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SEC Baseball: 2022 Knoxville Regional preview, predictions, what to watch for

By Matt Melton

HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 05: Jorel Ortega #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers leaps over a sliding Jack Pineda #2 of the Baylor Bears into second base in the second inning during the Shriners Children's College Classic at Minute Maid Park on March 05, 2022 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 05: Jorel Ortega #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers leaps over a sliding Jack Pineda #2 of the Baylor Bears into second base in the second inning during the Shriners Children's College Classic at Minute Maid Park on March 05, 2022 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /
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The road to Omaha is now officially underway for SEC Baseball, as nine teams from within the conference will play in a regional this postseason. When previewing those regionals as well, what better place to start with than Knoxville and No. 1 overall seed Tennessee, a team coming off an SEC Baseball regular season and tournament title?

SEC Baseball 2022 Knoxville Regional preview, predictions, what to watch for

The SEC Baseball regular season and tournament champions, Tennessee enters the postseason having been the consensus No. 1 team nationally for a majority of the season, and now host a regional as the top overall seed in the country. Which three other teams are in Tennessee’s regional, and what should you be watching for?

Teams in Knoxville Regional

  • Tennessee, Alabama State, Campbell, Georgia Tech

The Volunteers opponent in game one, Alabama State, are coming off winning the SWAC Tournament championship, while Campbell enter the postseason as the Big South Tournament champion. Georgia Tech was around the middle of the ACC this season, with the Yellow Jackets holding a 15-15 record in conference play.

Knoxville Regional Players to Know

  • Tennessee – 3B Trey Lipscomb (.357 AVG, 21 HR, 77 RBI), RHP Chase Dollander (2.21 ERA, 99:11 K:BB), RHP Chase Burns (2.61 ERA, 96:23 K:BB)
  • Alabama State – DH Corey King (.367 AVG, 14 HR), RHP Payton Harris (2.18 ERA, 47:31 K:BB), RHP Breon Pooler (3.19 ERA, 85:43 K:BB)
  • Campbell – RHP Thomas Harrington (2.21 ERA, 109:16 K:BB), SS Zach Neto (.398 AVG, 16 SB), 1B Drake Pierson (.341 AVG, 18 HR)
  • Georgia Tech – C Kevin Parada (.356 AVG, 26 HR, 85 RBI), 1B Andrew Jenkins (.386 AVG, 17 HR), INF Chandler Simpson (.418 AVG, 23 SB)

Biggest Key for Tennessee

The biggest key for the Volunteers just so happens to be their biggest advantage in this regional as well, their pitching. Tennessee by-far has the top pitching staff in this regional, but have the potential to face some tough lineups this weekend, in particular Georgia Tech led by one of the nation’s top hitters in catcher Kevin Parada.

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Prediction

Does Tennessee advance to a Super Regional? Yes.

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