What has quickly become one of the most anticipated series in college baseball has arrived as No. 3 Kentucky baseball is set to host the No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers. 

For the home Wildcats, they remain on top of the SEC East with a 14-1 conference record. The Bat Cats swept Georgia before dropping one to Missouri, but have since swept Ole Miss, Alabama and Auburn and enter the series on a 10-game conference winning streak.

For the visiting Vols, they are second in the SEC East with a 10-5 conference record. The Volunteers dropped two out of three against Alabama before taking the series against Ole Miss, Georgia, Auburn and, most recently, sweeping the defending national champion LSU.

Team comparison

Looking at the offensive numbers in conference games, the Wildcats are first in the SEC with a .319 team batting average. The Vols are just behind them with a .313 team batting average.

The teams swap places when it comes to slugging percentage in conference games as the Vols are first in the SEC with a .636 slugging percentage followed by the Wildcats with a .582.

The Wildcats retake first in the SEC when it comes to team on-base percentage in conference games at .420 followed by the Vols at .399.

Moving to the mound, the Wildcats are second in the SEC with a 3.27 team ERA in conference games. There is not as thin of a margin as with the offense numbers as the Vols come in with a team ERA of 5.39, which ranks sixth in the SEC.

The Wildcat staff is first in the SEC in conference games with a .196 batting average against while the Vols are 10th in the SEC with a .282 team batting average against in conference action.

Offensive players to watch

The first name to look out for in the Tennessee lineup is Blake Burke, who leads the Vols starters in conference play with a .444 batting average and a .493 on-base percentage. Burke has also posted a .762 slugging percentage in conference play, which is second on the team among starters.

Looking at the season as a whole, Burke still leads the Vols with a .422 batting average and an .859 slugging percentage while also posting a .483 on-base percentage.

The next name to watch out for is Billy Amick, who has only played in nine SEC games as he missed the team’s series against Georgia and Auburn before returning to the lineup against LSU. While in the batter’s box in SEC play, Amick has posted a .375 batting average, .487 on-base percentage and .750 slugging percentage.

On the season, he has posted a .359 batting average, .455 on-base percentage and a .796 slugging percentage.

The final name to look out for on the Vols is Christian Moore, who has been the team’s power source in SEC games as he has hit nine home runs and leads starters with a .848 slugging percentage in conference play. Moore has also hit to .363 average and .400 on-base percentage in conference action.

Moores numbers on the season show a .352 batting average, .429 on-base percentage and a .754 slugging percentage.

The Vols will rely on Burke’s consistency, Amick’s hot start since his return and Moore’s power to guide the offense on the road. 

On the home side, the first Wildcat to watch out for is Ryan Waldschmidt, who leads the team with a .386 batting average and .520 on-base percentage while also posting a .614 slugging percentage in conference play. 

A Wildcats who has been on a hot streak in conference play is Nolan McCarthy, who trails Waldschmidt slightly with a .383 batting average while also posting a .422 on-base percentage and is second on the Wildcats with a .717 slugging percentage in conference matchups.

The power for the Bat Cats in conference play has been supplied by Ryan Nicholson, who leads the team with an .891 slugging percentage and nine home runs in conference play. Nicholson has also hit to a .364 batting average and a .478 on-base percentage. 

The Bat Cats will rely on Waldschmidt’s ability to get on, McCarthy’s SEC hot streak and Nicholson’s power to drive the offense in this crucial series.

Pitching matchups

AJ Causey has gotten the ball in four straight conference starts, but it seems like the Vols will send Chris Stamos to the hill for game one. In 6.1 innings pitched in conference play, Stamos has posted a 5.68 ERA as he has given up four earned runs and struck out seven batters. 

On the season, Stamos has posted a 3.45 ERA across 15.2 innings pitched in which he has given up six earned runs and also struck out 15 batters.

For the Wildcats, Trey Pooser will mostly like to take the hill for game one as he has started four straight SEC games and pitched to a 3.57 ERA across 22.2 innings pitched. Pooser has also struck out 18 batters and given up nine earned runs in his four starts.

On the year, Pooser has accumulated a 4.11 ERA across 35 innings and has surrendered 16 earned runs and also struck out 33 batters.

So far on Saturdays for the Vols, Drew Beam has taken the hill and, in five SEC starts, has posted a 3.94 ERA in 29.2 innings pitched in which he has given up 13 earned runs and struck out 25 batters.

Beam has accumulated a 3.16 ERA on the year, which is the best among Vols starters. He has tossed 51.1 innings and given up 18 earned runs while striking out 45 batters.

So far in game two for the Wildcats, Dominic Niman has gotten the ball and leads all Wildcat starters in his five conference starts with a 2.65 ERA while also leading in innings pitched and strikeouts with 34 and 30, respectively. Niman has given up 10 earned runs in conference play.

Niman also leads all starters on the season with a 3.40 ERA, 47 strikeouts and 53 innings pitched. He has surrendered 20 earned runs during the entire season.

On the past four SEC Sundays for the Vols, Zander Sechrist has taken the hill and pitched to 3.38 ERA in which he has surrendered six earned runs in 16 innings pitched while he has also struck out 16 batters.

These numbers are similar to Sechrist’s season numbers that show a 3.34 ERA in 32.1 innings pitched while giving up 12 earned runs and striking out 37 batters. 

Every series finale on the mound for the Wildcats has belonged to Mason Moore, who has pitched to a 4.62 ERA in five conference starts as he has given up 13 earned runs in 25.1 innings pitched and has struck out 24 batters.

On the year, Moore has accumulated a 3.45 ERA across 47 innings of work in which he has struck out 43 batters and given up 18 earned runs. 

With the stage now set, Kentucky and Tennessee will face off at Kentucky Proud Park in game one on Friday, April 19, with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 ET.