KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (March 2, 2026) – The ETSU baseball team will play just its second road game of the season on Tuesday when it travels to take on No. 19 Tennessee. First pitch between the Buccaneers and Volunteers is set for 4 p.m. on SEC Network Plus.
 
Probable Pitching Matchups
LHP Tristan Curless (ETSU) vs. LHP Blaine Brown (Tennessee) – Tuesday @ 4 p.m. | Live Stats | SEC Network Plus
 
Last Time Out – ETSU finished off a three-game sweep of Quinnipiac on Sunday afternoon with a 16-5 victory in eight innings. Sunday's win clinched the third consecutive series sweep for the Bucs and boosts their record to 9-2 this season.
 
Lighting a Spark at the Top of the Lineup – After a slow start, Nate Conner has been one of ETSU's top hitters over the last two weeks out of the leadoff spot. Over the last seven games, Conner is hitting .412 with four home runs and 13 RBI. Conner also has four doubles and one triple for a .941 slugging percentage during that stretch of games. Additionally, Conner has worked more walks than strikeouts (four to three) and has an OPS of 1.428 in those seven contests.

Cashing in with Runners in Scoring Position – Thanks to a 16-run outburst on Sunday, the Bucs' numbers with runners in scoring position has rose to .331 in 148 at-bats. Ian Guanzon has been especially good in those situations with eight hits in 15 at-bats (.533 batting average). Comparatively, the Buccaneer pitching staff has held opposing lineups to just a .215 average in 93 at-bats in the same circumstance. Furthermore, ETSU has not allowed a hit with the bases loaded this season (0-for-8).
 
Buccaneer bullpen providing a boost – Tuesday will be a bullpen day for the Bucs with several pitchers set to see time on the mound. So far in 2026, the Buccaneer relief corps has thrown 54.1 innings and has 5-1 record with a 2.65 ERA. Opponent's batting average against the ETSU bullpen also stands at .224 this season.
 
About Tennessee – Tennessee will bring an 8-3 record with it into Tuesday's matchup with the Bucs. A player to watch for the Vols on Tuesday is their probable starting pitcher, Blaine Brown. Brown has struck out five hitters in two innings pitched this season and is also the Vols' top run-producer with four home runs and 12 RBI.
 
Series Rewind against the Vols – Tuesday will be 92^nd time that the Bucs and Vols have met in baseball. Tennessee has won 70 of the previous 91 meetings, but ETSU came away with a 7-6 win in 10 innings last March when the Vols were ranked No. 1 in the country.

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