Tennessee baseball’s opponent is set for its SEC Tournament opener on Wednesday morning. The Vols will face nine-seed Alabama in the second round of the tournament. First pitch is at 10:30 a.m. ET at the Hoover Met and the SEC Network is broadcasting the game.
The Crimson Tide advanced to face Tennessee in the second round of the SEC Tournament after defeating Missouri 4-1 in its SEC Tournament opener Tuesday morning. Alaba,a finished the regular season with a 40-15 (16-14 SEC) record.
The Vols and Crimson Tide faced off in a three-game series in Tuscaloosa back in March with Tennessee winning two of the three games. The winner advances to face top-seeded Texas on Thursday morning in the quarterfinals.
Tennessee earned the eight-seed in the SEC Tournament by posting a 16-14 record in conference play. The Vols won only four of their 10 SEC series but posted a conference record above .500 because they swept a pair of opponents and won at least one game in every series.
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Tony Vitello’s eighth Tennessee team started SEC play on fire, winning its first three series including sweeps of Florida and South Carolina. The Vols were 9-1 in SEC play after run-ruling Texas A&M in the series opener at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on April 4.
But things went sideways from there for Tennessee. The Vols dropped both games of a Saturday doubleheader against Texas A&M and it began a seven series stretch where Tennessee won just one series— taking two out of three at Ole Miss.
Tennessee finished the regular season losing five straight series against SEC foes Kentucky, LSU, Auburn, Vanderbilt and Arkansas.
Vitello’s program has had plenty of success at the SEC Tournament in recent seasons. Tennessee won the event in 2022 and 2024 and lost in the championship game to Arkansas in 2021. The Vols only poor showing in the event in recent years came with a first round exit in 2023.
