SCORE: Tennessee 1, Auburn 6 | FINAL

***SCROLL DOWN FOR LIVE AT-BAT BY AT-BAT FEED***

No. 12 Tennessee baseball (36-9, 13-8 SEC) is set to battle the No. 10 Auburn Tigers (31-14, 11-10 SEC) Saturday in game one of a three-game series in Knoxville.

First pitch in Lindsey Nelson Stadium will be at 11:35 a.m. ET on SEC Network + to resume game one. Game two will start approx. 30 minutes after the completion of game one.

First pitch was initially scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET on Friday, moved up to 5:30 p.m. ET due to inclement weather but was then pushed back even further to 8 p.m. ET due to storms. Then, the game was stopped in the middle of the first and was later postponed. Game two of the series will start approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one.

All three games will be streamed on SEC Network + this weekend. For a full preview of the series, including projected pitching matchups and more, click here.

WEATHER DELAY: Tennessee Baseball Series Opener Against Auburn In Weather Delay

Tennessee enters Friday’s contest coming off a narrow midweek win over Northern Kentucky. Before that, the Vols dropped two of three in a weekend series at LSU.

The Vols squandered a 3-0 ninth-inning lead to lose game one, dominated in a 9-3 game two victory and then got blown out, 12-2, in a Sunday rubber match.

The loss dropped Tennessee six spots in the latest D1 Baseball Top 25 poll to No. 12. Additionally, Tennessee has now lost three of its past four series and two straight.

See where Tennessee landed in all five major polls below.

RANKINGS: Where Tennessee Baseball Lands In Rankings After Series Loss to LSU

Following the series loss to LSU, Tony Vitello adjusted the lineup in the midweek contest against Northern Kentucky. Dean Curley seemingly moved to second base in a full-time role while Gavin Kilen moved over to shortstop. That remains the case Friday against Auburn and will be moving forward.

Additionally, Kilen moved to the leadoff spot in the lineup and Curley was moved down to the two-hole. That also remains the case in game one vs. Auburn.

INFIELD ADJUSTMENT: Tennessee Baseball ‘Knows What’ Its Middle Infield Is Going To Look Like After Tumultuous April

Opponent Scout

After a rough 2024 season, Auburn has bounced back this season and is back as one of the top handful of teams in the SEC. The Tigers lost just two games in the pre-conference slate. UAB got them in a midweek game and a second time last month. Old Dominion also won one game in a three-game series against the Tigers.

Auburn has won five of its seven SEC series to this point in the season but its conference record is just a game above .500 because the Tigers were swept in both series — at Georgia and at Texas. The Tigers have series wins over Alabama, Vanderbilt and a series sweep over LSU.

Auburn’s two best players from last season are back and are its best bats again. Cooper McMurray is hitting .337 with nine home runs, 13 doubles and 40 RBIs. Ike Irish is hitting .329 with 11 home runs, 11 more extra-base hits and 37 RBIs. Four Tigers are hitting over .300 and four have four or more home runs.

On the mound, the Tigers rank 13th in the SEC in team-ERA. Carson Myers and Parker Carlson are Auburn’s top bullpen arms and have been good but not great this season.

Head coach Butch Thompson is in his 10th year at Auburn and boasts a pair of Preseason All-Conference selections in catcher Ike Irish (1st team) and first baseman Cooper McMurray (2nd team). Auburn was picked to finish 12th in the league in the preseason.

Prediction: Vols win two of three

Injury/Availability Notes

• In game two against Kentucky, a foul ball unfortunately hit Tennessee relief pitcher Tanner Wiggins in the mouth. Tony Vitello said there were teeth involved in Wiggins’ injury, and the sophomore underwent surgery afterward on his jaw.
  • Read more about Wiggins’ status HERE.
• UNC transfer first baseman Alberto Osuna remains ineligible.
  • But on Monday, Osuna again took legal action still seeking eligibility. Read more HERE.

TRANSCRIPT: What Tony Vitello Said Following Northern Kentucky Win, Previewing Auburn

For all of RTI’s baseball coverage so far this season, click here.

Lineups, pitching matchup and additional pre-game notes are below, followed by the LIVE at-bat by at-bat game thread.

