Tennessee baseball announces starting pitcher vs Arkansas in Fayetteville Super Regional
Tennessee baseball announces starting pitcher vs Arkansas in Fayetteville Super Regional
Marcus Phillips is starting for Tennessee baseball in its opener against Arkansas in the Fayetteville Super Regional .
Phillips (4-4, 3.71 ERA) will have a full week's rest entering the start for the Vols (46-17) against the Razorbacks (46-13) on June 6 (5 p.m. ET ESPN) in Game 1 of the super regional in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He made his most recent start on May 31 against Cincinnati. Phillips threw 98 pitches against Cincinnati, striking out eight and allowed three runs in 6⅔ innings.
Phillips started Tennessee's opener during its regular-season series at Arkansas, which was UT's first win at Baum-Walker Stadium under coach Tony Vitello. He allowed three runs on seven hits and three walks in 4⅓ innings. He struck out three in the 10-7 win on May 15.
Liam Doyle likely is lined up to start Game 2 against the Razorbacks on June 8 (3 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Doyle (10-3, 2.84 ERA) has been Tennessee's Game 1 starter in all but two instances this season, but he pitched twice in the Knoxville Regional including in the June 2 final against Wake Forest. The SEC pitcher of the year threw 135 pitches between his 104-pitch start against Miami (Ohio) in the May 30 regional opener and his 31-pitch save against Wake Forest to seal UT's fifth straight regional title.
Doyle had his rockiest start of the season at Arkansas on May 16. He allowed eight runs with six earned runs on 11 hits and two walks in 4⅔ innings. He struck out 10.
The Vols will have a fully loaded bullpen ready to go behind Phillips in the first game and again behind Doyle in the second game.
COMMIT: Bo Rhudy commits to Tennessee baseball as Kennesaw State transfer pitcher
'Day 3 doesn't exist until it comes," Vitello said June 5..
If the super regional reaches a third game, the likely options to start are AJ Russell (2-1, 3.52 ERA), Tegan Kuhns (2-4, 5.40 ERA) and Brandon Arvidson (2-0, 4.34 ERA). UT used Dylan Loy (4-0, 3.98 ERA) as an opener against Wake Forest on June 1 in the third game of the Knoxville Regional.
Russell, Arvidson and Loy all likely will be key bullpen pitchers in the first two games in the super regional. Russell has pitched in games Phillips has started the past two weekends. Arvidson has been a long reliever in back-to-back outings and was outstanding in both.
Kuhns did not pitch in the regional.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson or Bluesky @bymikewilson.bsky.social. If you enjoy Mike's coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
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