With both 1-seed Tennessee baseball and Indiana winning its first game of the Knoxville Regional, the programs are set to meet in the winner's bracket on Saturday.
Before the Vols meet the Hoosiers, I spoke with Zach Browning of TheHoosier.com on the Rivals network to get a rundown.
Here's what he had to say.
TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM
What did Indiana do well to down Southern Miss on Friday?
"If you ask IU head coach Jeff Mercer, he'll tell you that Indiana stuck to its game plan and executed throughout the win over Southern Miss. The Hoosiers got production from up and down the lineup, combining slug with base hits and stolen bases. On the mound, IU used two of its best three arms, and while Ty Bothwell wasn't perfect, he did exactly what Indiana needed him to do."
What does the pitching situation look like heading into Saturday?
"The Hoosiers used just two arms on Friday, Ty Bothwell and Drew Buhr. Flame throwing righty Connor Foley, who has been up and down this year and is still working his way back from a back injury, will start against Tennessee on Saturday. After Foley, expect to see some combination of Aydan Decker-Petty, Brayden Risedorph, Julian Tonghini and Jacob Vogel if the game is still within reach for IU."
Who has the hot bats heading into the matchups?
"Devin Taylor has been great as of late, he had three hits on Friday against Southern Miss. Brock Tibbitts, who's also making his way back to full strength following a lower body injury, had a great week of practice according to Mercer and had four RBIs on Friday. Carter Mathison has been swinging the bat well as of late and Morgan Colopy drove in three runs versus Southern Miss."
MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Tennessee Football Jersey Countdown: No. 91, Doug Atkins
What will Indiana have to correct this time after losing both SEC matches in the regular season?
"IU's top arms either didn't pitch or hadn't begun to breakout yet when Indiana took on Alabama and Vanderbilt. Getting out to a good start and settling into the game is key for the Hoosiers, who gave up five and six runs respectively in their two games against SEC opponents this year."
Is this team playing its best ball down the stretch?
"Yes and no. This is a team that's played much better as the season has gone on, but there's still probably another gear this Indiana team can reach. IU is seeing the fruits of its labor for having a difficult and challenging non-conference schedule. The Hoosiers challenged themselves throughout non-conference play to prepare themselves for moments like they'll face on Saturday."
–––––
– TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM.
– ENJOY VOLREPORT WITH A PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION.
– SUBSCRIBE TO THE VOLREPORT YOUTUBE CHANNEL.
– FOLLOW VOLREPORT ON TWITTER: @TennesseeRivals, @ByNoahTaylor, @RyanTSylvia, @Dale_Dowden, @ShayneP_Media.
–––––
