Tegan Kuhns dazzles as Tennessee takes opener over Texas 5-1

Tennessee's Tegan Kuhns (21) celebrates after striking out a Texas batter to end the inning during an NCAA college baseball game in Knoxville, Tennessee on May 8, 2026. | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Wow. What a way to start off what could be a statement series for the Tennessee Vols’ season.

Tegan Kuhns was flat-out masterful on Friday night on the mound, pacing the Vols with seven shutout innings on the way to a 5-1 Vols win over the No. 4 Texas Longhorns in the series opener on Friday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

Kuhns followed up his complete game shutout last time he toed the mound in Knoxville (against Alabama) with arguably a more impressive performance under the circumstances. Kuhns recorded 21 outs in the game. FIFTEEN of them came by way of the strikeout. And he got the last of them on pitch number 113 to end his night.

Take a friggin bow, Tegan.

Offensively, the Vols got off to a quick start. Trent Grindlinger clubbed one to center field that just got past the centerfielder and to the wall to plate Blake Grimmer for a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.

In the second, Tennessee pushed the lead to 3-0. Manny Marin stroked a double to left, and a fielding error by the left fielder allowed Levi Clark to score from first. Marin would later come across the plate on a wild pitch.

Tennessee pushed the lead to five in the bottom of the seventh on a sharp two-run single through the right side by Grimmer against a drawn-in infield.

Brandon Arvidson allowed a solo home run in the eighth, but he was able to close the door over the last two innings with no further damage.

Up next is Game 2 of the series on Saturday night at 6 pm ET.