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OTH On Deck: Tennessee Baseball Looks to Continue Momentum Against Georgia

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Tennessee baseball is back. Or at least, it seems to be that way. 

The Vols bounced back from a 5-10 start in SEC play to move to 11-10 with back-to-back sweeps over Vanderbilt and Mississippi State. 

Georgia is up next for the Vols. Here are some takeaways from a successful week, a look at the postseason picture and a look at the Bulldogs. 

Tennessee baseball offense thrives again 

Mississippi State’s pitching is not the best, as we have seen from their SEC schedule. Tennessee scored 33 runs in the sweep over the Bulldogs which included a mercy rule. 

The weekend resembled the 2022 team, with Mississippi State scoring 17 runs on the weekend. Normally, that would be enough for at least a series win. Against the hot offense that Tennesse showed, it was not enough. 

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Tennessee hit nine home runs against Mississippi State, including several from the pair we will look at next. 

The Christians are back for Tennessee baseball

It was a crusade of offensive production from Christian Moore and Christian Scott that came as a surprise against Mississippi State. The surprise wasn’t that they weren’t capable of such performances, but more of where has it been all this year. 

Moore totaled four hits while batting in the five-spot. His defense was never of question, but his power came into play this weekend as well. Moore hit three home runs while picking up six RBIs and scoring five runs himself. 

Christian Scott has been a wild card at the plate for Tennessee through the early part of the season. He, like Moore, has not been a consistent piece for the Vols on defense. 

Offensively though, Scott has slowly built his average up to just below .300 on the season. He picked up four hits on the weekend. He also had five RBIs against the Bulldogs as well. 

No time for the Christian’s to join the offensive fun than right before the postseason.

A look at the postseason picture

Before the eight-game win streak, Tennessee had bleak hopes of the postseason, let alone hosting a regional. 

That has changed now, with the Vols sitting at 11-10 in SEC play. The magic number for a postseason berth in the past has been 14 wins in the SEC. 

As for hosting a regional, that seems to be in play now as well. They travel to Georgia before coming home to host Kentucky and then back on the road to South Carolina. Currently, the Vols sit at No. 23 in the RPI. Finishing over .500 in SEC play and then a good showing in Hoover could also put Tennessee in contention to host. 

Currently, D1Baseball places Tennessee as a No. 2 seed in Indiana State’s regional. That would make them the highest two-seed and pair them with LSU in a Super Regional. 

Georgia scouting report 

Georgia has had a lot of ups and a lot of downs. The Bulldogs seat at 24-10 on the year, 8-13 in SEC play. On the surface, that doesn’t seem to be a problem. 

Georgia swept Arkansas in Fayetteville for three of its eight SEC wins. Tennessee is 1-9 on the road. While many wouldn’t call Georgia a rowdy baseball environment, the Vols are unproven on the road. The Bulldogs also have a pair of outfielders hitting above .300 that make up the top of the lineup. 

A series sweep in Georgia could further boast the resume of hosting a regional in Knoxville. 

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