Tennessee turned in a dominant performance on Day 1 of the SEC Tournament, beating South Carolina 11-6 to advance to the next round.
The Vols jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the 1st inning and held an 8-3 lead by the end of the 3rd frame. Tennessee‘s bats delivered 15 hits on the day and blasted 2 homers in the victory.
This loss ends a forgettable season for South Carolina. The Gamecocks went 22-35 this year and will not receive consideration to earn a bid in the NCAA Tournament. Their search for a new permanent head coach is expected to intensify in the coming weeks.
As for Tennessee, the Vols are capable of making a deep run in Hoover. They are projected to be a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, according to the latest D1Baseball bracket prediction. If Tennessee can string multiple wins together, it could improve its standing during the seeding process.
The Vols are 38-19 this season and are entering the postseason on a hot streak. Tennessee won series against Texas and Oklahoma just prior to arriving in Hoover.
Tennessee will now face Arkansas at 5:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
