Tennessee baseball's NCAA Tournament projection with Ole Miss next

Tennessee baseball's NCAA Tournament projection with Ole Miss next

Tennessee baseball is back in the NCAA Tournament picture after sweeping Mississippi State, and its performances over the next month will determine if it stays there.

The Vols’ challenge of holding that position could be as difficult as reaching it.

Tennessee (25-12, 7-8 SEC) hosts No. 23 Ole Miss (27-11, 8-7) in an SEC series on April 17 (6:30 p.m. ET), April 18 (6 p.m.) and April 19 (1 p.m.). All three games at Lindsey Nelson Stadium will stream on SEC Network+.

The Vols will stick with the pitching rotation that swept Mississippi State: right-hander Landon Mack (3-2, 3.75 ERA) in Game 1; right-hander Tegan Kuhns (2-3, 3.77 ERA) in Game 2; left-hander Evan Blanco (3-2, 3.67 ERA) in Game 3.

Ole Miss will start left-hander Hunter Elliott (3-1, 3.69 ERA) in Game 1; right-hander Cade Townsend (3-1, 2.02 ERA); right-hander Taylor Rabe (3-1, 3.16 ERA).

Here’s a quick look at Tennessee’s NCAA Tournament picture heading into the Ole Miss series.

Vols schedule has tough foes, big opportunities

The good news is that UT is now projected to make the postseason. The bad news is that the schedule doesn’t get any easier with 12 of its remaining 19 games against teams ranked in the USA TODAY coaches poll, where the Vols are getting votes once again.

After the Ole Miss series, the Vols will finish the regular season against No. 13 Alabama, Kentucky, No. 4 Texas and No. 14 Oklahoma before the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Alabama.

“We like where we’re at, but you can’t be satisfied,” coach Josh Elander said. “You’ve just got to keep going. We’re only halfway through this thing, and there’s a lot of back and forth to come.”