{"id":31204,"date":"2026-05-29T16:42:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T16:42:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/29\/josh-elander-tennessee-baseball-comfortable-as-no-2-seed-in-ncaa-regional\/"},"modified":"2026-05-29T16:42:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T16:42:19","slug":"josh-elander-tennessee-baseball-comfortable-as-no-2-seed-in-ncaa-regional","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/29\/josh-elander-tennessee-baseball-comfortable-as-no-2-seed-in-ncaa-regional\/","title":{"rendered":"Josh Elander, Tennessee baseball comfortable as No. 2 seed in NCAA regional"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>May 28, 2026, 3:43 p.m. ET<\/p>\n<div>\n<aside aria-label=\"advertisement\" class=\"gnt_x__c gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__bv\"\/>\n<aside aria-label=\"advertisement\" class=\"gnt_x__c gnt_x__bvd gnt_x__h\"\/>\n<aside class=\"gnt_em gnt_em__fp gnt_em_vp__tp gnt_em__el\" aria-label=\"Video - Josh Elander on Tennessee making its seventh straight NCAA Tournament\"\/>\n<ul class=\"gnt_sh\">\n<li class=\"gnt_sh_li\">Tennessee baseball is the No. 2 seed in the Chapel Hill NCAA Tournament regional, hosted by No. 4 North Carolina.<\/li>\n<li class=\"gnt_sh_li\">The Vols will face No. 3 seed East Carolina in their first game of the double-elimination tournament.<\/li>\n<li class=\"gnt_sh_li\">This is only the second time in six seasons that Tennessee is not hosting a regional tournament.<\/li>\n<li class=\"gnt_sh_li\">Despite not being the favorite, the team is confident after winning four of its last six SEC series.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">CHAPEL HILL, NC \u2212 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.knoxnews.com\/story\/sports\/college\/university-of-tennessee\/other-sports\/2026\/05\/27\/tennessee-baseball-ncaa-tournament-evan-blanco\/90236535007\/\" data-t-l=\":b|e|k|\u2691u\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Josh Elander<\/a> understands <a href=\"http:\/\/www.knoxnews.com\/story\/sports\/college\/university-of-tennessee\/other-sports\/2026\/05\/27\/tony-vitello-tennessee-baseball-ncaa-tournament-prediction\/90236665007\/\" data-t-l=\":b|e|k|\u2691u\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tennessee baseball<\/a> isn\u2019t the favorite to advance from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.knoxnews.com\/story\/sports\/college\/university-of-tennessee\/other-sports\/2026\/05\/25\/tennessee-baseball-ncaa-regional-tournament-prediction-unc\/90109653007\/\" data-t-l=\":b|e|k|\u2691u\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">its NCAA Tournament regional<\/a>. The first-year coach and the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/sports\/college-sports\/sec\/tennessee\" data-autotag=\"c2526fc8-0bcd-4e11-ba0e-efa2814bb73b\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t-l=\":b|e|k|\u2691u\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\">Vols<\/a> aren\u2019t backing down from the challenge.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cI think that&#8217;s the only way you should want it as a competitor,\u201d Elander said May 27. \u201cLet&#8217;s go best vs. best and figure out what&#8217;s what.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.knoxnews.com\/story\/sports\/college\/university-of-tennessee\/other-sports\/2026\/05\/25\/tennessee-baseball-ncaa-tournament-seed\/90109652007\/\" data-t-l=\":b|e|k|\u2691u\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">No. 25 Tennessee<\/a> (38-20) is the No. 2 seed in the Chapel Hill Regional, hosted by No. 4 North Carolina (45-11-1) at Boshamer Stadium. The Vols will play No. 3 seed <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdata.usatoday.com\/football\/ncaaf\/teams\/east-carolina-pirates\/3504\/\" data-autotag=\"cfb3febb-ece1-4350-b45a-372fa225e56a\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t-l=\":b|e|k|\u2691u\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\">East Carolina<\/a> (36-22-1) on May 29 (noon ET, ESPNU) in their first game, with <a href=\"http:\/\/www.knoxnews.com\/story\/sports\/college\/university-of-tennessee\/other-sports\/2026\/05\/20\/tennessee-baseball-first-inning-ncaa-tournament-josh-elander\/90175348007\/\" data-t-l=\":b|e|k|\u2691u\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">senior\u00a0Evan Blanco<\/a>\u00a0(7-4, 4.94 ERA) starting <a href=\"http:\/\/www.knoxnews.com\/story\/sports\/college\/university-of-tennessee\/other-sports\/2026\/05\/19\/tennessee-baseball-cam-appenzeller-sec-tournament\/90109656007\/\" data-t-l=\":b|e|k|\u2691u\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">on the mound for Tennessee<\/a> and redshirt junior Ryan Towers\u00a0(7-3, 3.04 ERA) starting for the Pirates.