CLEMSON, S.C. — Tennessee baseball will look to advance out of the NCAA Tournament Regional round for the third straight season.
This year is different than the last two seasons in that the Vols are on the road. They are the two-seed in the Clemson Regional.
Clemson is the Regional host, the fourth overall national seed and the top seed in the Regional. They play Lipscomb first, the four seed in the Regional. Charlotte rounds out the four teams playing at Clemson and is UT's first opponent on Friday.
TENNESSEE
The Vols finished with a 38-19 record so far this season. They went 16-14 in SEC games after a 5-10 start to the conference slate.
Tennessee is coming off a first-round exit in the SEC Tournament to Texas A&M, who finished as runner-ups in the SEC Tournament to Vanderbilt.
The Vols rank fourth in the nation in team earned run average (3.69).
Outfielder/catcher Jared Dickey was selected to the All-SEC second team. He was the Vols' only selection.
Tennessee has six batters hitting .300 or better with at least 50 at-bats. Dickey, Maui Ahuna, Christian Scott, Dylan Dreiling and Christian Moore are all doing so.
Griffin Merritt leads the team with 17 home runs, Burke has 15, Moore has 13 and Dickey and Denton have 12 each. Denton leads the team with 50 RBIs and Dickey has 36 RBIs. Merritt has 43 RBIs and Burke and Moore have 40 RBIs each.
CLEMSON
The Tigers are 41-17 overall up to this point. Their 20-10 record in ACC play was second best only to the NCAA Tournament's top overall seed in Wake Forest.
Clemson comes into the NCAA Tournament as the hottest team in the country winning 21 of their last 22 games and winning the ACC Tournament title.
They placed designated hitter and utility player Billy Amick and outfielder Cam Cannarella on the All-ACC First Team. Cannarella was also named Freshman of the Year in the conference.
Pitcher Caden Grice made the second team and catcher Cooper Ingle made the third team.
Clemson ranks 21st in the nation in batting average (.308) and 22nd in ERA (4.33).
CHARLOTTE
The 49ers are 34-26 on the season and went 17-12 in Conference USA play.
They booked a spot in the NCAA Tournament following a C-USA Tournament Championship. It was the first C-USA Tournament title in program history.
Outfielder Cam Fisher made the All-C-USA First Team and catcher Kaden Hopson, Jr. was selected to the second team.
Fisher is batting .352, has 30 home runs and has 64 RBIs. His 30 home runs lead the nation.
LIPSCOMB
The Bisons are 36-24 on the season and went 23-7 in their Atlantic Sun games.
They punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament after winning the A-Sun Tournament Championship.
Their head coach Jeff Forehand was named Coach of the Year in the conference. Logan Van Treeck was named Pitcher of the Year and was an All-A-Sun First Team Selection. He went 8-4 and had a 3.50 ERA.
Catcher Austin Kelly made the first team as well. The Bison landed pitcher Hayden Frank, third baseman Trace Wilhoite and shortstop Caleb Ketchup among the conference's second-team honorees.
Austin Kelly and outfielder Alex Vergara have hit 21 home runs this season. Trace Wilhoite has left the yard 17 times, and his 65 RBIs are the most of any player in the Clemson Regional.
LU relief pitcher and McMinn County High School graduate, Hayden Frank, has been reliable out of the bullpen with a 1.54 ERA and 47 strikeouts over 41 innings pitched.
GAME INFO
Tennessee will play Charlotte on Friday at 6 p.m. to open the tournament. That game will be televised on ESPNU.
