When Tennessee baseball fans walk into Lindsey Nelson Stadium or see it on TV for the first time this season, they’ll be treated to brand new sights as the stadium construction begins to come into its final form. While construction was ongoing during the 2025 season, massive strides have been made to get closer to the final product throughout the offseason.
Club seats around the field level have been filled out, the box suites wrap around the top of the stadium from dugout to dugout, concession stands and bathrooms have been added down the left- and right-field lines, and much more.
It’s something that Josh Elander has seen since the start, and the new Tennessee head baseball coach can’t wait to see what it looks like packed to the brim. Elander shared his thoughts on the stadium and its construction progress during Sunday night’s episode of The RTI Low-Down with Bob Baskerville and Chris Low.
“100%,” Elander said about his players getting juiced from seeing the progress. “You know, it’s been a good process and it’s been cool from over the years. Like, I have pictures that I show people in recruiting, even long before we had these amazing plans, and now what’s going to be one of the best setups in college baseball. We have pictures where there’s like, literally 22 people in the stands. You can count them from a bird’s eye view. And to see what it’s become now, I mean, just to walk through the centerfield gate each day, it truly has that ‘oh my goodness, wow’ moment.”
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While Tennessee’s stadium hasn’t been anywhere close to the biggest in the conference, there’s been an intimate feel in Lindsey Nelson that has helped the Vols cultivate a home-field advantage. Elander is looking forward to that becoming even more of a factor when his team takes the field for the first time next month.
“We really nailed it, and administration did as well,” Elander said. “As close as everything is to the field, and just the sheer height of the stadium, it feels like everybody’s right on top of you. So, I’m really excited to see how loud it gets. One of my favorite memories is when we were playing Indiana in the regional a few years back and Vol Nation got so crazy, you know, the guy couldn’t even hear the pitch comms in his hat at full volume. So, I think if we can up the ampage even more, it’ll make it even more challenging for those opposing teams.”
Tennessee will open up the season at home in a three-game series against Nicholls starting on Friday, Feb. 13.
Here’s a look at some of the big changes coming to Lindsey Nelson Stadium next month:
Check out The RTI Low-Down with guest Josh Elander below:
