Final Predictions: Tennessee Baseball vs. No. 1 UCLA

Predicting the outcome of the Tennessee vs. UCLA Bruins baseball contest.

Tennessee catcher Stone Lawless (27) takes a step towards second base during a NCAA baseball game between Tennessee and Kent State at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Feb. 21, 2026. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Tennessee Volunteers are tasked with playing the nation's top-ranked team, as they are set to play against the UCLA Bruins, who are off to a great start. The Bruins and the Vols will take place on Friday evening at 4:00 PM EST, which will be the toughest game for the Vols in their non-conference slate.

This game will be a big one for both teams, as they are both looking to figure some things out. In this contest, the Vols will be looking to get past their troubles of hitting, along with some of the fielding errors that they had last week. This is a great chance for the Josh Elander-led club to get back on track after seeing some early adversity.

The Vols on SI staff got together to share their predictions ahead of the crucial non-conference game. Here is what the staff members predicted.

Dale Dowden: Tennessee 5, UCLA 9

Tennessee’s Blaine Brown (1) slides home plate to score Tennessee’s first run during the NCAA college baseball game against Nicholls on Feb 13, 2026, in Knoxville, Tennessee. | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"As the Vols have been trying to iron out wrinkles and find their identity, Tennessee will have a tough task as they play the nation's number 1 team," Dowden said.

Caleb Sisk: Tennessee 4, UCLA 3

Tennessee Volunteer's Tegan Kuhns (21) pitches as Vanderbilt Commodores take on Tennessee Volunteer during the SEC baseball tournament at Hoover Met in Birmingham, Ala., on Saturday, May 24, 2025. | Jake Crandall/ Montgomery Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"This is a game that the Vols will be the underdogs in, but they have the chance to walk away with a win. While this team has fallen short of their expectations, there are still some things to like. They will be able to get the bats rolling early, but they will eventually mellow out. This is when the pitching game will be important, as Tegan Kuhns (the Friday starter) will give up each of the runs. The relievers who come in will do well, which will help secure a huge win for the Vols, which will eventually catapult them back in the rankings," Sisk said.

The Vols will be one of the main teams at this event, as they will be playing this game with the hopes of making a statement for the rest of the event, as this game is set to be played in Arlington. This is the first of the three games they will play, as they are also expected to play against the Arizona State Sun Devils in game two of this weekend, which will be followed by a game three against the Virginia Tech Hokies.

This is easily listed as the toughest competition of the weekend, as the Vols will likely only be an underdog in this game.