For the first time in over a decade, Tennessee heard its name called on the NCAA Tournament selection show. The NCAA Tournament berth is the first since 2005 and ends one of the longest droughts in the country.
“It’s a little too much to take in for now,” head coach Tony Vitello said. “It’s a big enough deal for these kids, and for the program and university. This is something that won’t sink I until this run, whenever it is done, is done. Then it’ll settle in and it’ll mean even more, and no one will be able to take it away from us, but for now we have to get ready to play baseball.”
Tennessee will head to North Carolina to play in the Chapel Hill regional. North Carolina earned the No. 14 overall seed in the tournament and will host its third straight regional. Liberty and UNC-Wilmington round out field.
Let’s take a look at the Vols’ potential opponents.
UNC-Wilmington
How they got here- UNC- Wilmington was average at best in the regular season going 32-29 and 12-12 in the Colonial Athletic Association. Despite finishing tied for third and 4.5 games out of first place, the Seahawks made a run through the CAA Tournament upsetting No. 1 seed Elon in the championship.
What to know about the Seahawks- Pitching is a strength for UNC-Wilmington as the Seahawks turn in the 64th best team ERA in the country. The Seahawks don’t surrender many hits, but walks have been a problem for them as they rank 108th in walks given up.
The Seahawks lineup likes to play small ball at the plate due to some offensive limitations. They only rank 200th in home runs and 183rd in runs scored. Speed is a strength of the Seahawks as they rank 19thin stolen bases and 22nd in sac bunts.
Who to watch for- Greg Jones has been a reliable bat for UNC-Wilmington all season. Jones is hitting .343 with four home runs and 33 runs batted in.
Kep Brown brings some power to the offense as the junior hits .280 with 15 doubles, 12 homers, and 53 RBIs on the season
RHP Luke Gessell has been the Seahawks ace this season starting 16 games while turning in a 3.16 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP.
Liberty
How they got here- Liberty turned in a strong regular season going 42-19 with impessive wins over South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Wake Forest, Virginian Tech, and Duke. The Flames earned the No. 2 seed in the ASUN Tournament after posting a 15-9 conference record. The Flames were able to make the NCAA Tournament after defeating No. 6 seed Stetson twice in the ASUN Tournament.
What to know about the Flames- When Liberty meets Tennessee Friday night it won’t be the first meeting this year. The Vols hosted Liberty back in February beating the Flames 7-1.
Liberty head coach Scott Jackson is quite familiar with the pair of North Carolina programs in the regional. Jackson spent eight years as the head coach at UNC- Chapel Hill leading the Tar Heels to three College World Series births. Jackson also spent five years as the head coach at UNC- Wilmington
Similarly, to UNC-Wilmington the long ball isn’t a strength of the Flames as they rank just 164th in homers. However, they get on base at a high pace ranking 11th in base on balls and 127th in hits.
Pitching and defense is the strength of the Flames as they rank 10th in ERA, 23rd in WHIP, and 50th in fielding percentage.
Who to watch for- Catcher Jonathan Embry is the guy to look out for at the plate. Embry hits .311 while bringing power to the plate with 10 home runs and 42 RBIs.
The Flames balanced pitching staff includes Andrew McInvale who turned in a 10-2 record with a 3.25 ERA in the regular season.
Garrett Price is Jackson’s go-to guy out of the bullpen throwing 63 innings on the year and turning in a 3.29 ERA on his way to winning seven games.
North Carolina
How they got here- North Carolina dropped its final two series of the regular season but bounced back to win the ACC Tournament and lock up a host spot. The Tar Heels turned in a 42-17 record including a 17-13 conference record that included series wins over Miami and Duke.
What to know about the Tar Heels- Locking up a home regional was huge for North Carolina as the Tar Heels have been strong at home this season but have struggled on the road.
North Carolina went 33-6 at home including going 4-1 in ACC series at home. On the road, the Tar Heels sputtered to an 8-10 record including going 2-3 in ACC series.
Despite ranking just 115th in batting average the Tar Heels are 26th nationally in scoring thanks to a powerful lineup. North Carolina ranks 14th in doubles and 25th in home runs nationally.
Eight North Carolina players have hit at least five home runs.
Watch out for the Tar Heels speed as well as they rank 3rd in the country in stolen bases.
North Carolina isn’t as strong on the mound or in the field. The Tar Heels rank 74th in ERA and 155th in fielding percentage.
Who to watch for- First basemen Aaron Sabato has turned in a strong freshman campaign hitting .338 with 23 doubles, 14 home runs, and 56 RBIs.
Michael Busch leads the Tar Heels with 15 home runs while hitting .294 and driving in 55 runs.
Junior Tyler Baum was North Carolina’s best starter this season with a 7-3 record and 3.76 ERA.
