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INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler baseball team will take on the #5 Tennessee Volunteers this Tuesday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The 6:30 first pitch will stream on WatchESPN.
 
Gameday
Butler at #5 Tennessee – March 22 – 6:30 PM
 
Projected Starters
RHP Luke Zmolik vs. LHP Zander Sechrist
 
Scouting #5 Tennessee
The Vols are nationally ranked with a 19-1 record to start the 2022 campaign. Tennessee leads the nation in batting average (.343), doubles (61), home runs (56), on-base percentage (.464), slugging percentage (.707), ERA (1.87), and shutouts (5). Jared Dickey leads the club with 23 runs scored and a .429 BA. Trey Lipscomb also has impressive numbers with a .373 batting average that includes six doubles, two triples and a team-best nine home runs for 36 RBI.
 
Tennessee will throw left-handed pitcher Zander Sechrist on Tuesday night. The 6-2 sophomore is 2-0 on the mound with a 1.62 ERA. He has 24 strikeouts and just five walks spread out over 16.2 innings of work. Sechrist was a 2020 Perfect Game Preseason All-American. He tossed five innings in his last outing against Eastern Kentucky on March 15. Sechrist struck out seven and walked one before leaving the hill.
 
Tennessee's lone setback came to then ranked #1 Texas in Houston, Texas. The two teams played a single game in the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic. James Madison also gave the Vols a scare in Knoxville, pushing the game into 10 innings before falling 9-8. Tennessee is fresh off an SEC sweep against South Carolina winning games against the Gamecocks 8-3, 5-2, and 10-0.
 
Zmolik on the Mound
Luke Zmolik will make the third start of his Bulldog career on Tuesday in Knoxville. The freshman has tossed three innings this year. His first start came at Northern Kentucky on March 1. His last start was at North Florida on March 8.

Reached Base Streak
James Gargano has reached base safely for Butler in 15-straight games. That ties Aaron Steinhart who reached base safely for the Bulldogs over the first 15 games of the 2022 season.
 
Hitting Streak
Gargano has an eight-game hitting streak going into Tuesday night. That ties the longest streak of the season (Travis Holt).
 
Same Spot
Travis Holt has led-off for BU in every game this year and Aaron Steinhart has hit in the three-hole.
 
Southpaw
The Bulldogs are 3-3 on the year against left-handers. Travis Holt is batting .429 against lefties, Scott Jones is second on the team at .375 and Kollyn All is close behind with a .353 BA.
 
Keep Hitting Holt
Travis Holt leads the team and ranks second in the BIG EAST with 28 hits. He has 10 multi-hit games for the Bulldogs.
 
He's Going
Butler is second in the BIG EAST and 19th in the NCAA in stolen bases with 41. Holt leads the team with 10 and Jones is second with eight.
 
Drees Does His Job
Derek Drees now leads the BIG EAST with three saves. He picked up a save for the Bulldogs in game one of Sunday's doubleheader vs. Eastern Michigan. In his outing Drees struck out two of the three batters he faced, allowing BU to hold onto the 4-3 victory.
 
Up Next
Butler will play three games against two different opponents this weekend at Bulldog Park. Northwestern will play in Indianapolis at 4 PM on Friday and 12 PM on Sunday. On Saturday, Southern Illinois will play the 'Dawgs at noon.