KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee topped its sky-high 2021 regular season with a crown - the Vols are SEC East Division champions for the first time since 1997. The process was not clear cut, but UT came out on the good side of a weekend of baseball in the Southeastern Conference.
Coming into the week, Tennessee held the lead in the division because of a technicality. The Vols held an 18-9 record, while Vanderbilt was 17-9 because an end-of-series game against Alabama was canceled because of weather on May 9. All Tennessee had to do to lock up the division title was sweep South Carolina.
While the Vols pulled away in Game 1 on Thursday, Tennessee lost at Columbia in Game 2 by a one-run margin. With that loss, the ball was now in Vanderbilt's backyard: a sweep of Kentucky would give the Commodores the SEC East title.
UT took care of what it could control, ending Game 3 with authority, preventing a South Carolina comeback with three straight strikeouts from pitcher Sean Hunley. All Tennessee could do now, was watch and hope for a Kentucky upset.
Enter Coltyn Kessler and Jake Plastiak.
The two Wildcats hit two home runs in the top of the ninth, adding five runs and giving Kentucky the lead. UK held on for the 7-5 win against Vanderbilt.
An SEC East division title is nice, but it helps set the Vols up well for the postseason. Tennessee will now get the No. 2 seed in the SEC Baseball tournament, which starts on Tuesday, May 25. The Vols will play the winner of the No. 7 seed vs. No. 10 seed game on Wednesday at 2 p.m.
