Tennessee baseball returns to the Hoover Met Wednesday to face rival Alabama in the second round of the SEC Tournament. The Vols are looking to defend their SEC Tournament title and to pick up their third conference tournament championship in the last four years.
The 2025 Vols open up their title defense against nine-seed Alabama in the second round of the five round single-elimination tournament. Tennessee faced the Crimson Tide in its second conference series back in March, winning two out of three games in Tuscaloosa.
Here’s how to watch the Vols’ SEC Tournament opener, details on Tennessee’s pitching plan and a quick prediction.
More From RTI: What Tennessee HC Tony Vitello Said Previewing The 2025 SEC Tournament
How to Watch: No. 21 Tennessee baseball (41-15, 16-14 SEC) vs No. 23 Alabama (41-15, 16-14 SEC)
First pitch time: Approximately 2 p.m. ET
Announcers: PxP Dave Neal, CC: Chris Burke
Watch: SEC Network
Marcus Phillips Will Get The Nod For Tennessee
Normal game two starter Marcus Phillips will start for Tennessee in its SEC Tournament opener against Alabama. Phillips moved into the game one spot last weekend against Arkansas and will lead the way for the Vols in Hoover.
However, expect it to be a shorter outing for Phillips. The right hander is pitching on five days rest after pitching on just four days rest last week. Phillips threw 87 pitches in 4.1 innings pitched on Thursday night. Tony Vitello stated that they won’t push any pitcher on short rest in Hoover.
Vitello also said that they would “throw the kitchen sink” at Alabama with AJ Russell, Dylan Loy, Tanner Franklin, Nate Snead and Brayden Krenzel all being available to throw against the Crimson Tide.
A Quick Prediction
I’ve gone back-and-forth on this one a bit, picking Alabama to beat Tennessee on the RTI Diamond Pass Podcast earlier this week. But I didn’t expect Tennessee to start Marcus Phillips at that point. And while he may not go deep into the game, those nine to 12 outs could still go a long way for a struggling bullpen.
A side note, let’s see if Phillips can control the running game better again this week. Alabama runs more than Arkansas but still ranks 11th in the SEC in stolen bases attempted.
Even with Phillips throwing, this game feels like a true toss up. I’ll take the Vols to get it done against Alabama for a fourth time this year.
Tennessee 7, Alabama 5
