Weather pushes top ranked Vols back to late game in Hoover Wednesday night
Tennessee looking to win first Tournament tile in 27 years
HOOVER, Tenn. (WVLT) - Tennessee baseball arrived to Birmingham, Ala. Tuesday ahead of the 2022 SEC Tournament. In Birmingham, the team stopped by Samford University for one last practice before their quest for the title starts.
However, when the team arrived to Joe Lee Griffin Field in the afternoon, the rain quickly followed. The inclement weather forced the Big Orange indoors to hold some version of practice. An outcome manager, Tony Vitello predicted would happen earlier in the day.
Vitello said, “Routines are nice, but you can’t be a slave or be owned by your routines. Because, like for instance rain is goin to interfere or at least lightning will at some point with the schedule.”
So the Vols worked around the rain and took batting practice to the indoor facility at Samford University.
The weather also impacting day one of the tournament. Several games, like Ole Miss and Vanderbilt, have been delayed by the rain and lightning.
The match-up Tennessee is watching closing, as the winner of this contest will meet Tennessee in the second round.
Due to weather delays on the first day of the 2022 SEC Baseball Tournament in Hoover, Alabama, the first game of the event for the Tennessee Volunteers has been pushed back to the second game of Session 2 on Wednesday, May 24.
Assuming further weather delays do not occur, the game would start at approximately 8 p.m. CT/9 p.m. ET, or 30 minutes after the 4:30 p.m. CT game ends.
The Big Orange enter the tournament as the No. 1 seed after claiming their first SEC regular season title since 1995. UT is a top-four seed for just the second time since 2005.
Until then, Vitello said the most important part about their trip to Hoover is to keep things business as usual for the team.
Vitello said, “In my mind it’s play good baseball. I know those are three very boring words, but it’s kind of what’s stuck in my mind in the few conversations we’ve had as a coaching staff with it. I’d say post season is experience number two in my mind. It’s just different.”
Due to potential of weather delays, the time of first pitch for Tennessee’s first game is TBD.
Win or lose on Wednesday, Tennessee is guaranteed to play at least one more game on Thursday after earning a bye into the double-elimination rounds of the tournament due to securing a top-four seed.
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