Weekend Preview: No. 5 Tennessee vs. No.1 Ole Miss

No. 5 Tennessee (20-1, 3-0 SEC) travels to Oxford this weekend to take on No. 1 Ole Miss (16-4, 2-1 SEC) in its first road series of SEC play. Here's everything you need to know to get ready for this weekend's series between the Vols and Rebels.

Where Tennessee baseball is ranked in the polls this week

Perfect Game: No. 1 (+4)

Collegiate Baseball: No. 2 (-)

NCBWA: No. 3 (+4)

USA Today Coaches Poll: No. 5 (-)

D1Baseball: No. 5 (+2)

Baseball America: No. 7 (+2)

Schedule (TV)

Friday, March 25: @ No. 1 Ole Miss, 7:30 p.m. ET (SEC Network+)

Saturday, March 26: @ No. 1 Ole Miss, 8 p.m. ET (SEC Network)

Sunday, March 27: @ No. 1 Ole Miss, 2:30 p.m. ET (SEC Network+)

Projected weekend rotation

Game 1: RHP Chase Burns (4-0, 0.68 ERA) vs. LHP Josh Gaddis (2-0, 2.78 ERA)

Game 2: RHP Chase Dollander (3-0, 3.38 ERA) vs. RHP Jack Dougherty (1-0, 4.26 ERA)

Game 3: RHP Drew Beam (4-0, 1.09 ERA) vs. RHP Derek Diamond (3-1, 5.32 ERA)

Storylines to watch

No. 1 vs. ... No. 1?

That’s the case in Oxford this weekend. All eyes in the college baseball world are paying attention to Tennessee and Ole Miss as two of the five best teams in the country square off.

Ole Miss is ranked No. 1 by D1 Baseball, the most commonly referred to college baseball poll, but Tennessee is ranked No. 1 by Collegiate Baseball News, another poll in the sport. A series win for the Vols would catapult them to the top rank in several polls.

First true road test

This weekend is the first true road test for the Vols this season. In quite some time actually. Ole Miss announced sellouts for Friday and Saturday’s game. There will be over 11,000 fans in attendance each night, which is far more than most of the Vols have experienced on the road in the SEC.

Tennessee’s roster is mostly experienced, but because this is the first road series of the year, and because of COVID-19 restrictions in recent years, the atmosphere in Oxford will be unlike anything Tony Vitello’s fifth-year Vols have seen.

Could we see Blade Tidwell?

It’s unlikely we see Tennessee righty Blade Tidwell this weekend, but the door isn’t completely closed according to those close to the program. Next weekend’s series against Vanderbilt is most likely when Tidwell make his season debut.

Tidwell has yet to pitch this season due to shoulder soreness he was experiencing from tightness. Missouri transfer Seth Halvorsen is also close to returning from an arm injury that has prevented him from playing this season as well.

“Both guys are literally in my face about ‘I don’t need to be babied when it’s back. I want to be in the fire,’” Vitello said Thursday. “I appreciate that, but it’s also the coaching staff’s job to put our team and also them in the best position to be successful. The one thing we don’t want with either guy is the ole two steps forward and one step back. It has been a little slow for the media, the fans and definitely the two kids, but we’re building up at a pretty good rate right now.

“Blade just threw this morning (Thursday) and he’s not very far off at all from being able to see game action. Seth (Halvorsen) was ahead of him, but has had a couple of setbacks, the main one being his wisdom teeth being pulled, so missed a few days of throwing there, but he won’t be far behind Blade I don’t think so.”

No. 1 Ole Miss (16-4, 2-1 SEC) Scouting Report:

Series wins: Charleston Southern (sweep), @ UCF, Oral Roberts, @ Auburn

Series losses: N/A

Stat Leaders:

Batting Avg: Bench/McCants (.357)

Runs: Jacob Gonzalez (28)

Hits: Justin Bench (25)

Home Runs: Tim Elko (8)

RBI: Tim Elko (30)

Stolen Bases: TJ McCants (6)

Wins: Derek Diamond (3)

Saves: Brandon Johnson (3)