Tennessee baseball extended its winning streak to five games by run-ruling UNC Asheville 11-1 on Tuesday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The Vols started slow offensively before exploding late and cruising to the victory thanks to a big Manny Marin performance.
Here’s how it happened.
Blaine Brown Returns To The Mound
Tennessee sophomore Blaine Brown had not pitch since March 3 against ETSU when he walked the only three batters he faced in the first inning before exiting. It seemed like the two-way player may be done on the mound for the season before getting the start against UNC Asheville on Tuesday night.
The move made sense. Brown’s best outing of the season came against the Bulldogs on Feb. 17 when he struck out the side in order.
Brown was not that dominant but did perform well in his return to the mound. He retired the side in order with three groundouts. Time will tell if Brown ends up helping Tennessee on the mound this season, but Tuesday’s outing was a step in that direction.
It Was A Quiet Start For Tennessee’s Offense
Tennessee’s offense had one of its best weekends of the season at Mississippi State, scoring 19 runs over the course of the three games. But the Vols’ bats came out quiet against UNC Asheville and struggled to create consistent success.
The Vols scored just two runs in the first five innings and did it on only two hits. In two of the first five innings, Tennessee did not produce a single baserunner.
Tennessee finally did damage later in the game, especially after running UNC Asheville starter Garrett Crum from the game, but it was a slow start for the offense.
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Manny Marin Stays Hot And Breaks Things Open For Tennessee
Tennessee opened the game up with a pair of big swings from Manny Marin. In the sixth inning, Marin came to the plate with the bases loaded with one out. The shortstop lined a two-RBI double to left field that extended the Vols’ lead to 4-0.
Then in the eighth inning, Marin put the game away when he punished a breaking ball 382 feet into the left field porches for a two-out grand slam. It was Marin’s sixth long ball of his sophomore season.
Hard hats required in the porches.
Manny Marin opens this one up with a grand slam to left field. The Vols score five in the seventh and lead 9-1.pic.twitter.com/YKWUr45sbW
— Ryan Schumpert (@ryanschumpert00) April 15, 2026
Marin had a terrific weekend at Mississippi State, hitting five-for-12 with two doubles. The sophomore stayed hot with a two-for-four night while collecting six RBIs against UNC Asheville.
Box Score
Up Next
Tennessee is back in action this weekend when they host Ole Miss in a three-game series at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. First pitch for the weekend series is at 6:30 p.m. ET on Friday night. The SEC Network+ is streaming the game.