<\/p>\n<aside aria-label=\"advertisement\" class=\"gnt_x__c gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\"\/>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The winner will face either North Carolina, the No. 5 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, or No. 4 seed VCU (37-23) on May 30 (5 p.m.) while the loser drops to an elimination game on May 30 (noon).<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_gl gnt_em__el\" href=\"http:\/\/www.knoxnews.com\/picture-gallery\/sports\/college\/university-of-tennessee\/other-sports\/2025\/10\/25\/josh-elander-tennessee-baseball-coach-tony-vitello\/86780647007\/\" data-t-l=\"\u2691g:l|l|c|view gallery:inline promo\" aria-label=\"View Gallery - Josh Elander, Tennessee baseball&#039;s new coach in 2026, replacing Tony Vitello\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img class=\"gnt_em_gl_i\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-src=\"https:\/\/www.knoxnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2026\/05\/10\/PKNS\/90021669007-tennessee-texas-baseball-sy-1286.jpg?crop=4158,2340,x0,y155&amp;width=660&amp;height=372&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" data-gl-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.knoxnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2026\/05\/10\/PKNS\/90021669007-tennessee-texas-baseball-sy-1286.jpg?crop=4158,https:\/\/www.knoxnews.com\/2340,https:\/\/www.knoxnews.com\/x0,https:\/\/www.knoxnews.com\/y155&amp;width=1320&amp;height=744&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"372\"\/><svg class=\"gnt_em_gl_i_svg\"><use xlink:href=\"#gnt_svg_camera\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Not being favored is unfamiliar territory for Tennessee, given its dominance in recent years. This is just the second time in six seasons the Vols aren\u2019t hosting a regional in Knoxville. They\u2019ve been the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament the same number of times in that span.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_ar_b_sp\">Need a news break? <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t-l=\":body nav (play)|e|auto spike click:7|\u2691u\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_sp_a\" href=\"https:\/\/play.usatoday.com\/?itm_source=SPIKE&amp;itm_campaign=PLAYSPIKE&amp;itm_medium=ONSITE\">Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!<\/a><\/aside>\n<aside aria-label=\"advertisement\" class=\"gnt_x__c gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\"\/>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">But being the top seed in a regional doesn\u2019t equate to a surefire super regional appearance. At least six non-No. 1 seeds have advanced to a super regional in each of the past three tournaments. Last year it was seven.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The last time Tennessee was a No. 2 seed was in 2023. That team went to the College World Series.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_anc\" id=\"gnt_atomsnc\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"loadAnc\" aria-label=\"Newsletter signup form\"\/>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The Chapel Hill Regional is expected to be one of the most competitive in the tournament. Of the 16 regionals to be played this week, its teams have the fourth-highest average RPI and third-highest average Diamond Sports Ranking. Remove No. 4 seeds, who can be statistical outliers, and the Chapel Hill Regional has the highest average DSR ranking of any regional.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cI think it helps us motivate for this weekend and hopefully onto the next,\u201d sophomore Levi Clark said. \u201cBut we try and not look at that too much and really try and focus on ourselves. I think our team\u2019s ready for anything, really.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside aria-label=\"advertisement\" class=\"gnt_x__c gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\"\/>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The Vols have already played with their backs against the wall this year. After starting 4-8 in the SEC, it wasn\u2019t a guarantee they would even be playing in the NCAA Tournament. They needed to go on a run, and they responded by winning four of their last six SEC series \u2013 including three against teams hosting a regional (Mississippi State, Alabama and Texas).<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Now they find themselves in a four-team pod from which only one\u2019s season will continue. Odds favor North Carolina to advance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cBut the game is not played on paper,\u201d Elander said. \u201cThe game is played between the lines and is won by players, and I&#8217;m excited because this time of year we&#8217;ve always said, &#8216;Hey, we&#8217;re handing you the keys to the car, we&#8217;ll let you guys drive it.