse (3.27)
  • Innings Pitched: Seth Halvorsen (54.0)
  • Strikeouts: Seth Halvorsen (58)

ON DECK

Tennessee returns home to host Tennessee Tech in a midweek matchup next Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. The game will be streamed live on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app.

-UT Athletics

STARKVILLE, Miss. – The No. 15 Tennessee softball team dropped its doubleheader at Mississippi State Wednesday, falling in game one, 2-1, and in game two, 6-2, at Nusz Park.

Tennessee (38-10, 11-9 SEC) played the midweek conference doubleheader as a result of a COVID-19 pause earlier this season.

Ashley Rogers pitched game one for the Lady Vols, allowing two runs on four hits, striking out nine and tossing her 19th complete game of the season. The Athens, Tennessee, native is now 22-7 on the year after suffering the loss.

In game two, Callie Turner took the ball and pitched three innings, surrendering five runs on three hits and struck out one. Turner suffered just her second loss of the season and stands at 10-2 in 2021.

Mississippi State (29-22, 5-15 SEC) received a pair of solid pitching performances from Emily Williams and Annie Willis. Williams started in the circle for game one, tossing a complete game and allowing just one run on six hits and striking out seven.

Willis got the start in game two and pitched four innings, surrendering two runs on five hits. Alyssa Loza came on in relief and picked up the save as she tossed three innings and notched a pair of strikeouts.

GAME ONE: Tennessee 1, Mississippi State 2
A scoreless game through four innings was ended in the bottom of the fifth when MSU plated two runs on a hit. The Bulldogs’ Montana Davidson struck out, but reached base on a wild pitch and scored later on in the inning off a Carter Spexarth double that also pushed Fa Leilua across the plate for MSU’s second and game-winning run.

In the top of the seventh, Tennessee scored once on two hits as Amanda Ayala doubled to center field to score Anna Fox to give the game its final margin at, 2-1.

GAME TWO: Tennessee 2, Mississippi State 6
MSU scored all six of its runs in the bottom of the first as the Bulldogs used four hits and a pair of Tennessee errors to jump out to the early lead.

Leilua hit a two-run home run to open the scoring and jump start MSU’s big inning.

The Lady Vols punched back in the second and third, scratching across one run in both innings. Kiki Milloy reached on a leadoff single to begin the second, before stealing second base and advancing to third on a error. She was brought home on a sacrifice fly from Madison Webber for UT’s first run in game two.

In the third, Ayala singled and advanced to second on an error to set up Tennessee’s next score. Ashley Morgan then pushed Ayala across the plate with a RBI double to right.

UP NEXT
Tennessee has a quick turnaround at it welcomes Missouri to Sherri Parker Lee Stadium for the final regular season series. The series runs May 7-9 with first pitch Friday coming at 6 p.m. ET.

Box Score (Game One) | Box Score (Game Two) | Overall Stats | SEC Stats

-UT Athletics