Tennessee Baseball Utility Man Out Against Mississippi State Due To 'Internal Issues'

Chris Newstrom will miss the weekend series against the Bulldogs.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 12:56am

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A fractured, geometric painting depicting a baseball game or match broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of color, with no recognizable figures or details.A cubist interpretation of the internal issues that have sidelined a key Tennessee baseball player, exposing the fragmented nature of the Volunteers' season so far.Scottsdale Today

Tennessee baseball utility man Chris Newstrom will not be with the team this weekend as they travel to face Mississippi State due to an unspecified 'internal issue'. The sophomore has struggled at the plate this season, hitting just .180 with one home run and six RBIs in 23 games played.

Why it matters

Newstrom was expected to be a key contributor for the Volunteers this season, but his absence comes at a critical time as Tennessee looks to stack SEC wins and improve on their 4-8 conference record. The Vols have had a tough start to conference play, winning just one game in their last two weekend series against Vanderbilt and LSU.

The details

Newstrom, a sophomore from Scottsdale, Arizona, has fallen out of the Vols' rotation and has not had an at-bat since March 31 against Austin Peay. His last SEC at-bat was on March 22 against Missouri, and he's started only two games in SEC play this season. Last year as a true freshman, Newstrom started 13 games, played in 33 games, and hit .351 with four home runs and nine extra-base hits.

  • On Thursday night, a UT spokesperson told RTI that Newstrom would not be with the team this weekend.
  • Tennessee is set to face Mississippi State in a three-game series starting on Friday night at 7 p.m. ET.

The players

Chris Newstrom

A sophomore utility man for the Tennessee baseball team who has struggled at the plate this season, hitting just .180 with one home run and six RBIs in 23 games played.

Tennessee Volunteers

The baseball team from the University of Tennessee, which is currently 4-8 in SEC play and looking to stack conference wins as they head to Starkville to face Mississippi State.

Mississippi State Bulldogs

The baseball team from Mississippi State University, which enters the weekend series against Tennessee at 7-5 in SEC play and coming off a sweep of Georgia.

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What’s next

Tennessee will look to bounce back this weekend against Mississippi State, as they try to improve their SEC record and keep their postseason hopes alive.

The takeaway

Newstrom's absence is a setback for the Volunteers, who have already faced challenges in SEC play this season. Tennessee will need to find a way to fill the void left by Newstrom's absence and get their offense back on track if they want to turn their season around.