STATESBORO, Ga. – The highly-anticipated 2021 season for the 16th ranked Tennessee Volunteers baseball team has finally arrived. The Big Orange travel south to take on the Georgia Southern Eagles this weekend to open the 2021 campaign.

Friday’s season opener will mark the first game for UT since March 10, 2020 – a span of 346 days – after the 2020 season was halted and eventually canceled entirely due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

BROADCAST INFO

This weekend’s entire series will be streamed on ESPN+, which requires a subscription (purchase HERE). Danny Waugh (PxP) and Chase Martaus (color) will have the call for all three contests.

Fans can also listen to the games on UTSports.com and the UT Gameday app, as John Wilkerson calls the action.

PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS

Game 1: RHP Chad Dallas vs. RHP Jordan Jackson
Game 2: RHP Blade Tidwell vs. RHP Chase Dollander
Game 3: TBD vs. LHP Braden Hays

SERIES HISTORY

Overall: UT leads, 4-3
In Knoxville: GSU leads, 1-0
In Statesboro: Series tied, 2-2
Neutral Sites: UT leads, 2-0
Last Meeting: W, 6-1 (May 25, 1996) – NCAA Clemson Regional

The Vols and Eagles have met seven times on the diamond but haven’t faced off since a 6-1 Tennessee victory in the 1996 NCAA Clemson Regional. This weekend will be the Vols’ third trip to Statesboro in program history. UT split a pair of two-game series in Statesboro back in 1966 and 1971.

NOTABLE

Tennessee in Season Openers
The Vols will look to earn their third straight season-opening win when they square off against the Eagles on Friday. UT is 73-35-2 all-time in season openers and 2-1 under Tony Vitello. UT has also had great success historically when opening the season with a series against a single opponent. The Vols have won 21 of the 30 season-opening series in program history (does not include tournaments or two-game series).

All-American Vols
Tennessee enters the year with five preseason All-Americans, marking the second straight season that the Vols have had multiple players earn preseason All-America honors. Junior INF Max Ferguson leads the way with three preseason All-America nods, including first-team honors from Baseball America and D1Baseball.com. Ferguson was also named to the preseason All-SEC second team.

Fellow juniors Jake Rucker (INF) and Connor Pavolony (C), as well as senior Jackson Leath (RHP) and sophomore Drew Gilbert (OF/LHP), also garnered preseason All-America accolades.

Vols in the Polls
Tennessee enters the 2021 season ranked in the Top 25 nationally in four of the six major polls. This year marks the first time that the Vols have been ranked in the preseason Top 25 since 2007, when UT was ranked as high as No. 11 to begin the season.

The Big Orange climbed as high as No. 11 in the USA Today Top 25 last season after starting the year 13-0. That marked the program’s highest ranking in any poll since coming in at No. 11 in the Baseball America 2007 preseason rankings.

2021 Preseason Top 25 Rankings
USA Today                       #16
Baseball America            #19
D1Baseball.com               #19
NCBWA                            #20

Undefeated in February
UT has been quite literally unbeatable in the month of February over the last two years, posting a 20-0 record since the start of the 2019 season. In those 20 victories, the Vols have outscored their opponents by a 174-24 margin.

Tennessee went 11-0 in February in 2020 and outscored its opponents 115-20 in those games. The Vols’ last loss in the month of February came on Feb. 25, 2018 versus UNC Greensboro.

Vols Ranked Among National Leaders in 2020
When the 2020 season came to an abrupt end, UT ranked among the nation’s leaders in a handful of statistical categories. The Vols rank among the top 25 in the country in each of the following categories last season:

Offense

• Batting Average: .320 (5th)
• Doubles: 43 (6th)
• Hits: 193 (3rd)
• Home Runs: 31 (2nd)
• On-Base Percentage: .442 (2nd)
• Runs: 180 (1st)
• Runs/Game: 10.6 (1st)
• Slugging Percentage: .556 (2nd)
• Walks: 124 (2nd)

Pitching/Defense

• ERA: 2.00 (4th)
• Fielding Percentage: .981 (18th)
• Hits Allowed/Nine Innings: 6.41 (17th)
• Shutouts: 3 (11th)
• Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio: 4.89 (3rd)
• WHIP: 0.94 (2nd)
• Walks Allowed/Nine Innings: 2.06 (3rd)

OPPONENT SCOUT

Georgia Southern Eagles

• 2020 Record: 11-5 (0-0 Sun Belt)
• 2020 Postseason: N/A
• Head Coach: Rodney Hennon (22nd season) // Guided the Eagles to six NCAA Regionals and has led the program to 11 regular season or tournament conference titles including the 2019 Sun Belt Championship.
• The Eagles enter the 2021 season on a seven-game win streak that featured three wins over Georgia.
• Georgia Southern was picked to finish third in the eastern division of the 2021 Sun Belt Preseason Poll.
• Senior RHP Jordan Jackson was named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Team.
• GSU returns every pitcher that recorded a win for them last season.

ON DECK

The Vols will open their 2021 home slate with a pair of midweek games against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Feb. 23 and Feb. 24. First pitch for both games against the Lions is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET. Both contests will be streamed on WatchESPN.com and the ESPN app.

