Join hundreds of other Tennessee fans in our game thread where you can follow along for live play-by-play updates and commentary from Tennessee's trip to Houston for the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic.
First pitch: 5:55 p.m. ET
Watch: WatchESPN
Listen: Click here
Live Stats: Click here
Starting Lineup
Here’s four quick takeaways from Tennessee’s midweek win over James Madison on Wednesday:
Rounding 1st — Home Run Derby
Tennessee hosted a home run derby in game two against James Madison. The Vols hit seven home runs on the night to tie a program record for most home runs in a game. Six different Vols got in on the action and hit long balls.
Jared Dickey led off the game with a homer and went on to hit two home runs in the game. Trey Lipscomb, Cortland Lawson, Luc Lipcius, Christian Moore and Logan Steenstra also hit home runs.
Rounding 2nd — Will Mabrey shines
Vols lefty reliever Will Mabrey (W, 1-0) was magnificent coming in for Ben Joyce in the fourth inning after James Madison had taken a 2-1 lead and was threatening to tack on more runs. Mabrey got the Vols out of the inning and went on to pitch five scoreless innings.
In picking up the win on 57 pitches, Mabrey only allowed three hits and didn't give up a walk after the Vols walked five over the first three innings.
Rounding 3rd — Won the day
The Vols had to finish Tuesday's game on Wednesday afternoon after the game was suspended in the eighth inning due to rain. Jorel Ortega hit a walk-off double in the bottom of the 10th to give the Vols the win after James Madison came back from a 7-1 deficit.
Tennessee then beat James Madison 10-2 in the second game despite a sluggish start. After the Dukes took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth inning, the Vols went on to score nine unanswered runs to improve to 12-1 on the season.
Headed for Home — Up next
Tennessee now turns its attention to a three-game series with Rhode Island at Lindsey Nelson Stadium this weekend.
Instead of the traditional weekend schedule, the Vols will play a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 2 p.m. ET. Each game will consist of nine innings with the second game beginning 45 minutes after the first.
There will not be a game on Saturday due to possible snow. Sunday's game will begin at 12 p.m. or 1 p.m. ET.
Key Plays:
T-1st: James Madison 0, Tennessee 0
James Madison's Trevon Dabney worked a leadoff walk and Jake Fitzgibbons got out of the inning with three fly balls.
B-1st: James Madison 0, Tennessee 1 (+1)
Tennessee catcher Jared Dickey hit a leadoff homer in the bottom of the first to give the Vols an early 1-0 lead.
T-2nd: James Madison 0, Tennessee 1
James Madison worked another leadoff walk, but Jake Fitzgibbons struck out the next three batters to get out of the inning.
B-2nd: James Madison 0, Tennessee 1
After Blake Burke hit a one-out double into right, Christian Scott flew out to center and Cortland Lawson struck out to end the inning.
T-4th: James Madison 2 (+2), Tennessee 1
James Madison took a 2-1 lead in the fourth after Jake Fitzgibbons walked the first two batters of the inning and Ben Joyce walked the first batter he saw in relief. With the bases loaded, the Dukes plated two as the Vols unsuccessfully turned a double play. Trey Lipscomb's throw into second was high and cause Jorel Ortega to be rolled up on by the baserunner, which allowed an additional run to score.
B-4th: James Madison 2, Tennessee 2 (+1)
Tennessee immediately responded to the shaky top of the fourth. On the first pitch of the bottom half of the inning, Trey Lipscomb hit his sixth home run of the season to tie the game at two.
B-6th: James Madison 2, Tennessee 5 (+3)
The Vols took a 3-2 lead on an RBI double from Evan Russell before Christian Moore hit a two-run homer to give them a three-run lead.
B-7th: James Madison 2, Tennessee 8 (+3)
Tennessee hit three home runs in the seventh inning to break the game open. Jared Dickey and Logan Steenstra opened the inning with back-to-back homers before Luc Lipcius hit the third homer of the inning.
Dickey's homer was his second of the game.
B-8th: James Madison 2, Tennessee 10 (+2)
Christian Scott doubled to lead off the inning and then stole third to set up Cortland Lawson for a two-run homer. Lawson's home run was Tennessee's seventh of the game to tie a program record for most home runs in a game.
Final Box Score
Post Game Interviews
This Week's Schedule
Tuesday, March 8
Midweek game – James Madison (8) vs. No. 10 Tennessee (9) -- F(10)
Wednesday, March 9
Midweek game – James Madison (2) vs. No. 10 Tennessee (10)
Friday, March 11
Game 1 – Rhode Island vs. No. 10 Tennessee -- 2 p.m. ET
Game 2 – Rhode Island vs. No. 10 Tennessee -- 45 minutes after Game 1
Sunday, March 13
Game 3 – Rhode Island vs. No. 10 Tennessee -- 12 or 1 p.m. ET
