Mike Wilson,Nick GrayKnoxville News Sentinel
Tennessee baseball is facing Southern Miss in the postseason again.
The No. 1 Vols (52-11) play the No. 2 seed Golden Eagles (43-19) on Sunday (6 p.m. ET, SEC Network) in the Knoxville NCAA regional final. Tennessee advances to a super regional for the fourth straight season with a win. If Tennessee loses, the teams will play again Monday in a winner-take-all game.
USM stuck around by blowing out No. 3 Indiana 15-3 earlier Sunday after losing its opener to Indiana on Friday. Tennessee reached the final by beating No. 4 seed Northern Kentucky 9-3 on Friday and routing No. 3 seed Indiana 12-6 on Saturday.
Tennessee baseball live score updates vs Southern Miss in Knoxville Regional
FINAL: Tennessee is back in the Super Regionals
Tennessee 12, Southern Miss 3 is the final, and the Vols are moving onto the Super Regionals next weekend for the fourth straight season.
UT will play next weekend against either East Carolina or Evansville, who will play a winner-take-all regional final in Greenville, N.C. on Monday after the Pirates won 19-6 over the Aces on Sunday.
INSTANT RECAP: Tennessee baseball punishes Southern Miss, advances to fourth straight super regional
Tennessee 12, Southern Miss 3, top 9th: Cal Stark has another HR
Cal Stark hits a no-doubter to left-center, a 3-run shot. The Vols' lead is 12-3.
Stark has two home runs today. Tennessee as a team has 159 home runs this season, a new program record.
Tennessee 9, Southern Miss 3 after eight innings
Vols are three outs from advancing to the Super Regionals. FWIW: East Carolina leads Evansville 12-6 in the eighth inning of the Greenville Regional final, with the Pirates needing to beat Evansville twice. If that score holds, Tennessee's Super Regional opponent won't be known until after ECU and Evansville play again on Monday.
Tennessee 9, Southern Miss 3, top 7th: Dean Curley 2-run HR
Dean Curley hits a 2-run home run to right field, and the Vols are in complete control. Tennessee's lineup is relentless. Christian Moore, Blake Burke and Billy Amick are a combined 0-for-10, and the Vols have totaled nine runs and four HRs through 6.2 innings.
Tennessee 7, Southern Miss 3, top 7th: Dylan Dreiling opposite-field HR
Dylan Dreiling hits a high pitch over the wall in left-center to add another run to the Vols' lead.
Tennessee 6, Southern Miss 3, middle 6th
The Vols add another run, but Billy Amick's two-out drive is caught on the warning track in center for the final out of the inning. That, with two on, would have broken this game open. Still, the Vols lead 6-3.
Tennessee 5, Southern Miss 3, top 6th: Vols back in the lead with Kavares Tears 3-run HR
Tennessee is back in the lead after a Kavares Tears 3-run home run to right field in the sixth inning. That feels like the breakthrough.
The Vols haven't had too much traffic on the basepaths other than back-to-back walks in the fourth inning -- until the sixth. Southern Miss will change pitchers.
Southern Miss 3, Tennessee 2, bottom 5th: USM takes the lead
Southern Miss takes the lead on a 2-run double by Ozzie Pratt. Zander Sechrist's outing is over. Nate Snead will come in to pitch with two on and two out.
Snead produces the final out of the inning on a groundout to third base. Vols' bats need to get to work.
Tennessee 2, Southern Miss 1, top 5th: Cal Stark HR gives Vols the lead
Cal Stark blasts a home run to left field to give Tennessee the lead. That was a long ball.
Zander Sechrist stays in the game after being hit by line drive
Zander Sechrist takes a line drive off the left upper leg, just above the knee, and falls to the ground in the Southern Miss 4th. After a few moments, he gets up and throws a couple warmup pitches. He'll stay in the game. Scary moment.
Sechrist gets a strikeout and a double play (on another hard-hit ball hit toward him) to get out of the fourth inning. How about that?
Tennessee 1, Southern Miss 1, end 3rd: Zander Sechrist limits damage
Southern Miss ties the game on a weird play; Blake Burke's throw to second base hits the USM runner and goes into the outfield. But Zander Sechrist strands two after a strikeout and a popup.
Tennessee 1, Southern Miss 0, mid 2nd: Hunter Ensley RBI single opens the scoring
Hunter Ensley gets the Vols going with an RBI single, driving in Dylan Dreiling.
Tennessee 0, Southern Miss 0, mid 1st: GIDP ends the UT 1st
Tennessee is the designated road team today and will bat first. Blake Burke drew a one-out walk, but Billy Amick grounds into a double play to end the UT 1st. Zander Sechrist is the Vols' starter today.
What channel is Tennessee baseball vs. Southern Miss on today?
TV: SEC Network (Watch on Fubo)
MORE: Watch Tennessee baseball live vs Southern Miss with Fubo (free trial)
Tennessee baseball vs. Southern Miss start time
- 6 p.m. ET
Tennessee baseball vs. Southern Miss prediction
Tennessee 10, Southern Miss 5: The Vols sweep a fourth straight regional and end Southern Miss' season once again.
Tennessee baseball vs. Southern Miss location
- Knoxville, Tennessee
- Lindsey Nelson Stadium
LIGHT: Meet Carlee Beam, the brightest light at Tennessee baseball's Lindsey Nelson Stadium
Tennessee baseball vs. Southern Miss tickets
How to buy tickets to Tennessee baseball in Knoxville Regional
Tennessee baseball schedule
See the Tennessee baseball schedule here
Southern Miss baseball schedule
See the Southern Miss baseball schedule here
Tennessee baseball roster
See the Tennessee baseball roster here
Southern Miss baseball roster
See the Southern Miss baseball roster here
Knoxville Regional schedule
Sunday's games
Game 5:Southern Miss 15, Indiana 3
Game 6:Tennessee (52-11) vs. Southern Miss (43-19), 6 p.m.; TV TBD
Knoxville Regional bracket
Friday's games
Game 1:Indiana 10, Southern Miss 4
Game 2:Tennessee 9, Northern Kentucky 3
Saturday's games
Game 3:Southern Miss 6, Northern Kentucky 0
Game 4: Tennessee 12, Indiana 6
Sunday's games
Game 5:Southern Miss 15, Indiana 1
Game 6:Tennessee (52-11) vs. Southern Miss (43-19), 6 p.m.; TV TBD
Monday's game (if necessary)
Game 7:Game 6 winner vs. Game 6loser, TBD
2024 College World Series bracket
See thebrackethere.
Mike Wilsoncovers University of Tennessee athletics.Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.comand follow him on Twitter@ByMikeWilson.If you enjoy Mike’s coverage,consider adigital subscriptionthat will allow you access to all of it.