Tennessee baseball came alive in the SEC Tournament with a powerful offensive display, defeating Alabama 15-10 on May 21 at Hoover Met. The Vols, the No. 8 seed, totaled 20 hits — their most in an SEC game this season — and advanced in the tournament. Alabama, the No. 9 seed, dropped to 41-16.
The Vols (42-15) fell behind early but turned the game around after a messy fifth inning. Levi Clark and Cannon Peebles helped Tennessee even the score. Clark hit a two-out single and scored after a wild pitch and a Peebles RBI single.
From there, Tennessee dominated. After trailing 6-5, the Vols scored 10 straight runs to take control. They were highly efficient at the plate, going 6-for-11 with two outs, 14-for-29 with runners on base, and 9-for-20 with runners in scoring position.
The offense started early with Andrew Fischer singling in the first inning, followed by an RBI double from Hunter Ensley. Gavin Kilen added a two-out RBI single in the second and a two-run single in the fourth.
The Vols broke the game open in the sixth inning with a five-run rally. Dalton Bargo’s two-strike single started it off. Reese Chapman, Clark, and Peebles all drove in runs to cap the big inning.
Tennessee will now face top-seeded Texas (42-11) on May 22 at approximately 4 p.m. ET, broadcast on SEC Network. The two teams did not meet in the regular season. Texas is coached by Jim Schlossnagle, who previously led Texas A&M when Tennessee beat the Aggies in the 2024 College World Series final.
Russell Shines, Curley Stumbles in the Field
Reliever AJ Russell (2-1) delivered his best performance of the season. He pitched 3⅔ innings, striking out five while allowing two earned runs on four hits and a walk. He threw a season-high 78 pitches and helped Tennessee hold its lead late in the game.
Starting pitcher Marcus Phillips also performed better than his stat line showed. He gave up four runs (only one earned) on four hits and two walks, striking out five over four innings.
However, defensive struggles almost cost the Vols. In the fifth inning, second baseman Dean Curley made a costly throwing error that allowed two Alabama runs to score. Alabama briefly took a 6-5 lead before Tennessee’s offense stormed back.
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