TENNESSEE STARTING NINE: 

SS Gavin Kilen (L)

2B Dean Curley (R)

1B Andrew Fischer (L)

CF Hunter Ensley (R)

LF Dalton Bargo (L)

DH Levi Clark (R)

RF Reese Chapman (L)

C Cannon Peebles (S)

3B Manny Marin (R)

Lineup Notes:

• Manny Marin gets the nod at third base and Dalton Bargo starts in left field over Abernathy and Newstrom.
• Kilen remains at shortstop and leadoff. Curley remains at second and two-hole.
• Levi Clark gets the DH start.
• Cannon Peebles behind the plate to open the series.
• Ariel Antigua will likely be a defensive sub moving forward with Kilen operating at short.

AUBURN STARTING NINE: 

DH Chris Rembert (R)

CF Cade Belyeu (L)

RF Ike Irish (L)

1B Cooper McMurray (L)

3B Eric Guevara (R)

2B Eric Snow (R)

SS Deric Fabian (R)

C Chase Fralick (L)

LF Bristol Carter (R)

Pitching Matchup:

Vols Jr. LHP Liam Doyle (7-1, 2.23 ERA, 11 app., 11 starts, 64.2 IP, 32 H, 17 R, 16 ER, 20 BB, 110 K, 10 XBH, .144 opp. batting avg., 0.80 WHIP)

vs.

Tigers Sr. RHP Samuel Dutton (5-2, 2.48 ERA, 11 app., 11 starts, 1 CG, 61.2 IP, 55 H, 19 R, 17 ER, 13 BB, 73 K, 12 XBH, .242 opp. batting avg., 1.11 WHIP)

Pitching notes:

• Dutton is the clear top dog in Auburn’s pitching staff. It’s important he gets them off to a good start in the series and Auburn doesn’t have to burn multiple bullpen arms in game one.
• Similar for Tennessee now. Given the bullpen struggles, it’s all the more important Liam Doyle turns in another dominant start.

Uniforms

Tennessee: Orange shirts, white pants

Auburn: Grey shirts and pants with navy caps

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*NOTES*

• The run-rule is MANDATORY in SEC play. If Tennessee or Auburn leads by 10 or more runs after the seventh inning, the game is over.

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GAME THREAD

1st Inning: 

T1

-Chris Rembert strikes out swinging.

-Cade Belyeu is walked on four pitches.

-Ike Irish smacks a two-run homer to left-center.

• Came back into the field of play, so it may have hit a railing in the porches that sent it back into left field. Also could have hit the wall, but Tennessee didn’t challenge it. Hard to see through the monsoon.
• After seeing some more screen grabs on X, it really didn’t look like a homer…

-Cooper McMurray strikes out looking.

-Eric Guevara pops up to 1B.

END OF TOP HALF

*GAME POSTPONED UNTIL SATURDAY AT 11:35 A.M. ET*

• Really, really tough for Tennessee with Doyle already throwing an inning and Dutton not for Auburn. Tony Vitello wasn’t happy with the decision, but the umpires determined the mound to be too unsafe to continue playing.
• Doyle may be able to throw Sunday, but the whole situation is obviously not ideal as it takes him out of his normal routine.

B1

-Gavin Kilen lines out to 1B.

-Dean Curley strikes out looking.

-Andrew Fischer grounds out to 1B.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 0, Tigers 2

2nd Inning: 

T2

*Pitching change: Fr. RHP Tegan Kuhns (2-2, 3.96 ERA) on to pitch for Doyle*

• Makes sense to go Kuhns, who is Tennessee’s 4th starter right now behind Doyle, Phillips and Russell.

-Eric Snow singles to right field.

Snow steals second.

-Deric Fabian strikes out swinging.

-Chase Fralick out at first 1B to P. Snow to third.

-Bristol Carter strikes out looking.

• Great 2-2 pitch from Kuhns. Strands a runner on third.

END OF TOP HALF

B2

-Hunter Ensley grounds out to 2B.

-Dalton Bargo strikes out swinging.

-Levi Clark lines out to LF.

• Barreled it up. Right to the left-fielder just shy of the warning track.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 0, Tigers 2

3rd Inning: 

T3

-Chris Rembert reaches on a beautiful bunt single.

Rembert steals second.

-Cade Belyeu sends a bunt single to 3B. Rembert to third.

Belyeu steals second, advances to third on the throw home. Rembert out at home, 6-2.

• Overslid the bag then put himself in a pickle. Kilen was able to get Rembert at home.

