Vols set for Super Showdown in Hattiesburg

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Playing in the NCAA Super Regionals for the third-consecutive year, the Tennessee Volunteers hit the road for a best-of-three series with Southern Miss beginning Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. ET at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

USM may be hosting, but the Vols are the home team Saturday as the Hattiesburg Super Regional gets underway featuring a pair of coaching staffs who are familiar with each other @wvlt @ZackRickensTV pic.twitter.com/P12YWuPil9
— Rick Russo (@wvltrick) June 10, 2023

The Vols (41-19) were excellent in the NCAA Clemson Regional a weekend ago, sweeping the three games at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on the campus of Clemson University. The Vols were powered by strong pitching from Andrew Lindsey, Chase Burns, Seth Halvorsen and Drew Beam, while Christian Moore’s 7-for-10 weekend at the plate and Zane Denton’s clutch three-run home run against Clemson pushed the Big Orange to victory.

Southern Miss (45-18) presents a strong test for the Vols, emerging as the victor of the NCAA Auburn Regional, doing so by coming all the way back through the loser’s bracket after dropping its first game of the tournament. The Golden Eagles won the Sun Belt Championship during their inaugural year in the league, defeating Louisiana in the finals, 6-2.

The home team designations for the weekend, as decided by coin flip at the pre-series meeting, pitted Tennessee as the home team for the series opener on Saturday and as the home team for the if-necessary game on Monday.

PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS

Saturday, June 10 (3 p.m. ET) [ESPNU]

RHP Andrew Lindsey (3-2, 2.40 ERA) vs. RHP Billy Oldham (8-3, 4.33 ERA)

Sunday, June 11 (TBD)

RHP Chase Dollander (6-5, 4.50 ERA) vs. RHP Tanner Hall (12-3, 2.08 ERA)

Monday, June 12 (if necessary)

TBD vs. TBD

Tennessee has won the last six games against the Golden Eagles, sweeping USM in a home-and-home in 1991 and 1992.

UT is the only program in the SEC and just one of three in the nation to reach three consecutive NCAA Super Regionals, joining Stanford (4) and Texas (3). The Big Orange owns a 7-2 overall record in super regional games and have won three of the four super regionals they’ve participated in, with last season being the lone exception (lost to Notre Dame).

UT has won both of its prior super regionals away from home, posting a perfect 4-0 record in matchups against East Carolina (Kinston, N.C. in 2001) and Georgia Tech (Atlanta in 2005). After going undefeated in the Clemson Regional last weekend, the Vols have now won nine straight NCAA Regional games, the longest streak in program history and second longest current streak in the nation (Texas - 12).

Tennessee and Texas are the only two programs in the country with current win streaks of nine games or longer in NCAA Regional play. Last weekend’s regional championship marked the program’s first away from Knoxville (had lost previous four road regionals).