The No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers remain undefeated after completing a sweep of the No. 7 Florida Gators to kick off the opening weekend of SEC play. You could not script a better start to the season for the defending national champs. They move to 20-0 on the season, handling their toughest competition thus far with moderate ease.
The series saw two close affairs on Friday and Saturday, bookending a shocking 10-0 shutout win by run-rule that came in the blink of an eye. Tennessee’s offense was tested by multiple talented pitchers all weekend long and delivered, while the defense remained a stonewall, only allowing just seven runs on 19 hits throughout the series. There’s a lot to take away from these results as Tennessee continues its pursuit of winning the SEC once again and making it back to Omaha.
No Gaps in the Offense
If there was one piece to come away from this game with, it’s that any opposing pitchers should be extremely worried about getting out of any inning against Tennessee’s lineup. There is already plenty of evidence of the slugging power the Vols have at the top of the lineup. Some players, like Gavin Kilen and Levi Clark, have already earned themselves SEC award honors this season, but the deeper you look in the lineup, the strength doesn’t seem to fall off as much as one might expect.
The bottom of the order against Florida truly found their time to shine, combining for 10 of the Vols’ 23 total runs this weekend. Jay Abernathy showed off his blistering speed all weekend long, causing a massive headache for the Gators. They had to worry about his ability to reach home anytime the freshman speedster got on base. In addition to some heroic plays on defense, Abernathy reached base in five of his seven at-bats and scored four times. Manny Marin also had no problem getting on base, scoring once in each game.
The More Things Change the More They Stay the Same
This Vols’ offense may see fewer parking lot balls than the 2024 team, but that doesn’t mean they lack the ability to turn it on out of nowhere and break the game open in an inning. Even in a game that looked like a pure duel between pitchers, Tennessee started to find footing in the bottom of the seventh inning of Saturday’s game. They led 1-0 before an offensive outbreak, which allowed them to win easily. What started with the bases loaded and a Dean Curley double driving in three runs quickly turned into every single person in Lindsey Nelson Stadium, from the bullpen to the bleachers, on their feet to watch Reese Chapman launch a no-doubter into right field to end the game two innings early by run-rule.
In the blink of an eye, Tennessee scored nine runs without a single fielding error by the Florida defense. This was a statement game to the SEC that, despite losing two-thirds of their 2024 starting lineup to the draft, the Vols’ offense is just as lethal as it was in 2024.
Who Will Be the First to Make Vols Fall?
While a sweep was always a possibility, many came into this weekend expecting Tennessee to drop one game, potentially even seeing Florida compete for the series victory following its impressive win over Florida State earlier in the week. However, now the narrative shifts to looking forward at who on Tennessee’s schedule will snap the winning streak.
About a month into the season, the Vols have only spent one weekend away from Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville when they traveled to Houston for the Astros Foundation College Classic. They have certainly proven their ability to perform in front of a home crowd, but the team will have to travel to opposing stadiums in their next two series.
First up is No. 16 Alabama, fresh off a series win against 2024 College World Series runner-up Texas A&M. The Crimson Tide will certainly be looking to bring the Vols down to earth. Still, if Tennessee can make it through unscathed, they’ll travel to Columbia to face unranked South Carolina before their next home series against Texas A&M on April 4.
The Vols will still have three out-of-conference midweek games at home between now and then, but the ever-important SEC battles will all come on the road for the rest of the month.
