KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee baseball program released its 2018 schedule on Tuesday. The Volunteers will play 56 total games, including 33 home contests in head coach Tony Vitello‘s first season with the program.
UT will play 19 games against teams that made the 2017 NCAA tournament field and nine games against opponents that advance to last year’s College World Series with series against Florida, LSU and Texas A&M.
“Our coaching staff did a nice job of hustling around this summer and fall to complete our schedule,” Vitello said. “Our efforts combined with those of Coach Serrano’s staff created a schedule that is extremely challenging right out of the gate all the way up until the start of SEC play.
“The additional benefit to the schedule is the appeal to East Tennessee. We have a fair amount of home games complemented by the local tournament that will be played at Smokies Stadium.”
The Vols open the season with nine consecutive home games at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, starting with a three-game series against ACC foe and 2017 NCAA tournament participant Maryland from Friday, Feb. 16 through Sunday, Feb. 18. The Big Orange will also host UNC Greensboro (Feb. 23-25), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Feb. 28) and in-state foes Lipscomb (Feb. 20) and Middle Tennessee (Feb. 27) during the homestand.
Tennessee’s first three games away from Lindsey Nelson Stadium will be played just down the road at Smokies Stadium in Kodak, Tenn., as part of the Smokies Tournament. UT will take on Middle Tennessee, ETSU and Memphis during the tournament with the full weekend schedule still to be determined.
After a pair of home contests against James Madison (March 6 & 7), the Vols will hit the road for their first true road games when they visit Cincinnati for a three-game weekend series starting on Friday, March 9.
The Orange and White travel to Oxford, Miss., to open Southeastern Conference play at Ole Miss on Friday, March 16. Other conference road trips include series at South Carolina (March 29-31), 2017 national runner-up and SEC Tournament champion LSU (April 13-15), Georgia (April 27-29), and Missouri (May 17-19).
UT will welcome Alabama to Knoxville for its SEC home-opening series from March 23-25. The Big Orange will also host reigning national champions Florida (April 6-8), 2017 College World Series participant Texas A&M (April 20-22), Kentucky (May 4-6), and in-state rival Vanderbilt (May 11-13).
Other non-conference midweek opponents include Western Carolina, ETSU, Belmont, UT Martin, Tennessee Tech and Morehead State.
The 2018 SEC Baseball Tournament will be held at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Ala., from May 22-27.
