SCORE: Tennessee 5, LSU 7 | FINAL

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

Tennessee baseball (19-10, 3-6 SEC) is set to host the LSU Tigers (20-10, 4-5 SEC) Friday in game one of a three-game series in Knoxville.

First pitch in Lindsey Nelson Stadium is at 5:30 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.

For a full preview of the series, click here.

Tennessee enters the midweek contest coming off a disastrous three-loss weekend in Nashville, as Vanderbilt swept the Vols.

All three losses were via walk-off, as Tennessee lost Friday’s game, 3-2, after a 10th-inning walk-off hit. Saturday, Tennessee lost the longest game in program history, getting walked off 6-5 in 16 innings. Sunday, Tennessee led 15-10 going into the bottom of the ninth but allowed six runs as Vandy’s Tommy Goodin hit a walk-off grand slam.

Read recaps from all three games below.

GAME ONE RECAP: Vanderbilt Walks Off Tennessee Baseball in Series Opener

GAME TWO RECAP: Tennessee Baseball Suffers Walk-Off Loss to Vanderbilt in 16 Innings to Lose Series

GAME THREE RECAP: Tennessee Baseball Walked Off In Third Straight Game to Get Swept by Vanderbilt

The heartbreaking series puts a lot of pressure on Tennessee to respond well, as the Vols are at the lowest point they’ve been yet this year.

But there’s plenty of time to right the ship. Tennessee has four straight home hames coming up, including a series against flawed LSU.

The Vols handled Austin Peay Tuesday with a 13-4 midweek win.

Opponent Scout

LSU started the season 8-0 but things have gotten shaky since. The Tigers went 4-5 in their final nine games before the start of SEC play including a series loss against Sacramento State.

SEC play started in similarly poor fashion with Vanderbilt winning two of three games over LSU in Nashville. The Tigers then went on the road and dropped two out of three games at Oklahoma.

LSU seemed to steady the ship last week, winning the final two games of its series against Kentucky after dropping the opener. The Tigers enter the weekend 4-5 in SEC play and are looking to continue their momentum from last weekend while Tennessee looks to regroup after a brutal weekend at Vanderbilt.

• 2025 Record: 53-15 (19-11 SEC)
• 2025 Postseason: MCWS (National Champions)
• 2026 SEC Preseason Poll: 1^st
• Head Coach: Jay Johnson
  • Overall Record: 527-259 (14^th year)
  • Record at LSU: 210-87 (5^th year)
• Preseason All-Conference Selections (5):
  • OF Derek Curiel (1^st team), SP Casan Evans (1^st team), RP Zac Cowan (1^st team), SS Steven Milam (2^nd team), OF Jake Brown (2^nd team)

SERIES HISTORY:

• Overall: LSU leads, 65-34
• In Knoxville: UT leads, 21-20
• In Baton Rouge: LSU leads, 40-10
• At Neutral Sites: LSU leads, 5-3
• Last 10 Meetings: UT leads, 6-4
• Last Meeting: April 27, 2025 (L, 12-2 in Baton Rouge)
• Tennessee has won eight straight games against LSU in Knoxville dating back to 2021.

Info courtesy UT Athletics in italics

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

For the latest RTI Diamond Pass podcast previewing the 2026 season, click HERE.

VIDEO: Josh Elander Discusses Series-Sweeping Walk-Off Loss to Vanderbilt

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

TENNESSEE STARTING NINE: 

LSU STARTING NINE: 

SS Steven Milam (S)

RF Jake Brown (L)

C Omar Serna Jr. (R)

CF Derek Curiel (L)

2B Seth Dardar (L)

3B John Pearson (R)

1B Zach Yorke (L)

DH Mason Braun (L)

LF Chris Stanfield (R)

Pitching Matchup:

Vols So. RHP Landon Mack (3-2, 3.89 ERA)

vs.

Tigers RHP Casan Evans (2-1, 5.00 ERA)

Uniforms

Tennessee: Orange hats, orange jerseys, white pants

LSU: Purple helmets, purple jerseys and white pants.

---

*NOTES*

• The run-rule is MANDATORY in SEC play.

---

GAME THREAD

1st Inning: 

T1

-Steven Milam flies out to center field.

-Jake Brown strikes out swinging.

-Omar Serna grounds out to third base.

B1

-Garrett Wright strikes out swinging.

-Blaine Brown flies out to center field.

-Henry Ford singles to right field.

-Blake Grimmer strikes out swinging.

Score: Vols 0, Tigers 0

2nd Inning: 

T2

-Derek Curiel singles to left field.

