Tennessee and Texas A&M meet in the title game
Sure, the pros have Game 7. But in the context of college baseball, Game 3 has equal importance. Tonight’s Men’s College World Series will feature a final showdown between top-seeded Tennessee and third-seeded Texas A&M, concluding the final event of the 2023-24 NCAA college sports calendar.
Hopefully you’ve been following the action in Omaha so far, but if you want a quick update, here’s the current status: The Aggies won the opening game of this best-of-three championship series on Saturday, taking advantage of a big early lead to win 9-5. The Volunteers evened the series on Sunday with a 4-1 triumph thanks to a pair of late two-run home runs and plenty of timely pitches.
Whichever team prevails tonight will capture the program’s first national title, but regardless of the winner, it will be another trophy for the SEC as it has its fifth national champion in as many CWS tournaments since 2019.
Tennessee and Texas A&M both got a batter on base in the second inning, but neither team could do much with it in the scoreless second.
Justin Lamkin allowed the first home run in the first inning and then allowed a few runners on base, but he seemed more relaxed in the second inning, allowing just one walk, aided by a pitch clock violation. On the other hand, Zander Sechrist has made another promising start with two early strikeouts and one hit allowed.
Some of Knoxville’s finest are on hand to cheer Tennessee on to its first national baseball title. At Charles Schwab Field are Volunteers icon Peyton Manning, football coach Josh Heupel and basketball coach Rick Barnes. Also in attendance was country singer Morgan Wallen, a Tennessee native who was a well-known baseball player in high school before an injury forced him to change course.
What a start for Tennessee.
After Zander Sechrist pitched a 1-2-3 inning, the Volunteers got on the scoreboard quickly thanks to Christian Moore. The second baseman made perfect contact with the bat and sent the ball over the wall for a leadoff home run that gave the Volunteers the early lead. It was Moore’s 34th home run of the year, the third most in Division I.
Texas A&M starter Justin Lamkin allowed two more baserunners but was able to resolve the situation and keep the score at 1-0 until the second inning.
Tennessee vs. Texas A&M: TV, time, streaming and how to watch
- Date: Monday, June 24
- Time: 7pm ET
- Cable TV: ESPN
- Streaming: ESPN+; YouTubeTV; fuboTV
Things are going to heat up at Charles Schwab Field, where the temperature is 90 degrees at the time of first pitch between Texas A&M and Tennessee, according to AccuWeather. Temperatures are expected to drop as the game progresses, but it will still be warm. Temperatures are expected to reach just above 90 degrees by 9 p.m. local time. Keep an eye on how the pitchers and hitters handle the heat.
- Christian Moore, 2B
- Blake Burke, 1B
- Billy Amick, 3B
- Dylan Dreiling, LF
- Hunter Ensley, CF
- Kavare’s Tears, RF
- Dean Curley, SS
- Cannon Peebles, DH
- Cal Stark, C
- Gavin Grahovac, 3B
- Jace LaViolette, RF
- Jackson Appel, C
- Hayden Schott, DH
- Ted Burton, 1B
- Caden Sorrell, LF
- Ali Camarillo, SS
- Kaeden Kent, 2B
- Travis Chestnut, CF
The Volunteers will begin Game 3 with Zander Sechrist on the mound. The left-handed senior from Buford, Georgia, has a 5-1 record with a 3.22 ERA and has started 17 times this season.
Sechrist is coming off one of his best performances with Tennessee, starting in the semifinals against Florida State. He pitched 6.1 innings, allowing just two runs on five hits in a 7-2 win over the Seminoles. He has been at his best in the postseason, pitching 17.1 innings, allowing just two earned runs on 15 hits and 12 strikeouts in three NCAA Tournament games this year.
Justin Lamkin will start in the championship game for Texas A&M. The sophomore has a 3-2 season record with a 5.00 ERA and 15 starts in 2024.
Although the ERA seems high, Lamkin has been outstanding for the Aggies in Omaha. He started both of their victories over Florida, including the win that put Texas A&M in the championship series, where he struck out nine Gators and allowed no runs. In eight innings in Omaha, Lamkin has allowed 15 strikeouts and four hits.
As we look ahead to tonight’s deciding game, there’s a good case for both Tennessee and Texas A&M emerging victorious. The Aggies may have missed a chance to pull off the win, but their pitching staff was in relatively good shape from Game Two. A&M coach Jim Schlossnagle was able to keep bullpen ace Evan Aschenbeck in reserve after he successfully closed Game One, and the Aggies’ chances are fair if they can get him the ball with the lead in the late innings. That’s easier said than done, though, as A&M’s big hitters were largely silent on Saturday aside from the big second inning.
That brings us to the case of Tennessee, which already had a solid start from Xander Sechrist in Omaha and manager Tony Vitello will be counting on him to deliver another. The more pressing problem for the Volunteers has been their inability to take advantage of a lot of baserunners, and they left a whopping 19 baserunners in the first two games.
However, expect the Aggies to continue to give the Vols’ big hitters chances and ultimately deliver. While the concept of momentum in sports is vague and often fleeting, it’s currently on Tennessee’s side. It’ll likely be close, but we’re banking on the healthier Volunteers to take the crown. – Eddie Timanus
- Whether the Aggies can take the lead depends on their hitting power. Jace LaViolette And Gavin Grahovac surpassed 20 home runs, with Grahovac scoring the only run on Sunday with a long ball. Kaeden KentSon of former major leaguer Jeff Kent, he is the team’s best hitter. Kent came in because of a season-ending injury to Braden Montgomery and has a .450 batting average, one home run and seven RBIs in Omaha.
- The Aggies will turn to Justin Lampkin to start Game 3, with the sophomore hoping to continue his success after throwing eight scoreless innings in two games against Florida at the CWS. That’s what the top reliever is waiting for Evan Achenbeckwho leads the country in ERA. He will be rested after two errorless innings on Friday and could be back in action before then if the Aggies take an early lead.
- Zander Sechrist gets the ball for the Volunteers in Game 3. The veteran left-hander is second on the team with a 3.22 ERA after two crucial starts in the postseason – a win against Evansville in their decisive Super Regional game and a strong performance against a strong Florida State lineup that put Tennessee in the championship series. Nate Sneed made his sixth save in Sunday’s win and could be in action again.
- Where Tennessee’s offense gets its strength from is unclear, but with a team that includes five players who have hit 20 home runs, danger lurks everywhere. Christian Moore And Blake Burkethe two best batsmen, are the trailblazers at the top of the lineup. Dylan Dreiling hit a key home run on Sunday and is second on the team with 72 RBIs, one behind Moore.
Betting on Tennessee vs. Texas A&M: Odds and spreads for the College World Series
According to BetMGM’s college baseball odds, the Volunteers are the favorites to take home the title. Want to bet? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering sports betting promos for 2024.
Odds as of Monday.
- Spread: Tennessee (-1.5)
- Money line: Pittsburgh (+124);
- Over/Under: 10.5
College World Series Bracket: Remaining Schedule
College World Series Championship Series Overview
- Game 1: Texas A&M 9, Tennessee 5
- Game 2: Tennessee 4, Texas A&M 1
- Game 3: Monday, June 24, 7 p.m. ET
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