2024 Shriners Children's College Showdown

Tennessee Baseball Schedule 2024: What To Know

Tennessee Vols college baseball schedule for 2024 and everything else you need to go going into the season.

Jan 22, 2024 by Kyle Kensing

Tennessee Baseball Schedule 2024: What To Know

Perennial power Tennessee reloads for a pursuit of the Southeastern Conference championship in 2024. And, with its annual top-to-bottom strength, contending for the SEC title means competing for the national championship.

The Vols have the firepower at the plate and the pitching to make a run at Omaha in the coming campaign.

Their season begins with a significant test, as they join five other championship hopefuls from the Big 12, Big Ten and Pac-12 Conferences for the 2024 Shriners Children's College Showdown in Arlington, Texas.

Before the Volunteers take to Globe Life Field, get to know more:

How Did Tennessee Baseball Do In 2023?

Tennessee finished 44-22 in 2023 and advanced to the College World Series for the second time in three years.

The Vols' postseason success came after they compiled a 16-14 record in the SEC and finished tied with Kentucky for fourth place in the league's East division.

The Vols conference standing was more an endorsement of the SEC's strength than an indictment of the Vols, however, as Tennessee was one of three teams from the conference to advance to Omaha, along with runner-up Florida and national champion LSU.

LSU bounced Tennessee from the College World Series with 6-3 and 5-0 decisions, book-ending a 6-4 Vols win over Stanford.

Tennessee reached Omaha after winning the Hattiesburg Super Regional with a 2-1 series defeat of host Southern Miss, earned in part through a regional that included one of the postseason's most dramatic contests.

Tennessee's 6-5 defeat of Clemson in 14 innings on a Hunter Ensley run-scoring double was the highlight of the program's NCAA Tournament.

Who Coaches Tennessee Baseball?

Tony Vitello is embarking on his seventh season—sixth full season—as Tennessee's baseball coach.

Vitello's tenure has been wildly successful, producing four 40-win seasons and four appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

A promising 15-2 start before the cancellation of the 2020 season suggests UT would be riding a streak of five such finishes in 2024, if not for the pandemic.

College World Series appearances in 2021 and 2023 bookend a 57-9 record and SEC championship in 2022.

Prior to becoming the Tennessee baseball coach, Vitello was an assistant to longtime SEC fixture Dave Van Horn at Arkansas. Vitello spent four seasons in Fayetteville, including the Razorbacks' 2015 College World Series campaign.

Has Tennessee Ever Won The College World Series?

Despite reaching the College World Series six times in program history—four in the 21st Century—Tennessee baseball has never won a national championship.

The 1995 team, featuring Vols legend Todd Helton, won games in Omaha against Clemson and Stanford, but could not overcome eventual champion Cal State Fullerton in a pair of matchups with the Titans.

The 2001 Volunteers fell just shy of the championship round, too.

Notable Returning Players

Drew Beam, RHP

One of the top returning starters in college baseball, Beam finished 2023 with four earned runs allowed in his last four games combined—including a six-inning shutout in the Super Regional against Southern Miss.

The powerful right-hander struck out 88 batters a season ago and had a 3.63 ERA in 84 1/3 innings.

Christian Moore, 2B

Moore came on strong late in the season at the plate for Tennessee, delivering three straight multiple-hit games in the regional round. That came after a 10-game hitting streak in May, during which he had multiple hits in 4 of 5 games over one stretch.

Moore finished 2023 batting .304 with a 1.047 OPS, 65 total hits, 17 home runs and 50 RBIs. Defensively, he turned 18 double plays and had a team-high 126 assists.

Notable Newcomers

Christ Stamos, LHP

The Tennessee pitching staff adds an intriguing lefty with Stamos, a Cal graduate transfer, coming aboard.

Stamos pitched primarily out of the Golden Bears bullpen in 2023, going 21 2/3 innings in 20 total appearances with a 5.82 ERA.

Stamos struck out 31 last season.

Billy Amick, 3B

Amick, a preseason All-American third baseman, comes to Tennessee by way of Clemson, where in 2023 he hit .413 with 13 home runs, 63 RBIs and a .772 slugging percentage.

Amick adds power to the Volunteers lineup, but he also reliably gets on base with contact.