-Ike Irish drives an RBI single to left field.

Irish steals second.

-Cooper McMurray flies out to CF.

-Eric Guevara strikes out swinging, tagged out by C.

END OF TOP HALF

B3

-Reese Chapman flies out to CF in right-center.

-Cannon Peebles strikes out looking.

-Manny Marin strikes out looking on three pitches.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 0, Tigers 3

4th Inning: 

T4

-Eric Snow flies out to CF.

-Deric Fabian works a walk.

Fabian caught stealing, 2-6.

-Chase Fralick strikes out swinging, out at first C to 1B.

END OF TOP HALF

B4

-Gavin Kilen fouls out to LF.

-Dean Curley strikes out looking.

-Andrew Fischer grounds out to SS.

• In the 3.5 hole. Hit into the shift.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 0, Tigers 3

5th Inning: 

T5

-Bristol Carter strikes out swinging.

-Chris Rembert strikes out looking on three pitches.

-Cade Belyeu grounds out to P.

• Really strong inning from Kuhns. 10 pitches.

END OF TOP HALF

B5

-Hunter Ensley strikes out swinging.

-Dalton Bargo slaps a single to right-center.

-Levi Clark strikes out swinging after an eight-pitch at-bat.

-Reese Chapman flies out to LF.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 0, Tigers 3

6th Inning: 

T6

-Ike Irish out at first 1B to P.

-Cooper McMurray hammers a solo homer to right field.

-Eric Guevara out at first 1B to P.

*Pitching change: Jr. RHP Tanner Franklin (1-1, 4.23 ERA) on to pitch for Kuhns*

-Eric Snow flies out to CF.

END OF TOP HALF

B6

-Cannon Peebles singles to right field.

Peebles advances to second on a passed ball.

-Manny Marin flies out to RF.

-Gavin Kilen flies out to RF. Peebles to third.

-Dean Curley grounds out to SS.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 0, Tigers 4

7th Inning: 

T7

-Deric Fabian grounds out to 3B.

-Chase Fralick strikes out swinging.

-Bristol Carter strikes out swinging on three pitches.

END OF TOP HALF

B7

-Andrew Fischer strikes out looking on three pitches.

-Hunter Ensley grounds out to SS.

-Dalton Bargo rips a double to right field.

• First extra-base hit today.

-Levi Clark smacks an RBI double off the top of the right-center wall/

• Play was reviewed to see if the ball left the yard. Ruling STOOD as a double.

*Pitching change: RHP Ryan Hetzler (0-0, 4.43 ERA) on to pitch for Dutton*

-Reese Chapman strikes out swinging.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 1, Tigers 4

8th Inning: 

T8

-Chris Rembert launches a solo homer to right field.

-Cade Belyeu lines out to CF.

*Pitching change: So. LHP Brandon Arvidson (2-0, 4.43 ERA) on to pitch for Franklin*

-Ike Irish fouls out to LF.

-Cooper McMurray singles to center.

-Eric Guevara grounds out to 3B.

END OF TOP HALF

B8

-Cannon Peebles flies out to LF.

*Jay Abernathy pinch-hitting for Manny Marin*

-Abernathy singles up the middle.

-Gavin Kilen grounds into a 4-6-3 double play.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 1, Tigers 5

9th Inning: 

T9

*Pitching change: Jr. RHP Austin Breedlove (2-0, 2.60 ERA) on to pitch for Arvidson*

*Bargo to 3B*

*Abernathy to LF*

-Eric Snow HBP.

Snow steals second.

-Deric Fabian strikes out swinging.

*Pitching change: Jr. LHP Michael Sharman (3-1, 3.71 ERA) on to pitch for Breedlove*

-Chase Fralick is walked on four pitches.

*Pitching change: Jr. LHP Andrew Behnke (2-0, 5.40 ERA) on to pitch for Sharman*

-Bristol Carter grounds out to 1B unassisted.

-Chris Rembert HBP.

Snow scores on a wild pitch.

-Cade Belyeu fouls out to RF.

END OF TOP HALF

B9

-Dean Curley grounds out to third base.

-Andrew Fischer singles to right field.

-Hunter Ensley strikes out swinging.

Fischer advances to second on a balk

-Dalton Bargo grounds out to second. 4-1 putout.

Score: Vols 1, Tigers 6

FINAL: Tennessee Vols 1, Auburn Tigers 6