No. 4 Texas Aims to Keep SEC Momentum Rolling Against Tennessee

The No. 4 Texas Longhorns hit the road to take on the Tennessee Volunteers in a battle of the UT's.

Tennessee outfielder Reese Chapman catches the ball during a game against Ole Miss. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It has been another strong season in conference play for the No. 4 Texas Longhorns (36—10, 15—8). Having won seven of their eight SEC series so far, they look to keep that momentum rolling as they head into another weekend against a conference foe.

Next up, they are on the road and preparing to take on the Tennessee Volunteers (32—17, 11—13). Winning on the road in the SEC is hard, however they've shown they can get the job done in hostile environments with key series wins over No. 6 Auburn and Vanderbilt.

Now, they'll look to keep that momentum rolling as they head to Knoxville. The Longhorns have won each of their last three conference series, including taking two out of three last weekend from a dangerous No. 11 Mississippi State squad.

How do the Longhorns and Volunteers stack up?

Texas Longhorns second baseman Ethan Mendoza celebrates after scoring against the Texas State Bobcats. | University of Texas Athletics

How to watch/listen -

Friday May 8 - 5:30 p.m. CT - SEC Network+/TexasSports.com/Audio

Saturday May 9 - 5 p.m. CT - SEC Network+/TexasSports.com/Audio

Sunday May 10 - 11 a.m. CT - ESPN2/TexasSports.com/Audio

A look at Tennessee's season so far -

The 2026 season was always going to be an interesting one for the Volunteers. After Tony Vitello left for the San Francisco Giants job, Josh Elander took the coaching job. It has been a bit of an up-and-down first campaign for the new skipper, as he's secured a sweep of No. 11 Mississippi State but also has series losses to both LSU and Kentucky.

Tennessee by the numbers -

• Record: 32—17 (11—13)

• Runs scored: 348

• Runs allowed: 229

• Team Avg.: .276

• Opponent Avg.: .235

• Team ERA: 4.41

• Opponent ERA: 6.45

Tennessee wins this series if...

It can do enough to get the Texas starters out of the game early and focus on the bullpen. The trio of Dylan Volantis, Ruger Riojas and Luke Harrison have been one of the nation's best rotations this season and can shut down even the best lineups.

Behind them, however, the results have not been as consistent. Aside from the freshman tandem of Brett Crossland and Sam Cozart, the bullpen has been rather hit or miss for the Longhorns. They've either kept the energy and stifled foes or suffered a brutal, late-game collapse.

For the Volunteers to secure an upset series win over the Longhorns, they must get into the bullpen early and often and put Texas' relief arms to the test.

Texas wins this series if...

It can avoid sluggish stretches of play at the plate. When the Longhorns are dialed in and firing on all cylinders offensively, they've shown they can easily put up runs in bunches and throw a crooked number on the scoreboard. Just look at their finale against Mississippi State, when they scored nine runs in the third inning of an eventual 11-6 victory.

As for the Volunteers, in conference play they're sporting a 5.87 team ERA and have allowed opponents to score 6.3 runs per game. Texas, meanwhiile, is averaging 5.8 runs per game against SEC opponents. Which version of the club shows up, however, will be crucial.

If the team that has shown it can score 10-plus runs with ease rolls into Knoxville, then the Longhorns have a strong shot at another conference series win.

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