Tennessee records longest game in program history in Saturday loss to Vanderbilt  

NASHVILLE — Saturday’s 16 inning 6-5 loss to Vanderbilt is the new Tennessee program record for longest game in history for the Vols, in terms of innings.

The Vols scored five runs in the sixth inning but were held scoreless in 15 innings on the day. Vanderbilt won on a bases-loaded, squeeze bunt with one out from Mack Whitcomb.

The 16-inning affair was the longest in program history for Tennessee, surpassing 14 innings completed on five different occasions. Tennessee’s latest 14-inning contest was the thrilling win over Clemson in regional play back in 2023.

Tennessee dropped a 3-2 decision at Mississippi State on April 21, 2012. The Vols lost another 3-2 game that lasted 14 innings one season later on February 17, 2013 at UNLV. On March 28, 2014, Tennessee lost 3-2 at South Carolina.      

The Vols finally pulled through for a 14-inning win that was 5-3 over Texas A&M on April 23, 2017. Tennessee’s 6-5 win over the Tigers in the 2023 Clemson Regional set the scene for a regional championship victory the next day. The Vols went on to Omaha for the College World Series that season.  

Though Saturday’s loss to Vanderbilt was the longest game in program history by innings played, it is not the longest game in program history in terms of time.

Tennessee and Morehead State’s 12-inning thriller on May 13, 2012 lasted four hours and 57 minutes. The Vols 16-inning affair with Vanderbilt on Saturday capped out at four hours and 44 minutes. Thus, Saturdays final was 13 minutes quicker but four innings longer.    

The longest recorded game in Tennessee baseball history actually took place in the 2025 season against Vanderbilt as well, but a lengthy rain delay caused that outcome to take five hours and 28 minutes on May 11.

“It’s one of those games, just everybody unloading the clip and our guys just need to hit the reset button as fast as they can,” Josh Elander said in postgame interviews on Saturday. “A different swing here or there, it’s a completely different weekend. But that’s not where we’re at right now. So we need to show up tomorrow with a really, really quick turnaround and be ready to compete some more.”

Tennessee and Vanderbilt complete the three-game series on Sunday at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN2 as the Vols aim to salvage the weekend.