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Tennessee vs Southern Miss: 2023 Hattiesburg Super Regional preview, prediction

By Elliot Reeder

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - MARCH 25: Christian Moore #1 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates scoring the winning run against the Texas A&M Aggies in the ninth inning at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on March 25, 2023 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - MARCH 25: Christian Moore #1 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates scoring the winning run against the Texas A&M Aggies in the ninth inning at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on March 25, 2023 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images) /
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2023 Hattiesburg Super Regional
Tennessee Volunteers third baseman Zane Denton (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images) /

For the second straight year, an SEC team will head into Hattiesburg, Miss. for a Super Regional against Southern Miss. Last year it was eventual national champion Ole Miss, this year it is Tennessee. Here is the pertinent information for the 2023 Hattiesburg Super Regional:

When/TV: Saturday, June 10th at 3:00 pm (ESPNU, ESPN+)

Sunday, June 11th. Time TBA (TV=TBA, ESPN+)

Monday, June 12th. Time TBA (TV=TBA, ESPN+) (IF NECESSARY)

Where: Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Previous Matchups: Tennessee and Southern Miss did not meet in the regular season this year. In fact, this will be the first matchup between the two schools since 1992. There have been eight previous meetings, with Tennessee holding the all-time edge 6-2. USM won the first two in 1986, with Tennessee winning six straight (sweeping series’ in 1991 in Knoxville and 1992 in Hattiesburg).

Both of these teams had to hit the road for regionals as 2-seeds, even though both had hosting aspirations throughout the year and definitely have national seed talent (as evidenced by both knocking off national seeds en route to winning their regionals).

When two teams from the same seed line (that aren’t national seeds) meet in Super Regionals there is a bidding process to see who hosts. The NCAA elected to send this Super Regional to Hattiesburg with Southern Miss hosting.

Now that the general info is out of the way, let’s look at an overview for each team, and then get to a prediction:

Tennessee

The Tennessee Volunteers (41-19) went on the road to the Clemson Regional last weekend, hosted by the No. 4 national seed Clemson. In the opening game, Tennessee knocked off the region’s 3-seed Charlotte 8-1. Then in the 1-0 game, Tennessee took on Clemson in arguably the most thrilling game in any regional. Tennessee came out on top 6-5 in 14 innings after a go-ahead RBI double from Hunter Ensley. Tennessee then finished out the regional with a 9-2 win over Charlotte in the Regional Final.

Even though the Vols had to replace a lot of talent off of last year’s team, they still came into the season with high expectations (ranked 2nd in the D1baseball.com preseason poll). Tennessee went 16-14 in SEC play this year. Tennessee struggled on the road this season, going 5-12.

Tennessee has four players hitting over .300 on the season. They are Jared Dickey (.335), Christian Moore (.321), Griffin Merritt (.306), and Maui Ahuna (.304). Merritt leads the team in home runs with 18, while Moore has also hit 17. Moore also leads the team in stolen bases with 15. Christian Scott and Dylan Dreiling both just missed the .300 mark plateau, as they are both hitting .298. Blake Burke and Zane Denton are also both key hitters for the Vols. Both players have hit 15 homers on the season, and are both hitting over .270. Tennessee is hitting .288 on the season as a team.

The Vols have a very talented pitching staff, even if it hasn’t always pitched up to it’s potential. However, there might not be a pitching staff left in the Super Regionals that is more dangerous than this one. Tennessee will likely have a decision to make when it comes to one of their rotation spots. The two guys presumably locked in as starters are for the 3-game series are Drew Beam and Chase Dollander. Tony Vitello must then decide whether to give Andrew Lindsey or Chase Burns a start.

Beam has a 8-4 record on the year with a 4.09 ERA. He has a 72:20 K/BB ratio across 72 2/3 IP on the year, while making 15 starts. Dollander has a 6-6 record and a 4.50 ERA. However, he has a strong 111:27 K/BB across 78 IP. While Beam and Dollander have both been starters all year, Lindsey and Burns have both split time between the rotation and the pen. Lindsey has a 3-2 record, 2.40 ERA, and 64:17 K/BB across 63 1/3 IP (19 appearances/7 starts). Burns has a 4-3 record, 4.91 ERA, and 100:21 K/BB across 62 1/3 IP (15 appearances/8 starts).

Names to watch out of the Vols pen are Zander Sechrist (0-1, 2.05 ERA, 32:5 K/BB, 30 2/3 IP), AJ Russell (2-0, 0.94 ERA, 46:7 K/BB, 28 2/3 IP), Aaron Combs (4-0, 2.66 ERA, 37:7 K/BB, 20 1/3 IP), and Seth Halvorsen (3-3, 3.72 ERA, 47:14 K/BB, 46 IP). Tennessee has a 3.60 ERA as a team.

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