KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The Belmont University baseball team plays its final road game of the season against one of the nation's best college baseball teams in No. 4 Tennessee on Tuesday. The Volunteers will be the Belmont's fifth top five opponent this season, with the Bruins dropping three games to No. 4 Ole Miss and a road contest at No. 2 Vanderbilt back in March.
Tennessee leads the series 10-4, winning the previous six matchups over the Bruins. Belmont is searching for its first win in Knoxville since May 17, 2011.
Tennessee has established itself as one of the top teams in college baseball, holding a 39-13 record to go with a top five ranking. The Volunteers are hitting .281 as a team to go with 69 home runs and a .468 slugging percentage. Tennessee's pitching staff holds a 3.53 earned run average, collecting 481 strikeouts in the process.
Liam Spence leads Tennessee offensively with a .378 batting average to go with a .517 on base percentage while Jake Rucker holds a .340 batting average heading into Tuesday's game. Jordan Beck adds power, hitting 11 home runs to go with a .515 slugging percentage. Probable starter Mark McLaughlin has an ERA of 1.71 with a 2-0 record, coming up with 37 strikeouts in 13 appearances.
Sophomore Tommy Crider achieved a milestone in game one against Wake Forest on May 9th. With his fourth career home run in a game against an opponent from a Power 5 conference, Crider now leads Belmont Baseball players in the last decade in home runs against Power 5 conference opponents. Crider is one of seven Belmont Baseball players in the last decade to have multiple home runs in games against Power 5 competition.
Several players in Belmont's lineups rank in the top 50 in several statistical categories in NCAA Division I. Carson Shacklett ranks 10th in hit by pitch, Jack Rando ranks 11th in sacrifice bunts and Logan Jarvis ranks 41st in RBIs and 38th in sacrifice flies.
Game Notes
Shacklett and Jarvis have helped the Bruins this season by getting on base, especially drawing walks. Both are currently in the top 30 in the nation in base on balls, with Shacklett moving into 10th on the program's all-time single season walks list with 41 in 2021.
Belmont has proven that they are never out of an inning when they are down to their last out. Over 25 percent of Belmont's runs scored this season have been with two outs, with the Bruins scoring 66 total runs in 2021 when they are down to their last out. The Bruins have also hit six home runs with two outs this season.
First pitch is set for 5:30 p.m. CST, with live stats and Watch ESPN being available to fans courtesy of Tennessee Athletics. Bruin Sports Network will also broadcast the game through online radio. Fans wishing to buy tickets can do so through Tennessee Athletics.
