Friday marks opening day for Tennessee baseball’s 2026 season. As Josh Elander gets his tenure as the Vols’ head coach underway, UT will host Nicholls at 4:30 p.m. ET on SECN+.
For fans attending the newly renovated Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Friday, it might be worth it to get to the stadium early. The first 800 fans in attendance will receive a replica souvenir of LNS. The stadium will look night and day different this year, as well, which is reflected on the souvenir.
“Yeah, I think that was priority one,” Tennessee Deputy AD Alicia Longworth said about keeping the stadium’s intimate feeling during the renovations. “Playing in this ballpark when our fans show up has always been like a hornet’s nest. So keeping our fans on top of the field and on top of the action. Similar to what’s been done in Neyland (Stadium), similar to what’s been done in the Food City Center, playing in any of our venues, there’s this competitive advantage to where the fans sit and how close they are. So we wanted to do the same thing here.”
Watch RTI’s full stadium tour here.
First 800 fans through the gates on Opening Day will receive a Lindsey Nelson Stadium replica souvenir!
grab your tickets for Opening Day today! ➡️ https://t.co/T48DucP3DA pic.twitter.com/p94GuIzqu8
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) February 11, 2026
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Elander, the new Tennessee head coach, has been on staff under Tony Vitello at UT since 2018. He joined as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator and held that position until 2022. Then, he was named the associate head coach, along with his recruiting coordinator role.
The Vols get the season started this Friday, Feb. 13, against Nicholls. That’ll be a three-game set before Tennessee welcomes in UNC Asheville the following Tuesday. Then, it’s another three-game series with Kent State ahead of a matchup with Bellarmine on Tuesday.
That paves the way for the first big tests of the year. Tennessee will play in the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series against UCLA, Arizona State and Virginia Tech, beginning on Friday, Feb. 27, at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