-UT Athletics

Nearly two months into the NBA season, three VFLs have continued their consistent play as vital pieces to three playoff-caliber teams, while a trio of former Vols in the NBA G League have also made waves.

Tobias Harris | Philadelphia 76ers
Season Stats: 25 GP, 25 GS, 20.7 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 3.0 APG, .520 FG%, .425 3FG%

In his 10th NBA season, Tobias Harris is on pace for a career-best scoring average (20.7 ppg) and is on the verge of potentially being voted into his first career NBA All-Star Game.

With Harris as the team’s minutes leader and second-leading scorer, the Philadelphia 76ers currently lead the Eastern Conference with an 18-10 overall record. Harris is also the 76ers’ second-leading assist maker (3.0 apg) and ranks fourth on the team in rebounding (7.4 rpg).

Josh Richardson | Dallas Mavericks
Season Stats: 19 GP, 19 GS, 12.5 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.7 APG, .423 FG%, .296 3 FG%

Traded to the Dallas Mavericks from the Philadelphia 76ers back in November, Josh Richardson has settled into a role as a starter and consistent contributor for the Mavericks.

Despite missing nine games due to COVID-19 protocols, Richardson has started every game in which he has been available to play. In his sixth NBA season, Richardson averages the second-most minutes on the team at 31.6 behind only Luka Doncic, while his 12.5 points per game rank fourth on the team. The Mavericks are currently 13-15 overall and just two games outside of the NBA playoff picture.

Grant Williams | Boston Celtics
Season Stats: 23 GP, 6 GS, 5.4 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 0.9 APG, .458 FG%, .313 3 FG%

After establishing himself as a consistent role player during his rookie season—during which the Boston Celtics reached the Eastern Conference Finals—Grant Williams has continued to carve out a role as a solid contributor in his second season with the franchise.

Williams averages 19.1 minutes per game and has already started more games than he did all of last season. At 14-13 overall, the Celtics are currently fourth in the Eastern Conference standings.

Jordan Bone | Delaware Blue Coats
Season Stats: 4 GP, 0 GS, 10.0 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 3.0 APG, .395 FG%, .381 3FG%

After starting the 2020-21 NBA season on a two-way deal with the Orlando Magic, Jordan Bone was placed on waivers by the Magic after playing 14 games in which he averaged 14.0 minutes. Now with the Philadelphia 76ers’ G League affiliate, the Delaware Coats, Bone is participating in the G League’s bubble in Orlando.

In the Blue Coats’ most recent game—a win over former Tennessee teammate Admiral Schofield and the Greensboro Swarm—Bone totaled 17 points and made five 3-pointers. The Blue Coats are currently one of only two remaining undefeated teams in the G League bubble.

Jordan Bowden | Long Island Nets
Season Stats: 4 GP, 0 GS, 4.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 1.0 APG, .333 FG%, .308 3FG%

Signed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Brooklyn Nets back in November, rookie Jordan Bowden was then assigned to the franchise’s G League affiliate— the Long Island Nets—for the G League bubble in Orlando.

Bowden has played in four of the Nets’ games so far and recently made three 3-pointers in a game against the Erie Bayhawks.

Admiral Schofield | Greensboro Swarm
Season Stats: 4 GP, 4 GS, 12.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 3.8 APG, .435 FG%, .273 3FG%

Selected No. 1 overall in January’s NBA G League Draft, Admiral Schofield has started every contest for the Greensboro Swarm four games into the 2021 G League bubble in Orlando, Fla.

Schofield had a double-double during the Swarm’s last game, recording 14 points and 10 rebounds.

-UT Athletics

DALLAS – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association released its preseason All-America teams on Wednesday afternoon. Tennessee sophomore outfielder/pitcher Drew Gilbert was named to the second team as a utility player.

UT has now had five players named to preseason All-America teams this season, marking the second straight year the Vols have had multiple players earn preseason All-America honors. Prior to last season, that had not happened since 2009. Gilbert joins Max Ferguson, Jake Rucker, Connor Pavolony and Jackson Leath as Tennessee players to earn preseason All-America accolades this season.

This marks the first preseason All-America recognition for Gilbert, who is one of the Vols’ most versatile players. The Stillwater, Minnesota, native played a key role as a freshman in 2020, starting 10 games in the outfield while also making four appearances as a relief pitcher.

Gilbert finished the shortened 2020 season ranked third on the team with a .350 batting average and had five multi-hit games, include a 4-for-5 performance in a win over George Washington on Feb. 29. In his first collegiate game, Gilbert went 2-for-2 at the plate with three RBI in a win over Western Carolina.

On the mound, Gilbert was a solid option out of the bullpen, allowing just one run over his first three appearances. In UT’s win over No. 25 Stanford in the Round Rock Classic, the left hander struck out three batters in 4.1 innings of relief to pick up his first-career victory.

To view the full NCBWA All-America teams, click HERE.

Tennessee opens its season this weekend with a trip down to Statesboro to take on Georgia Southern. The Vols and Eagles will begin a three-game series on Friday, Feb. 19. All three of those games will be broadcast on ESPN+ (subscription required).

Vols Running Backs Coach Jerry Mack meets with media for the first time.