\u2019 So I&#8217;m excited to see how our guys compete.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">NCAA Chapel Hill Regional schedule<\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>All times ET<\/em><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">Friday<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"gnt_ar_b_ul\">\n<li class=\"gnt_ar_b_ul_li\"><strong>Game 1:\u00a0<\/strong>Tennessee vs. East Carolina, noon, ESPNU<\/li>\n<li class=\"gnt_ar_b_ul_li\"><strong>Game 2:<\/strong>\u00a0North Carolina vs. VCU, 5 p.m., ESPN+<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">Saturday<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"gnt_ar_b_ul\">\n<li class=\"gnt_ar_b_ul_li\"><strong>Game 3:<\/strong>\u00a0Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, noon, TBD<\/li>\n<li class=\"gnt_ar_b_ul_li\"><strong>Game 4:<\/strong>\u00a0Game 1 winner vs. Game 2, 5 p.m., TBD<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<aside aria-label=\"advertisement\" class=\"gnt_x__c gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\"\/>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">Sunday<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"gnt_ar_b_ul\">\n<li class=\"gnt_ar_b_ul_li\"><strong>Game 5:<\/strong>\u00a0Game 4 loser vs. Game 3 winner, noon, TBD<\/li>\n<li class=\"gnt_ar_b_ul_li\"><strong>Game 6:<\/strong>\u00a0Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 5 p.m., TBD<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">Monday (if necessary)<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"gnt_ar_b_ul\">\n<li class=\"gnt_ar_b_ul_li\"><strong>Game 7:<\/strong>\u00a0Game 6 winner vs. Game 6\u00a0loser, TBD<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<aside class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_cp gnt_em_cp__sp\" aria-label=\"The latest news on Tennessee baseball\" data-c-cta=\"DIG DEEPER\">\n<div class=\"gnt_em_cp_cw\"><img class=\"gnt_em_cp_cw_i\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-src=\"https:\/\/www.knoxnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2026\/05\/10\/PKNS\/90021669007-tennessee-texas-baseball-sy-1286.jpg?crop=4158,3118,x0,y0&amp;width=258&amp;height=193&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" data-gl-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.knoxnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2026\/05\/10\/PKNS\/90021669007-tennessee-texas-baseball-sy-1286.jpg?crop=4158,https:\/\/www.knoxnews.com\/3118,https:\/\/www.knoxnews.com\/x0,https:\/\/www.knoxnews.com\/y0&amp;width=516&amp;height=386&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\"\/><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Emmett Siegel covers\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/sports\/college-sports\/sec\/tennessee\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-t-l=\":b|e|k|\u2691u\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\">Tennessee<\/a>\u00a0baseball for Knox News. Email:\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:emmett.siegel@knoxnews.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-t-l=\":b|z|k|\u2691u\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\">emmett.siegel@knoxnews.com<\/a>; X:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/EmmettSiegel_\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-t-l=\":b|z|k|\u2691u\" class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\">@EmmettSiegel_<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>May 28, 2026, 3:43 p.m. ET Tennessee baseball is the No. 2 seed in the Chapel Hill NCAA Tournament regional,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31205,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_animmysite_disable_animation":false,"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.knoxnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2026\/05\/09\/PKNS\/90004195007-tennessee-texas-baseball-sy-3006.jpg?crop=4346,2445,x0,y226&width=3200&height=1801&format=pjpg&auto=webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[214],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31204","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-usa-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31204","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31204"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31204\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31205"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31204"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31204"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}