KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Baseball opened its 2022 season Friday night against Georgia Southern.
The Vols took home game one of a three-game series, winning 9-0.
Tennessee hit four home runs in front of a record-setting crowd at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
4,335 fans packed the stadium, which is almost double the opening-day record. The previous opening-day record was 2,812 on February 17, 2012, against Northern Illinois.
The Vols started the season like they ended the last, hitting home runs on their home turf.
Bottom of the fourth, senior Trey Lipscomb got it started. He hit a two-run homer to left field to give Tennessee the lead.
Then, Juco transfer Seth Stephenson hit a two-run homer in his Tennessee debut. He gave the Vols a 4-0 lead at the bottom of the fifth.
And the bats soared from there... Jorel Ortega hit a three-run missile to put Tennessee up 7-0 in the bottom of the sixth. Christian Scott closed it out with a pinch-hit homer.
On the other side of the ball, Freshman pitcher Chase Burns was outstanding in his debut. He pitched five shutout innings, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out five batters to earn his first career victory.
Tennessee is coming off one of its best seasons in program history.
For the first time since 2005, the Vols went to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, posting a 50-game winning season. Tennessee finished the 2021 season tied for the most wins in the nation.
UT won its first SEC Eastern Division Championship since 1997 and its first outright division title since 1995 this season and advanced to the SEC Tournament Championship game for the first time since 1995.
Head coach Tony Vitello was named the National Coach of the Year following the 2021 season by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and Perfect Game.
The Vols have won three straight season openers and five of their last six. They are 74-35-2 all-time in season openers. They are also 89-20-2 in home openers and have won 20 of their last 22 home openers.
Lindsey Nelson Stadium has a new look:
One of the first things fans will see upon arriving is an additional deck of porches behind the left-field wall as well as new chair-back bleacher seating down the left-field line.
According to the University of Tennessee, all porches for the 2022 season are sold out, however, the left-field bleachers will be sold as general admission seating. Additional food and beverage options will be located next to the new bleachers throughout the year. For SEC games, a VolShop location and food trucks will be located in that area, as well.
UT has removed the playground down the right-field line and rebranded the area as "The Deck", which will feature a standing-room-only area for UT's students while also providing additional concessions options.
