Tennessee announces starting pitching plans vs. Bowling Green
According to the Tennessee baseball game notes published Thursday afternoon ahead of the Bowling Green series this weekend at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, Tony Vitello and Frank Anderson will send out an altered weekend rotation against the Falcons.
Friday night starter AJ Russell is sidelined this weekend with soreness after firing three scoreless frames on 54 pitches last week against Albany. Therefore, fellow right-handed hurler AJ Causey will make his first Tennessee start against the falcons at 4:30 pm eastern time Friday afternoon.
Saturday’s starter will keep pace with right-handed junior Drew Beam while Sunday’s starter will be announced the day of, depending on how the weekend pitching unfolds. Left-handed veteran Zander Sechrist has started each of the first two Sundays of the season.
All this tracks with what sources told Volquest throughout the week. We have also been told that Russell is characterized as week-to-week and will be slow-played back into the fold with hopes of being ready for Southeastern Conference play, which begins when the Vols take on Alabama in Tuscaloosa on March 15.
“It was kind of weird and they did explain it to me in doctor’s terms, which made it even weirder,” the Vitello said of the Russell injury while appearing on a local radio show this week. “It was more kind of on his side or his torso – stemming all the way up to his armpit. It was something kind of unique and really just attributed it to a guy that young – he doesn’t have a very long track record of being at this weight and throwing at this velocity. So, it’s new to his body.
“I’m not a scientist or a doctor, but I’ve seen this before where this is a strain or stress there. Really his body is evolving and something new is going on.”
Causey, who earned SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week honors following Opening Weekend, has been off to a strong start to his Tennessee career. The righty has allowed just one earned run (3 total) over five hits in 7.2 innings of work out of the bullpen with nine strikeouts to only one walk. He was the Friday night starter for Jacksonville State in 2023, so he’s got plenty of experience in that role.
Beam is 1-0 on the season following a combined 10.2 innings pitched over two starts (Oklahoma and Albany). The righty has allowed only three runs on 13 hits but just two have gone for extra-bases. The former high school quarterback has also struck out six and walked none thus far into the year.
Though it wasn’t confirmed Sechrist will get the nod on Sunday, the southpaw has started both Sundays to begin the season and allowed three runs over five hits in four innings of work. He bounced back in a big way with a scoreless effort against the Great Danes last weekend.
Tennessee and Bowling Green will begin the three-game nonconference series Friday afternoon at 4:30 pm eastern time.
