Tennessee Vols Edge Mississippi State 6-5 in Series Opener
- The University of Tennessee baseball team earned a 6-5 victory over No.
- The Volunteers, who improved their record to 22-12 overall and 5-8 in SEC play, broke a 3-3 deadlock in the eighth inning with a three-run rally.
- Garrett Wright served as a catalyst for the Tennessee offense from the leadoff spot, recording three hits, a walk, and scoring one run.
The University of Tennessee baseball team earned a 6-5 victory over No. 8/9 Mississippi State on April 10, 2026, to open a weekend series at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville, Mississippi.
The Volunteers, who improved their record to 22-12 overall and 5-8 in SEC play, broke a 3-3 deadlock in the eighth inning with a three-run rally. The scoring sequence began with an RBI fielder’s choice by Levi Clark, followed by consecutive RBI infield singles from Nate Eisfelder and Garrett Wright, giving Tennessee a 6-3 lead.
Offensive Contributions
Garrett Wright served as a catalyst for the Tennessee offense from the leadoff spot, recording three hits, a walk, and scoring one run. Henry Ford contributed a multi-hit performance, going 2-for-5 and hitting a solo home run in the third inning.
Levi Clark also provided significant power, hitting a solo home run to left field in the top of the fifth inning and finishing the game with two RBIs.
Pitching Performance
Landon Mack provided the starting effort for the Volunteers, recording six strikeouts over four innings of work. He handed the game over to reliever Cam Appenzeller, who pitched the final five innings.
Appenzeller earned the win, improving his season record to 5-0. He struck out a career-best eight batters, including back-to-back strikeouts of Aidan Teel and Andrew Raymond to secure the victory in the ninth inning.
The appearance ended Appenzeller’s streak of scoreless innings in SEC competition. Prior to surrendering a run on a single by Noah Sullivan in the eighth inning, the freshman left-hander had recorded 21.2 shutout innings in conference play.
Mississippi State Rally
Mississippi State, currently 26-8 overall and 7-6 in the SEC, struggled to maintain momentum after an early deficit. The Bulldogs tied the game at 3-3 in the fifth inning following back-to-back home runs by Kevin Milewski and Reed Stallman.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, the Bulldogs attempted a comeback, scoring two runs. Noah Sullivan hit an RBI single and Reed Stallman hit a solo home run, bringing the score to 6-5 before the game concluded.
The loss marked the fourth consecutive SEC defeat for Mississippi State, following a series sweep by Georgia the previous weekend.
Tennessee outhit the Bulldogs 11-9 in the series opener.