Curiel steals second.

-Seth Dardar strikes out swinging.

-John Pearson singles to right field. Dardar advances to third.

-Zach Yorke strikes out swinging. Pearson steals second.

-Mason Braun walks.

-Chris Stanfield pops out to shortstop.

B2

-Reese Chapman singles to left center field.

-Manny Marin grounds into a 6-4-3 double play.

-Tyler Myatt grounds into the shift between first and second base. 6-3.

Score: Vols 0, Tigers 0

3rd Inning: 

T3

-Milam lines out to third base.

-Brown hits a solo homer to left field.

-Sera strikes out looking.

-Curiel flies out to centerfield.

B3

-Trent Grindlinger grounds out to third base. He hit a 414 foot foul ball that he believed was a home run. Review confirmed the call.

-Levi Clark hits a solo homer to left-centerfield. 107 mph off the bat. 383 feet.

-Wright bunts out to the pitcher.

-Brown pops out to shortstop.

Score: Vols 1, Tigers 1

4th Inning: 

T4

-Dardar strikes out swinging.

-Pearson strikes out swinging.

Josh Elander and trainer Jeff Wood came out to check on Mack, who was holding his right side, during at-bat with Zach Yorke.

-Yorke pops out to the catcher

B4

-Ford flies out to the warning track in right field.

-Grimmer singles to left-center field.

-Chapman hits a two-run homer to right-center field. 102 mph exit velo. 401 feet.

-Marin flies out to right-center field.

-Myatt strikes out swinging.

Score: Vols 3, Tigers 1

5th Inning: 

T5

-Braun strikes out swinging.

-Stanfield grounds out to shortstop.

-Reese Chapman makes a spectacular leaping catch at the wall in right field to take a home run away from Steven Milam.

B5

-Grindlinger works a walk.

Grindlinger advances to second on a wild pitch.

-Clark strikes out swinging.

-Wright strikes out swinging. Grindlinger advances to third on a dropped third strike.

-Brown strikes out swinging.

Score: Vols 3, Tigers 1

6th Inning: 

T6

-Brown strikes out swinging.

-Serna strikes out swinging.

-Curiel grounds out to shortstop

B6

-Ford grounds out to shortstop.

-Grimmer walks.

-Chapman singles to left field. Grimmer advances to second.

-Marin lines out to shortstop.

LHP Danny Lachenmayer (1-0, 3.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 3 IP) is coming in to pitch

-Myatt strikes out swinging.

Score: Vols 3, Tigers 1

7th Inning: 

T7

-Darder grounds out to first base. 3UA.

-Serna strikes out swinging.

-Curiel fouls out to first base.

B7

Mavrick Rizy (3.31 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 16.1 IP) is in to pitch for LSU.

-Grindlinger strikes out looking.

-Clark works a walk.

-Wright reaches on an infield single to second base. Clark advances to second base.

Clark advances to third and Wright advances to second on a passed ball

-Blaine Brown strikes out swinging.

-Ford walks.

LHP Santiago Garcia (4.35 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 10.1 IP) is coming in to pitch.

-Grimmer walks on four pitches. Clark scores. Wright advances to third. Ford advances to second.

-Chapman strikes out swinging.

Score: Vols 4, Tigers 1

8th Inning: 

T8

LHP Brandon Arvidson is in to pitch for Tennessee

-Braun walks

-Stanfield walks. Braun advances to second.

-Milan walks. Braun advances to third. Stanfield advances to second.

-Brown softly lines out to shortstop.

RHP Bo Rhudy is coming in to pitch

-Serna strikes out on three pitches.

-Curiel hits an opposite field grand slam. 

-Darder hits a solo homer.

LHP Chandler Day is coming in to pitch

-Pearson pops out to shortstop.

B8

RHP Deven Sheerin is in to pitch

-Marin flies out to left field.

-Myatt flies out to left field.

-Grindlinger singles to right-center field.

-Clark walks. Grindlinger advances to second.

-Wright strikes out.

Score: Vols 4, Tigers 6

9th Inning: 

T9

-Yorke flies out to centerfield.

-Braun strikes out swinging.

-Stanfield hits a solo homer to left field.

-Milam strikes out swinging

B9

-Brown strikes out looking.

-Ford strikes out swinging.

-Grimmer hits a solo homer to right field. 103 mph off the bat. 355 feet.

-Chapman strikes out looking.

Score: Vols 5, Tigers 7

FINAL: Tennessee Vols 5, LSU Tigers 7