No. 1 seed Tennessee baseball hammered by Vanderbilt in 2024 SEC Tournament opener
HOOVER, Ala. − Top-seeded Tennessee baseball joined the fate of fellow top-four seeds Kentucky and Arkansas to open SEC play on Wednesday.
The Vols tumbled to No. 8-seeded Vanderbilt while throwing eight pitchers in a 13-4 loss at Hoover Met. The Vols (46-11) have lost two straight games to Vanderbilt (37-20) after winning nine straight against the Commodores. No. 2 seed Kentucky and No. 3 seed Arkansas lost earlier Wednesday.
The Vols will face the loser of No. 4 Texas A&M and No. 5 Mississippi State in an elimination game Thursday (approximately 2 p.m. ET, SEC Network). UT did not face either during the regular season.
Tennessee is 2-11 in opening games in the SEC Tournament when it is in Hoover.
AJ Russell's return was most important thing for Tennessee baseball
Vols coach Tony Vitello vowed AJ Russell would pitch for Tennessee in Hoover in one of the guaranteed two games for the Vols. He turned to Russell in the sixth inning Wednesday.
The sophomore had not pitched since March 23 due to arm soreness and tightness. He struck out two, including an inning-ending strikeout of Jonathan Vastine with two in scoring position. He also hit a batter and allowed a hit.
Tennessee's pitching was rocky with eight pitchers used
UT threw eight pitchers, turning to a midweek approach after Nate Snead started for the first time this season.
Snead had two good innings before unraveling in the third. He allowed a walk and a double to the bottom of the order before two runs scored. Alan Espinal chased Snead from the game with a long homer to center for a 5-1 Vanderbilt lead.
Only Russell and Kirby Connell did not allow a run.
Andrew Behnke and Dylan Loy had mixed results. Behnke had two strikeouts, but allowed a run on two hits. Loy allowed two hits and a run before departing after ⅓ inning. It was much the same for Marcus Phillips, while Matthew Dallas pitched one inning and allowed Jonathan Vastine's three-run homer.
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Reese Chapman provided a positive for Tennessee baseball
Tennessee’s designated hitter spot has been a revolving door for much of the season as Vitello has searched for the right option. That often has meant three different players starting in a weekend series.
Reese Chapman made his case for more time with a three-run homer in the fourth Wednesday.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee baseball hammered by Vanderbilt in 2024 SEC Tournament
