Domingo Ayala Hitting a Home Run
Tennessee's baseball fans will get a good look at the postseason thanks to the Vols' 2012 schedule.
The Vols released next season's lineup on Wednesday and it includes visits from five teams that made last season's NCAA tournament. Four of them are SEC opponents: Florida, Vanderbilt, Arkansas and Alabama. The Gators and Commodores advanced to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. The non-conference opponent will be Seton Hall. Overall, UT will play 26 games and 10 teams that made the 2011 NCAA field.
"I feel we will be challenged and have a good balance of home and away games,'' said Dave Serrano, who will be in his first season as the Vols' head coach. "I'm excited. We want to find out about our team, so we want to challenge our team each and every weekend and in mid-week games so that we can learn some things about them and be able to prepare them to be successful in the SEC."
The Vols will play 34 home games, including eight to start the season, beginning with a series against Northern Illinois (Feb. 17-19). During the opening homestand, UT also will face Western Kentucky, which is coached by former Vol Matt Myers.
The Vols will make their second appearance at the Houston College Classic March 2-4 at Minute Maid Park. The Classic's schedule hasn't been finalized but the field will include hometown teams Rice and Houston, along with Texas, Texas Tech and Arkansas.
"I've heard it is run first-class and I will be excited to take our players and our team into that atmosphere and be challenged by some of the better teams in the country,'' Serrano said.
Tennessee opens SEC play at Georgia March 16-18. The conference home series are Kentucky (March 23-25), Alabama (March 30-April 1), Florida (April 13-15), Vanderbilt (May 4-6) and Arkansas (May 17-19).
Fall Schedule: The Vols will hold their second annual "Fan Day" on Sept. 2, which will include YouTube sensation Domingo Ayala, who's a friend of Serrano.
Lindsey Nelson Stadium will open at 6 p.m. Fans can get autographs, take some swings in the batting cage and play catch in the outfield. Serrano will introduce his staff and the team at 7 and Ayala will take over at 7:30.
Fall practice starts Sept. 22 and will conclude Oct. 28.
Schedule
February
17-19: Northern Illinois; 21: Western Kentucky; 24-26: Seton Hall; 28: MTSU
March
2-4: Houston College Classic (at Houston, Texas); 7: Ball State; 9-11: Louisiana-Monroe; 13: Tennessee Tech; 16-18: at Georgia*; 21: Florida International; 23-25: Kentucky*; 27-28: Mississippi Valley State; 30-31: Alabama*.
April
1: Alabama*; 4: Memphis; 6-8: at South Carolina*; 11: at ETSU; 13-15: Florida*; 18: ETSU; 20-22: at Mississippi State*; 24: Austin Peay; 27-29: at Auburn*.
may
4-6: Vanderbilt*; 9: at Memphis; 11-13: at Ole Miss*; 15: at MTSU; 17-19: Arkansas.
*denotes conference game
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
Softball: Tennessee 2, Georgia 1
Tennessee defeats Georgia 3-2 in…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 11
VOLtage writes:
Its good to be interested in Vols baseball again.
LJS1984 writes:
North Illinois? I believe that's the first time I have ever heard NorthERN Illinois University called North Illinois?
VolsToTheWall writes:
its too bad we fired raleigh, i think he would've started to schedule local high school teams...UT vs Carter, Free hotdog night! UT vs Karns, we'll pay you to come!
GiveHim6TDTennessee writes:
Posts like this serve no purpose, whatsoever. Why post if all you have to say portrays the educational level of a 5 year old? Biggups to UT on the hiring and here's to the resurrection of a proud baseball program. GBO!
Down_The_Field writes:
what voltage say
LJS1984 writes:
I'm pretty sure that he was just pointing out the weak non-conference schedule that Raleigh played every season. Manhattan, Milwaukee, Canisius, Alabama A&M, etc. Raleigh wouldn't even play ETSU anymore because his Vols couldn't beat them.
wsmows writes:
Northern Illinois Nookies I think ?
forkball writes:
Might want to stop payment on that check to your Remedial Reading tutor.
vol4gzus writes:
And ewe wonder why they laugh.....Read that he sited that KNS called them NORTH Illinois and was saying never have heard NORTHERN Illinois called that(NORTH). Yes he had heard of NIH,just not that way. Did that help poor W_D_D better understand that LJS1984 knew exactly what he was referencing? Jeepers Wally it wasn't that hard. Troll dying to blast somebody hit reverse fire button that one. We all live and learn hopefully....
Will besball be very very goood to Vols? We see later and remember to watch the film...
vol4gzus writes:
Notice the oopsy has been corrected to properly reflect the school hereafter referred to as NIU.
LJS1984 writes:
Actually, the joke is on you. I have been to a Nothern Illinois University football game before. Have you? I was referring to KNS calling NIU, North Illinois big boy.
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