Marcus Phillips named starter for Tennessee to open Fayetteville Regional    

Tennessee has announced junior right-handed pitcher Marcus Phillips as the game one starter for the Vols in the Fayetteville Super Regional on Saturday against Arkansas.

With Liam Doyle collecting the final seven outs of Tennessee’s Knoxville Regional Final win over Wake Forest on Monday, the staff has elected to go with Phillips, who will be on normal rest. If Doyle had gotten the ball, he would have started on just four days of rest following two outings of 135 pitches last weekend.

Phillips (4-4, 3.71 ERA) allowed three runs in 4.1 innings in a start at Arkansas three weeks ago. He struck out three and walked three in the contest that Tennessee won, its only win of the weekend. Doyle started the second game of that series as well, as the series was bumped up a day to Thursday-Friday-Saturday.

Lefty Zach Root (7-5, 3.78 ERA) will get the ball for the Hogs in the opener. 

“We’ve given it thought. And we just finished practice, we’re going to go up there, rally. Actually, administration is helping us with things. Have a meeting with that too,” Tony Vitello said on Thursday when asked who will start on Saturday. “So, by the time everyone goes home, we’d like to have a firm decision on what we want to do and even kind of talk about some things that might occur past the first inning. Day three doesn’t exist until it comes but, you know, just map all that stuff out as best we can, and then embrace the chaos once we start.” 

The righty has started all 16 weekends of the season for Tennessee, tossing 77.2 innings. He’s struck out 93 batters, walked 32 and opponents are hitting .229 against him. He’s currently projected as a second round pick by most publications for this summer’s Major League Baseball Draft.  

Tennessee is off to supers for the fifth-straight season and the seventh time in program history under the current NCAA postseason baseball format. The first to two wins punch their ticket to the College World Series in Omaha. Tennessee will be seeking its eighth trip to Omaha while the Razorbacks are after their 12 appearance, but first title.

Saturday’s Fayetteville Super Regional opener is set to begin at 5 p.m. ET with Sunday’s Game 2 set to begin at 3 p.m. ET. Both games will be televised on ESPN. Game times and television designations have not yet been announced for the ‘if necessary’ Game 3, that would take place on Monday.