Baseball: Three-game LSU series highlights schedule

By News Sentinel staff
Updated Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Tennessee’s baseball schedule will include 34 games against teams that appeared in the NCAA tournament last spring.

That includes a three-game series at Lindsey Nelson Stadium against defending national champion LSU.

The Vols were the only team to take two games of a three-game weekend series against the Tigers last year.

The Vols open at home against Xavier, the Atlantic 10 defending champions.

The home SEC schedule includes series with LSU, Florida, Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Alabama.

The season’s longest road trip will be against Oregon State in Portland on Feb. 26-28.

Ohio State, Connecticut and Marshall come to town for a tournament March 12-14.

“Not many other teams are going to be able to say that they will play 34 games against NCAA tournament teams,’’ said head coach Todd Raleigh.

“With 20 of those games at our home park, we think it is going to make for a very exciting atmosphere for both our fans and players.’’

Stadium Renovation: The second of four phases of renovation at Lindsey Nelson Stadium has begun.

Included are a new club area and MVP seating behind home plate and chair-back seats throughout the main grandstand.

Other updates are brickwork on the exterior, a new batting-cage facility and visitors’ locker room amenities.

Summer Honors: Catcher Blake Forsythe and pitcher Bryan Morgado were listed among top prospects after summer ball, according to Baseball America.

Morgado was ranked as the fifth-best prospect in the Cape Cod League, where he pitched for the Bourne Braves.

Forsythe was listed as the No. 18 prospect from Team USA’s collegiate squad.